The Macquarie Centre in Sydney is rapidly shaping up to be a high street haven, with UNIQLO, Zara and other international chains announcing their stores inside.
The Centre, whose huge $440 million rebrand has taken years, will re-open on 16 October, and its retail offerings are making us sigh with anticipation.
For one, it’s huge, with nearly 140,000 square metres of space. For another, the brands will be a hot combination of Australian fashion and international stores, including some which have never graced our shores before.
H&M, which is also gearing up for a huge flagship store in Sydney’s Glasshouse and another in North Ryde, is prepping for its Macquarie Centre debut after the huge success of its Melbourne boutique, which nabbed nearly 2 million visitors in 20 days.
And the H&M representatives have promised that the Macquarie Centre store will contain one of the most anticipated collaborations in fashion: Alexander Wang x H&M. We predict sell-outs and quite possibly minor riots.
Clearly Aussies love Swedish high fashion – and perhaps, if the Macquarie Centre H&M proves fruitful, the brand’s other arms will come to Australia as well. H&M also owns COS, a high-end chain beloved of European businesswomen for its clean-silhouetted chic, and & Other Stories, a luxury mid-range brand full of cutting-edge fashion (they just did a collaboration with songstress Lykke Li).
Both have been smash hits in Europe and the UK, and are cult favourites elsewhere. We’re hoping H&M’s retail empire might include bringing them to our shores.
H&M will be joined by UNIQLO, Zara, Gap, David Jones and Myer, plus Aussie heavyweights like Gorman, Willow and Alice McCall. And one final big name is being kept secret until closer to the launch, with guesses including heavyweight US retailer Forever 21.
The Centre is also releasing a tailored app called My Macquarie, which promises a ‘catwalk to mobile’ experience – pull an outfit from a live runway at a Fashion Week and it will help you find the pieces in the shopping pavilion. Plus it will feature a 21-metre digital panel in the ceiling, which can be customised for in-store events, seasonal promotions and installations for pop-up designers.
It’s all part of a retail turnaround for Sydney, as most international brands prefer to test the waters in Melbourne first. But investment and high Aussie spending have lured them north to NSW – and we can’t wait.
Where will you be shopping first in the Macquarie Centre?
Images: H&M and The Macquarie Centre.
