As you know, “Do-It-Yourself” has been our tune for the past few years on this blog, and thanks to mavens such as Claire Mueller (ex-Harbour Master) as well as social media movements like #KnowYourFactories, we’ve become much more wary about the origins of our wares. The simple act of making something from scratch not only satisfies the artistic urges, but also makes you appreciate the time & effort poured in to the process of creating – something we all overlook time and time again thanks to mass-production and fast fashion influences.
On Saturday, I was honoured to meet a bunch of creatives harbouring their love for making things – all housed (conveniently too, might I add) in MANY 6160. Occupying the old Myer building in Fremantle, MANY 6160 was a concept launched by Nick & the Spacemarket gang in 2011. Although originally intended for a more modest beginning in Wesley Quarter, the offer of inhabiting the 20 000-square-metre ex-department store was too good to pass up!
Just imagine all. That. Space. Then imagine some more.
MANY 6160 aims to provide a designer-curated shopping experience that fills the gap in Fremantle's higher end (no more hours poking around the Markets for low-yield - yay!). For the designers and retailers behind the menagerie of fashion, homewares & art on display, they get to work in a collaborative retail space & provide/receive mentorship from their neighbours. As a testing ground for businesses trying out the market, you'll find stuff in the MANY 6160 complex that you won't find anywhere else, so trip down to King's Square to peruse the goods.
Today's post features just a few of the current retailers on the ground floor - lots of photos after the jump plus a bit of my fashion blogger outfit envy (Chloe Susanna boots, why do you plague me so?).
clicky clicky on that cross! -->
KATE & ABEL
Well, his name is Matt (not Abel), but the adorable couple call the shots here as floor managers, as well as having their own retail space stocking hats, accessories, & the coolest of quirkiest homewares. If you're a bit of a brand-whore, you'll also be glad to know that their hats were stocked in Topshop & Harvey Nichols whilst the pair were back in London. Talk about street cred! They came all the way back here to sunny little Perth, bringing their gorgeous hats & a lot of knowledge regarding where to find cool stuff to stock in their retail space. Oh and don't forget, if you're a hat person looking for a custom job, here is definitely the place!
PIGEONHOLE ARCHIVES
Talk about a retail success-story from Perth! Do I even need to talk about this shop? (ok ok, it's full of homewares & cool clothes, and is your one-stop-shop for gift-buying)
Oh those Chloe boots.
ANTIPODIUM
Founder & Director of the brand, Ashe Peacock, has brought a whole bunch of sale stock as well as some new season goodies to her jam-packed retail space. I highly recommend that the magpies of Perth flock down to
♥ Heidi ♥
HUNTER STORE
Hunt no more (if you're not in Leederville that is) - Alice has set up shop in MANY 6160 to bring you a delightful selection of leather goods & trinkets. Plus some Bite Beauty lipsticks to squeeze into said leather goods such as the ones above by After The Apple.
PEACHES & CLEAN
Gorgeous Katrina hand-makes all these wonderful-smelling wares in the creepy basement of MANY 6160. Definitely something I'm going to get my dermatitis-ridden hands into, as Katrina started making natural soaps for the same thing.
She also caters for those smelly hipster boys - pick up some beard oil if your hairy man is getting out of control.
STUDIO BOMBA WORKSHOPS
Now in Fremantle!
ANYA BROCK
FYI, you can see her work IN THE FLESH in MANY 6160! Take a piece home to brighten up your abode.
OWNED
Leo owns a desktop 3D printer which chugs out many a cool thing. His shop also houses a bevy of tshirts featuring prints out of the vaults (open-access of course), and a healthy dose of Adventure Time. Ask him to demonstrate the wind machines!
So... Haul-ass down to King's Square in Fremantle to get your mitts on da goods!
As I might have mentioned somewhere earlier, heaps of the stuff on show was produced on site - Part Two of the MANY 6160 experience will take you upstairs to the production floor as well as down to the creepy basement where you can meet
Many thanks to Emma for setting up the whole she-bang!
xx T
This is the coolest place I've seen in a while & it's so strange that I can't picture where it is because I used to spend a lot of time in the Freo Myer, but I can't remember where near the park it is! Is this place permanent?
ReplyDeleteAlso, I love that little chair figurine thing in the last photo. It's adorable!
Hey Shann!!
DeleteYuppo - the place is permanent, but the shops on the inside are a bit more transient. Definitely worth the poke around :)
Believe it or not, the chair thingo in the last photo is a little chair-stack puzzle printed out with a 3D printer! It's very cool & Leo's shop is full of the coolest bits & pieces.
xx T