The Fleet Store

Emerging fashion gets a leg up at the Fleet Store, a temporary pop-up shop in Brisbane’s Wintergarden organized by nine final-year QUT students.

The Fleet Store opened in Brisbane’s Wintergarden shopping centre in August and closed at the end of October. Fleeting as that may be in terms of time, the residual benefits are far more permanent.

The pop-up fashion store was a final-year project for nine Queensland University of Technology (QUT) students who were the first group to graduate from a combined business and fashion degree. The degree is the first of its kind in the country, although others have since developed.

As part of an “enterprise learning” program, the student cohort was supported by both the Wintergarden, who provided the store, and QUT Creative Enterprise Australia (CEA). In keeping with all this pioneering spirit and striving forth where no man/woman has trod before, the store showcased independent fashion labels (including some of the students’ own) and emerging local designers mentored by the CEA program. Thus, some award-winning local talent on the up and up (in the likes of George Wu, Juli Grbac and Robyn Taggart) mixed it with the babes in the wood fresh out of fashion school.

Fashion lecturer and program coordinator Kay McMahon oversaw a rigorous preparation schedule that involved thorough feasibility studies and business plans, financial management, projections and marketing schedules through to the complete store fitout and stocking. A gala opening event was also organized by the students. For a university whose motto expounds its relation to the real world, the model is very relevant.

Realism aside, fashion is also a great vessel for fantasy and creativity, and the store revelled in an inspirational and innovative fitout as a stage set to its unique stock. Working within a limited budget and, unusually for the pop-up model, multi-layered shopping centre regulations, the group became hunter gatherers. Preloved objects were sourced to create an eclectic atelier atmosphere that reflected the vibrant communal nature of the enterprise. Thus, balls of yarn threaded their way around the space inhabited by dirty paintbrushes, old candel-abra, suspended origami sculptures and a wall of hand-illustrated chalkboard. Mesh, fishing line and cables assisted in displaying garments. A ripple iron stand with a pink onyx top made the perfect counter. A curly wire hanging basket – à la Nanna’s patio perhaps – was a feature in the front window. Old soft drink crates helped form the roll-away landscape.

The effect was, according to McMahon “inviting, homely and akin to a busy artisan’s studio.” In the longer term, the students were able to significantly develop their design portfolios and generate concrete retail opportunities.

Credits

Project
The Fleet Store
Consultants
Organizer Queensland University of Technology Creative Industries and QUT Creative Enterprise Australia
Site Details
Location Level 2, Wintergarden,  Brisbane,  Qld,  Australia
Project Details
Status Built
Website http://www.creativeenterprise.com.au/
Category Interiors
Type Retail
Client
Client name QUT Creative Enterprise Australia
Website creativeenterprise.com.au

Source

Project

Published online: 1 Dec 2010
Words: Margie Fraser
Images: Ian Knight

Issue

Artichoke, December 2010

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