There’s a new type of store in town, and it’s one you’ll want to visit ASAP.
After two years of ‘adding to cart’ online, Chatswood Chase Sydney has opened an evolving and immersive concept store—Edit Collection—so we can get back to shopping in person, in style.
Chatswood Chase Sydney, in partnership with Afterpay and the Australian Fashion Council, will feature four of the most cutting-edge, creative, and sustainable designers throughout 2022.
Right now, My General Store is in residence at the North Shore shopping centre.
marie claire caught up with the brand’s founder, Michelle Glew-Ross, who says she’s excited about the return to the in-person shopping experience.
“I’m really looking forward to people being able to touch and feel the clothes and have that personal interaction with my team, so they can have a closer relationship to what we design and make and why,” she says.
“In the studio we have been talking a lot about how exciting it will be to see how people feel when they try on our clothes.”
Q: How did My General Store begin?
“I have always loved and been drawn to natural fabrics, and I’ve also always had a burning desire to create. The idea had been bubbling away in the background until I found the space and time to zero in on what I wanted it to be.
“An extended overseas trip did that for me and I realised that I wanted My General Store to be about making beautiful pieces where every detail is considered, that are made with sustainable natural fabrics, made here in Australia, that are timeless and made to last.”
Q: What inspires your designs?
“Nature is always my inspiration, and it is central to what I do. My eyes are open to the natural world and how it makes you feel, and I try and reflect that sensation with everything I design.
“The wonderment of the creations it makes, the colours, the light, and the expression and it’s always there in front of us—a shell on the beach, the perfect sunset or simply a leaf that falls in front of you on a walk.”
Q: Do you have a style motto or hero?
“’Follow The Sun’ is my mantra and this weaves though my ‘everyday’. I am particularly drawn to photographs of women in the 1960s and the 1970s on holiday during summer. These images invoke a sense of effortless classic style.”
Q: Who is the ‘My General Store’ woman?
“She is timeless, a free thinker, brave, adventurous in her approach to life and relaxed in her style. She cares about where her clothes are made, the impact they have on the environment and the people who make them. She is curious and optimistic and surrounds herself with beautiful things that make her smile.”
Q: Why is it important to produce locally?
“We have a strong tradition of manufacturing in this country and, sadly, we have turned our backs on it—but that is changing.
“It’s important to create jobs and with that a viable industry. Personally, it is important for me to know who my makers are, the conditions they work in and ensure they are paid well.”
Q: Why are My General Store and Edit Collection a good match?
“Edit Collection is a wonderful concept to open new doors for small Australian brands at one of Sydney’s premier shopping destinations. For My General Store, we have decided to grow organically and focus on sustainability and local production. The Australian Fashion Council recognise the importance of sustainability within our local industry, and we are very proud to be part of this.”
Make a date to explore the sustainable designs and experience the natural fabrics at the Edit Collection pop-up store at Chatswood Chase right now.
Brought to you by Chatswood Chase.
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