Melbournalia Strikes!

14. Nov, 2011

Melbournalia is more than just a great name, it’s a new venture bringing together some of our best local designers and letting us have a gander at their crafty goodies. And all in time for Christmas.

The idea of showing all this local talent came, oddly enough, from another bunch of talented locals: designer Alasdair MacKinnon (Otto and Spike), Jenny Brown (ex-buyer at Wilkins & Kent) and Michael Brady and Dale Campisi from Arcade Publications. Basically over the next four weeks five pop up stores will be popping up all over town spruiking the wares of local talent.

The first Melbournalia store opened last week in that most Melbourne of locations – down an alley, up a flight of stairs, in a warehouse. Inside the cavernous space there’s a mega Melbourne mix of clothes, crafts, books, odds and ends.

There are serving trays with Melbourne’s CBD printed on them, books about Madame Brussels, E.W. Cole and Melways wrapping paper.

In all there are over 30 local designers represented including Able & Game, hookTURN Industries and Lamps by Spaced, with almost everything completely produced in Melbourne. Some of my favourites were the tea towels printed with old tram scrolls by Poulier & Poulier and the tram tote bags. And it wouldn’t be a Melbourne store without coffee, with Padre beans available in tins.

The friendly folk at Melbournalia also deliver nationally and internationally. So for something more interesting than a Billy Bass Singing Trout or a JB Hi-Fi voucher skip along to Melbournalia this month.

The second store opened on Elizabeth and Bourke Street today, with others at Captains of Industry, The League of Honest Coffee and The Nicholas Building to open shortly. For more info visit melbournalia.com.au.