What's Selling In: Paddington, QLD

The phrase 'keep your friends close and your enemies even closer' doesn't sit well with retailers in Paddington - particularly those which specialise in vintage apparel and accessories.

One trip down Latrobe or Given Tce, where many businesses have been operating for 20 years or longer, will leave consumers with more recommendations than they know what to do with. Quite simply, there are no enemies here. "Second Gear boutique is a few doors down from us and they stock some great vintage and second hand clothes," says Encore La Chance managing director Sandra Toomey of her competitor.

"Adornments is further up the hill in Paddington - they've got pretty dresses from the 1920s and '50s," offers Second Gear director Beverley O'Neill, who founded the business over 18 years ago with Victoria James.
"Paddington's a really charming little place and we're known for having some of the best vintage stores around," adds Adornments stylist Natasha Buchanan.

Although all three retailers specialise in vintage or recycled fashion, each has found its own niche in the local marketplace. Twenty-year-old boutique Encore La Chance has a mix of new and recycled fashions which sell for under half the recommended retail price. On show are Louis Vuitton handbags, Lisa Ho pants, Alice McCall dresses and denim pieces from Sass and Bide.

"We look for fashions that are quite current - collections from the last couple of years rather than decades," says Toomey. "Our clients receive 40 per cent of the sell price for items but some opt for an exchange or store credit. It's such a great way to shop." Second Gear, on the other hand, has a broader range of brands with items from Country Road, Jigsaw, Sergio Rossi and Armani. Consumers are offered a 50 per cent commission on items brought into the store with consignments averaging at six to ten garments per drop.

"A lot of people ask me whether I'm worried that the bigger retailers like Witchery are coming to town - I'm not," O'Neill says. "The more people that visit those stores, the better because they'll often come down and investigate us."
Vintage boutique Adornments has had its fair share of inquisitive consumers. The ten-year-old retailer specialises in old-world vintage items spanning across cocktail wear, eveningwear and costumes.

"At the moment, we've got an exquisite cocktail gown from the 1950s," says Buchanan. "It's made from apple green silk and has gold lacing over the top - it features hand rouching and even weights along the bottom to ensure the pleats fold correctly. It retails for $595." One issue that seems to be affecting all retailers in the Paddington district is soaring rental prices. Buchanan confirms Adornments had to shut its second store after the most recent hike in early 2008.

Toomey concurs. "The rent really started coming up about a year ago but over the last nine months it's just shot up," she says. "It's happening everywhere in Queensland but we're all committed to staying here - Paddington is the most beautiful place to work." 

Lowdown
Location: 2km west of the Brisbane
Population: 7548
Stores:Encore La Chance, Adornments, Second Gear.
Brands: Vintage Louis Vuitton, Armani, Sass & Bide, Lisa Ho, Wayne Cooper, Zimmermann, Alice McCall.

By Assia Benmedjdoub