Byron Bay-born street, surf and skate brand Afends has opened a new store at QV Melbourne, in the heart of the CBD.
The premium store connects the brand's Melbourne fans to its surf culture and sustainable ethos, founders Jonathan Salfield and Declan Wise told Ragtrader.
"The QV has always been on our radar as it’s such a nice premium centre in Melbourne, the brand mix is amazing especially being next to OFF-WHITE, A.P.C and Saturdays NYC.
"One of the biggest factors in opening this store was where our customer base was from.
"Afends has a big following from Melbourne especially in the city, we wanted to give our consumers a beautiful store that they can visit and experience the brand and see it in action.
"For Afends being a coastal-based brand it was also in our plan to have a solid presence in the Melbourne city," the duo said.
The store features multi-level rendered merchandise tables, tiled boxed plinths with powder-coated white racking, large change rooms with floor to ceiling mirrors and hemp curtains with Afends yardage prints.
"The store vision is an amalgamation of everything that inspires the brand, from sustainable collections, up-and-coming artist initiatives and surf and skate culture," Wise and Salfield said.
Next year, the brand is set to continue its expansion into CBD centres, with Sydney CBD next on the agenda, the founders added.
"2022 is going to be busy to say the least.
"We also have a beer collaboration with a well-known Byron Based Beer company dropping mid-January.
"Our first Hemp crop will be harvested and most likely be a major event around it!
"Sleepy Hollow farm will be full of events around festivals like Splendour.
"And towards the end of the year we have a big international collaboration drop," Wise and Salfield said.
The Afends QV store officially opened on December 03.
