Small wonders — Local Paddo

What would possess someone to open a retail store in the midst of a global pandemic? When I put this line of inquiry to Craig Andrade of William St’s new The Embassy, he laughs, “How crazy am I, exactly?”

On a scale of one-to-10, full-blown crazy being 10, I’d sit Andrade at about three. And that’s only because opening any business, anytime, demands a smidgen of lunacy and this is a pandemic, after all. Otherwise, the man behind beautiful fragrance label The Raconteur, which he retails at The Embassy, is of sound mind and judgment.

The Embassy is a stunning, immersive retail experience that Andrade says is designed to titillate all five senses, not simply scent. As a business that tells the story of place using elegantly crafted Australian botanicals, Andrade had always wanted to showcase The Raconteur in a tactile way. So when the perfect location popped up, he didn’t hesitate to take it, despite the city oscillating in and out of lockdowns.

“I knew it was the right thing for what I wanted to do, which was to show our customers what a beautiful immersive space would be like,” he says, adding that COVID, in fact, amplified the need for a retail space.

“It has heightened our awareness of the importance of our sensory system. I think that disconnect means we have all come out of this experience craving and valuing that more.”

Will Wittmer of new Woollahra store, Tanora, agrees. “The world is changing. Yet, we believe bricks-and-mortar stores are still relevant,” he says. “Locals and tourists come to iconic places such as Paddington or Woollahra for the shopping experience. In the case of brands doing hand-crafted pieces, a website can hardly replace in-person shopping when it comes to textures and smell.”

Will and his sister, Manon, began selling their eco-conscious, fair-trade-focused raffia products at the Paddington Markets five years ago, but he says that, surprisingly, it was the pandemic that spurred them into a retail space as gatherings, such as markets, became uncertain.

Indeed, whether motivated by yearnings to indulge our senses or to wrestle back some control, 2021 has seen a blooming of new retail experiences in Paddington and Woollahra. It almost feels as if a new store opens its doors every day to capture that golden ray of social interaction we’ve all missed since being sequestered away from each other.

It’s a renaissance of makers and creators all flowing from Paddington’s bohemian roots. Alongside this surging appreciation for small businesses and handmade products, Andrade also believes the new energy flooding in can be partly attributed to work-from-home mandates disgorging CBD workers back into their own neighbourhoods.

“I think what you have are these wonderful, village-like suburbs that are both elevated in terms of their tree-scapes, their buildings, and there’s a wonderful collection of independent labels,” he says.

In-store three days a week, Andrade has intentionally made himself available to his clientele. But he says it’s a two-way street. While customers love to learn about the who, how and why of his wares, he also loves sharing his passion with them.

“It’s incredibly satisfying to have first-person experiences with people who are interested in your work,” he says. “Buying ubiquitous things that anyone can have, that everyone has got, I don’t think is interesting anymore people want to know a story. They want to know where something came from.”

Here’s what’s happening around the neighbourhood.

Just opened

Lucy Folk

31 William St

Following the success of the Playa Bondi store, Lucy Folk has opened a beautiful new iteration on William St. Having started with a collection of playful jewellery, goldsmith and creative director Lucy Folk has extended her candy-coloured empire to include all manner of accessories, shoes, apparel and fine jewellery. The store has been designed by Lucy Folk’s next-door neighbour at No 33, interior designer Tamsin Johnson.

The Embassy

20A William St

Ambassadors for Australian-grown scents, The Embassy on William St is a fragrance emporium from Craig Andrade’s The Raconteur candle label. The store is an immersive sensory experience, so spend some time here finding a new signature scent, a candle to fragrance your house, some tisanes and even some vintage furniture.

Nique

94 Oxford St

This Melbourne brand has brought its “modern, mindful, minimalism style” to Oxford St. Creative director Nadia Jones says the label specialises in clean lines and bold silhouettes, in looser and oversized shapes. “We create versatile, effortless collections in a monochromatic palette, highlighted with mineral-inspired colours and exclusive in-house designed prints,” says Jones.

Angus and Grace Go Golfing

39 William St

Golfwear is not to be seen off the green, right? Incorrect. Bringing some much-appreciated edge to the argyle-print set is this new William St boutique. Sourcing Australian-made products spun from eco-friendly textiles, the collection is both considered and entirely wearable beyond the gold course — no saggy slacks here.

Aje

138 Oxford St

This rising Australian womenswear label has opened its new concept store on Oxford St at the Intersection. The beautiful boutique is the national flagship for both the glamorous label and its offshoot, Aje Athletica.

Opened recently

Tanora

76 Queen St

Informed by the Madagascan ancestry of its founders, and with a breezy Australian aesthetic, Tanora on Queen St, Woollahra, offers incredible hand-crafted woven-wear and homewares. Owners Will and Manon Wittmer are committed to supporting fair-trade products as well as promoting the customs and culture of Madagascar, and these beautiful products — which include bags, hats, baskets, belts and more — are made from sustainable raffia using generations-old techniques and are good for both people and planet.

Holiday the Label

100 Oxford St

Eternal summer vibes have arrived on Oxford St with the opening of Holiday. Serving up some 90’s-era nostalgia with designer Emma Mulholland’s bright slogan tees, tie-dye and bold, tropical-inspired prints, this brand is just in time for our beachside freedom parties.

By Freer

443 Oxford St

Creating luxe and laidback wardrobe essentials that act as the unifier to a whole ensemble, By Freer pieces are made from high-quality materials and look toward a more responsible fashion industry. All the garments are made in Sydney and are designed by owner and longtime fashion industry insider Lesley Watson, who creates onsite in the boutique’s airy backrooms, as her husband Andrew Mussett, gives her a hand out front. This Oxford St outlet is a second boutique from this hyper local brand, after their other store in Potts Point.

Love After Love

44 Renny St

Run by charming mother-and-daughter team Catherine and Jessie Combe, Love After Love occupies an atmospheric corner terrace and offers homewares sourced from around the world. Find new pieces alongside vintage and antique wares imported from impeccable suppliers in France, Spain, Portugal, India, Morocco and further afield. There’s linen, glassware, candles and candleholders, cushions, soft furnishings and plenty of curios — vintage jewellery, bath salts, scarves — to fossick through.

Santa Maria Novella

12-16 Glenmore Rd

This Italian soap apothecary label, which was founded in Medieval times, launched its Australian outlet just as Sydney went into lockdown. But it is certainly worth finding now things have reopened for its exquisitely old-world collection of Florentine soaps and lotions and gorgeously European feel (the bunches of white flowers are astonishing in themselves).

Trudon

12-16 Glenmore Rd

Located next door to Santa Maria Novella, French candle brand Trudon (established 1643) is another high-end European house of scent that’s worth the visit just to stand in the astonishing blue-and-black space and feel enveloped by pure luxury. Beautiful.

Cleveland on Oxford

274 Oxford St

Described as a pop-up ‘Paddington boutique garage sale’, this vintage store offers a marvellously madcap assortment of stuff. There’s pre-loved furniture, clothing on consignment, one-off pieces, curious nicknacks, designer and vintage fashions, vases, tea sets, you name it it’s here, with an emphasis on recent pieces from the 80s and 90s handpicked by exuberant owner Nathan Harrod.

Ariel Books

326 Oxford St

Many locals were devastated when Ariel, one of the suburb’s most cherished bookstores, relocated to Darlinghurst in 2017. Although it wasn’t a long trek down Oxford St, it was a blow to Paddo and a journey too far for many. Now the fortunes have been reversed, with Ariel moving back into central Paddington, close to William St. Find their beautiful range of specialist titles, art books, magazines and fiction, as well as interesting gifts in their new digs.

Coming soon

Fella Swim

37 William St

A Fella Swim flagship store will soon open its William St doors to beachy keen babes. The Australian label blends clean lines with a touch of retro-glam for cozzies that reflect yet endure beyond summertime trends. Slip in to find a flattering cut for your shape and style.