Blonde Concept is the Canberra store championing emerging Australian designers
IMAGE VIA @BLONDE.CONCEPT/INSTAGRAM
WORDS BY IZZY WIGHT
“Fun, nostalgic and bright.”
Having grown up watching her mum run her own clothing boutique, it made sense for Canberra creative Mia Petterson to open a retail space of her own. The idea for Mia’s store, Blonde Concept, came to her while on a trip to Tokyo during her gap year. Browsing the colourful storefronts of Harajuku, she started thinking about Canberra’s lack of “interesting shopping experiences” outside city-centre shopping malls.
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Guided by her mum’s experiences in small business, Mia brought together her love of music, fashion and art in Blonde Concept’s colourful Braddon space. Stocking local designers like Sister Studios, Karlaidlaw, Karameleon, Spitsubishi and All Is a Gentle Spring, the store is “fun, nostalgic and bright”. Below, Mia speaks on her experience bringing Blonde Concept to life.
Tell me a bit about how the vision for Blonde Concept came about.
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The idea came to me when I was in Tokyo on my gap year. My friends and I shopped our way through Harajuku, and it was there that I started thinking about Canberra and its depressing amount of interesting shopping experiences. Growing up in Canberra, the only place we went to shop was the Canberra Centre, which housed the usual chain stores. Not only were they incredibly repetitive and boring, but also unkind to the environment.
I felt so inspired when shopping in Tokyo – not just by the clothing but by the meticulous curation, slick fit-outs and incredible creativity in every detail of the store. To me, shopping wasn’t about leaving with a new item, but rather feeling excited and inspired by what I was looking at.
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I wanted to create a space for young people to feel as inspired and excited as I was on that trip. I also grew up watching my amazing mum run her own clothing store, Pink, which I think led to the passion I had for shopping and therefore the vision to open my own store!
How would you describe the store’s aesthetic?
I always struggle to adequately describe Blonde’s aesthetic (as it honestly combines a billion different aesthetics), but if I could sum it up in three words it would be: fun, nostalgic and bright.
What was the process like putting the store together and were there any challenges or roadblocks along the way?
It was a very tough and tiring process, made easier with the guidance of my mum who had a business of her own. I was very lucky as I had her to come to when I was stuck on an idea, scared if it was the right decision or needed help unpacking the more business-y side of things (which was a lot!).
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Money was my biggest challenge, as I was trying to work within quite a small budget. To cut costs, I prioritised stocking brands that worked on a consignment basis, as it limited the financial risk for me whilst also providing a space for smaller, local brands to display their designs. I would usually reach out to these people via Instagram and run them through my vision for Blonde to see if they were interested. Most people were very excited by it and keen to be involved!
When it came to reaching out to the bigger brands, a few said no and a few said yes. It was very hit or miss! I am forever thankful to the brands who took a risk and said yes to working with a shop that hadn’t even opened its doors yet (shoutout to Permanent Vacation and Karamaeleon)
Who did Blonde Concept collaborate with when bringing the store to life?
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One of the first people I collaborated with was Pela Skrzeczek, a lovely friend and major design inspiration of mine. Pela designed the original fit-out of the shop when I opened the small space in 2018. She has such a special eye for interiors (and honestly anything design-related).
We were very hands-on whilst doing the fit-out and did the simpler things ourselves, so I spent a lot of time with Pela painting the furniture and walls, sealing the floors and going to Bunnings (a gazillion times). She was a major help and kept within my small budget whilst still creating a fun and aesthetic space.
What’s your favourite feature/area of the store?
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My favourite area would have to be the change rooms, which are made up of mirrors and only mirrors – it also works as a very good photo background that we feature on our Instagram a lot.
My favourite feature is either the denim armchair or mosaic mirror bench. I got crafty with both of them and they took more time than you’d think to make! It’s lucky I love them!
What do you like about the area/the Canberra creative scene in general?
The people! There’s a lovely sense of community within the creative space in Canberra whether it be in fashion, art, food, floristry or music. I find it very encouraging and nurturing, with more than enough room for everyone.
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My only hope is that the creative scene will continue to grow and the opportunities within it will keep on coming! Canberra has something very special about it and to see it flourish creatively is very exciting.
You can follow Blonde Concept here.
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