Sully’s is the Wellington store offering a treasure trove of local and international designers

“There’s so much amazing craftsmanship all over the world, and I felt people in Wellington deserved the chance to see that.”

Sully’s may only be less than a year old, but the Wellington boutique has already cemented itself as a hub of local artistry and sustainable fashion. Founded by Hannah Sullivan, the store is characterised by its curated interiors, dynamic brand selection and distinctive blue-and-orange colour palette. As she describes it, Sully’s is “An ocean of treasures sourced from near and far”.

For Hannah, bringing the Sully’s dream to life was the product of a ‘now or never’ moment. After ruminating on the idea over New Zealand’s second lockdown, she reached out to “designer of all things” Oscar Mavropoulos, who helped create the vision for the store.

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With the help of friends and family, Hannah found the Sully’s space on Ghuznee Street (“the best street in Wellington”) and filled it with loved brands like Jess Grindell, Permanent Vacation, Raaie and Collina Strada. Below, Hannah reflects on the Sully’s journey so far.

Tell us about you. What’s your creative background?

 

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I’m a Wellington local who has been into really beautiful things ever since I can remember. Before I started Sully’s, I was working as a buyer/manager which really fun and [it was] cool seeing all the different treasures out there to be found.

How did the store get started? Talk us through the process and the challenges.

I think it was right after the second lockdown that we had here in NZ… I wasn’t fulfilled in my current situation and knew it was now or never to start Sully’s and live the dream I had been thinking of for a while. Sometimes, things get put into perspective – it was the right time for me to start living my life for me.

 

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I reached out to my friend Oscar Mavropoulos, who is a designer of all things. I was asking him about store designs and it got me so excited, he has the best mind for space and design. Things snowballed from there. I reached out to all of the brands I’ve loved over the years and [asked] if they wanted to expand their customer down here in Aotearoa. Lucky for me, they did!

I ended up finding a really beautiful store. Things were going great, but then a few months before opening the space [we found out it] couldn’t be leased due to building issues. That was super stressful, trying to find another space when my heart was set on somewhere else and time was ticking…

 

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Thankfully, I found another space. It needed a lot of work, but it was on the best street in Wellington (Ghuznee Street). I just jumped in and trusted we could turn it into something fun! With the brilliant mind of Oscar and a few friends and family, we pulled it all together for opening. Such a wild ride!

What were you trying to achieve from the project at the time? How has this evolved and what are you trying to communicate now?

I wanted to inspire and challenge people a little bit. I wanted to show people there are really beautiful, fun things out there in the world… [things] we haven’t ever had in NZ before. There’s so much amazing craftsmanship all over the world, and I felt that people in Wellington deserved the chance to see that.

How would you describe your store to someone who’s never seen it before?

 

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A fresh, calming experience. An ocean of treasures sourced from near and far to inspire and bring fun to your life!

What are you most proud of in your work on your store?

I am proud of all the work that my friends, family and I did to get it up and running. It’s so cool to be in the space and know all the love and thought that went into it. Oscar really made it the best space for me and the items that sit inside it. The design of the ceiling and the colour palette are my favourite things.

What do you wish you knew when you started?

 

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You totally need all the help you can get! I thought when I first started, I could do everything [myself] and work all the time… but it doesn’t mean anything if you haven’t had the time to reset. Very important!

Who do you think is most exciting in Australian/NZ fashion right now?

I think all of the small makers who are up and coming! They are so fearless and test people so much creatively. Most things are like walking pieces of art – not just a logo hoodie, you know? I’ve seen so many amazing jewellers and small production makers just doing one-off pieces and making everything really special.

What about the Australian/NZ fashion industry needs to change?

 

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I just think there’s so much crap out there… all the big companies get bigger and push out the same stuff. There’s hardly any diversity, it’s just all the same. Would be nice to see them chill out and not take up every single store on the main roads.

What’s next for you?

There’s still so much growing for Sully’s, so I’m excited to watch it grow and introduce new brands into the fold. I’ve always wanted to do my own clothing so hopefully, that’s somewhere in the near future!

Visit Sully’s in-store or online here.