Vanishing Elephant store by Akin Creative, Sydney

August 2013 sees the opening of the first stand-alone Sydney store for Vanishing Elephant, marking a homecoming of sorts for the local men’s and women’s brand, following on from their hugely
successful 2-year-old store in Melbourne’s QV. The Sydney opening at Westfield Bondi Junction allows designers Arran Russell, Felix Chan and Huw Bennett to present the Vanishing Elephant
world to the label’s Sydney fans for the first time in their hometown

With the aim of creating a unique retail outpost to act as a genuine extension of the brand, Vanishing Elephant’s approach of blending classic and contemporary elements has been extended to create a truly authentic proposition, designed by Kelvin Ho and the team at Akin Creative, who were charged with the task of developing a unique retail experience inside such a busy shopping environment.

Within a bare space of polished concrete floors and white walls sits a unique inside-out wooden framework that runs multiple lines through the store, providing a suspended feeling throughout the space with a striking combination of form and subtle texture. By creating the sense of what appears to be a singular material selection, a clean environment has been produced with practical considerations inherent in each element and a disregard for surplus decoration.

The store launches with Vanishing Elephant’s new men’s and women’s apparel and footwear collections, first seen earlier this year at Australia Fashion Week, with the addition of some in-store exclusives and best-ofs. Alongside the own-brand offering comes a tightly edited selection of complimentary items – bags and accessories from Tailfeather and Makr, footwear care of Jack Purcell and Buddy, jewellery by Pink LouLou, Pared eyewear, Triumph & Disaster soaps, Incense of the West and a fine selection of magazines.

By creating a visually inviting environment, coupled with a meticulously trained retail team, the aim is to offer Sydney customers the fully formed Vanishing Elephant experience for the very first time.