Back in 2001, frustrated by the state of the fashion industry and consumerism more widely, Lupa’s creative directors posed to themselves the question of how one can reconcile sustainability with business. To them, the solution was far more attainable than corporations may have us believe: localising the industry. And so their longstanding Westgarth boutique was born.

Located on High Street, Northcote’s southernmost expanse, Lupa houses a diverse, extensive collection of women’s clothes, jewellery and accessories. But Lupa isn’t just a store; it’s an independent she-wolf grappling with the disposability of consumerism, providing a solid platform for local Melbourne designers in the process.

The store itself exudes confidence. The converted supermarket boasts a bright pink interior furnished with a mass of faux jungle houses. And while the fit-out might initially seem garish, it’s a design that compliments the store’s enduring ethos.

Lupa works from the philosophy that design should be a reflection of place, stocking labels that are not only designed in Melbourne but manufactured here also. The list of labels is exhaustive, encompassing a huge breadth of styles ranging from the established to the emerging. Labels in-store include Alexi Freeman, Preap and Coutts, Sunday Morning, Black Jewls, Queen Clothing and Leonard St.

Lupa is also in cohorts with Head Quarters, the cross-disciplinary art space located behind the store that extends a helping hand to the artist as well as the designer.