Can Henne’s New Melbourne Store Curb Its Queues?

The word on the street is that you need to set aside a good 90 minutes if you want to visit Henne in person. Queues are a regular occurrence outside the Melbourne fashion label’s Prahran and Paddington stores. These aren’t brand new openings, either; it’s had a physical presence in Melbourne for three years, and in Sydney for 17 months.

But the lines might just ease up, at least for fans in its city of origin. This past week, the womenswear label opened its third bricks-and-mortar shop. The 200-square-metre digs in Armadale is only three kilometres from its Prahran boutique, but for co-founder Nadia Bartel, it’s the perfect location. 

“We’ve been really hunting for a location in Armadale for a few years now,” Bartel says. “Our other stores are a lot smaller … I know with our other stores there’s been lines and all those kind of things, and that’s not the experience that we want our customers to feel.” 

There are six change rooms and two large styling suites. “[Customers] love to bring in lots of friends.” There are more point-of-sale stations, more seating, more space to mill about the store. “We really do feel that having this bigger space will really alleviate the stress that Greville Street, [Prahran] has.”

It was the generous size that first piqued the interest of Bartel and her co-founders Michelle Ring and Laura Broque. The heritage-listed spot’s unvarnished charm drew them in. “There was something that was really kind of raw about it … it almost had that warehouse rag-trade feel. We really leaned into that vibe and created around it,” Bartel says. 

With the help of Alexandra Ponting of AP Design House, Henne’s newest boutique is one that’s pared-back and effortlessly cool; think soft brutalism meets ’90s New York City apartment. Ponting aimed to imbue feelings of warmth, authenticity, tactility and endurance into the new outpost. Exposed brick, rear skylights and high ceilings were some of the existing features that helped frame the design vision.

“The ceiling is a hero of the design. It was rebuilt to allow for timber boards, ripe to age,” Ponting says. Complementing the warm, slatted wood is a peppering of custom steel joinery, mirror glass and concrete fixtures. 

All the furniture and lighting is vintage and mid-century. “The sofas have their original leather – it is aged and lived-in and totally inviting,” Ponting says. Bartel adds that customers tend to bring in their “mums or sisters or family members – [there’s] a lot of boyfriends”.

The in-store experience is something Henne takes seriously. “I really think that we make luxury feel accessible. We offer styling services, free of charge. We offer coffee and water. It’s more of a showroom experience,” Bartel says. “We really try to bring in that experience and make it a little bit special for our customers.”

Henne has released a capsule collection of its popular styles in new colourways, exclusive to the Armadale store. Shoppers will have a chance to snag Henne’s Avila dress in butter yellow, Monica top in black, Valentina jean in ecru and Annella top in khaki. The Armadale-exclusive stock is limited, so be sure to check out the new store soon.

Bartel has already set her sights on future stores. “We are looking for another space in Sydney because I know that store is quite congested there. And then after Sydney, we love the idea of [Brisbane’s] James Street, Adelaide [and] also Perth.” 

Henne Armadale

1008 High Street, Armadale

(03) 9022 0271

Hours: 

Mon to Sat 9:30am-5:30pm

Sun 10am-5pm

henne.com.au

@henne_