Melbourne designer Erik Yvon’s art has always been tied to his identity. His sexuality and ethnicity influence how he moves through the world and how he expresses himself through his eponymous fashion label.

It’s been seven years since he started releasing his own pieces. Over that time, his aesthetic style and design eye have sharpened. Yvon is part of a new guard of queer Australian designers – like Gary Bigeni, Jordan Gogos and Alix Higgins – who inject bold emotion, brash colours and a dose of camp into their designs.

Occupying this space for the better half of a decade, Yvon has formed a tight-knit community of fellow creatives from different cultural backgrounds, many of whom are queer. When he realised he was outgrowing his old studio space, he decided to dream big. Shop Dussy is the result.

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“I really wanted to create this space where we could come together as queer and/or people of colour and just have a space where we [could] share our stories and create our beautiful garments – and just represent and show the world what we can do,” Yvon tells Broadsheet.

The word “dussy” is a tongue-in-cheek portmanteau of “daddy” and “pussy” – common, non-derogatory colloquialisms in the queer world. It’s this sort of irreverent and silly energy that underpins Shop Dussy. Its core focus is on uplifting marginalised voices, but the multi-brand boutique is determined to have fun while doing so.

Currently, 15 brands can be found on the shop’s floor. From streetwear labels like First Nations-owned Gammin Threads and Chinese-Australian-owned Smile and Wave, to avant garde fashion labels like Pussy Pour Homme and Spitsubishi, Shop Dussy stocks a range of independent makers.

It’s not limited to apparel, either. Jewellery from Bobby Corica, accessories by Sam Seary and artwork by Gold Stank, Peo Michi and Safa El Samad have all found a home at Shop Dussy.

Almost every designer stocked identifies as queer or as a person of colour. But Yvon is adamant that this doesn’t get in the way of being a welcoming environment for everyone, regardless of race or sexuality.

“It’s not one of the stores where you can’t come in because you’re straight or because you think a certain way. Everyone is welcome to shop, everyone’s welcome to come and chat with us, but we really want to support and give a space for marginalised people and bodies,” he says.

Yvon’s commitment to playing fair doesn’t stop at his choice of what to stock. As the owner of an independent label that’s been stocked at various boutiques, Yvon has first-hand experience with retail commissions (the percentage a store takes from sales of a brand’s items).

“At the moment, the industry is running at a 40 per cent commission, which feels very close to a wholesale set-up,” he says. “The retail space is quite harsh at the moment … everything’s getting more and more expensive, and the commission’s reflecting [that].” Instead, Yvon has slashed his store’s commission to 20 per cent. “I want to keep it like that for quite a long time [so designers] can try and earn a bit more.”

From its exterior, framed by hanging plants and colourful floral decals on the window, to its interior’s pale green walls, lavender curtains and faux fur trimmings, Shop Dussy is soft, warm and welcoming. It’s only been three months since it opened, but Yvon says it’s coming together nicely. “We are still building and fine-tuning, but it just feels cute and welcoming, camp and playful.”

Shop Dussy
6A Saxon Street, Brunswick

Hours
Sat, Sun and Wed 11am–6pm