Inside Strateas Carlucci’s New Brunswick Studio and Shop

A lot has changed since the luxury contemporary Australian label Strateas Carlucci launched in 2013. The edgy, minimalist streetwear label moved into a new hybrid retail-workspace at the end of last year, and is still settling in. 

The move was “out of necessity,” co-founder Mario-Luca Carlucci says. Alongside co-founder Peter Strateas, he was happy in the label’s previous Brunswick residence, where it had been for a dozen or so years. Unfortunately, the pair’s commercial landlord decided to sell the building they were renting, forcing them to find a new location. 

Carlucci says they knew they wanted to stay in Brunswick. “We live close by and love the area, and have always been north-side,” he says. The move is a glow-up; the old store was in a side street, up a flight of stairs, and in a shared space. The new Prentice Street spot is in a standalone building facing the street. 

“We wanted a big open space where we could house our working studio, but to have this showroom retail aspect of the brand as well.” The previous set-up was clunkier. Initially a studio and atelier, it transitioned to an appointment-only retail space, and then began opening two days a week to the public. 

For this fresh space, Carlucci wants to seamlessly fuse retail and workshop. The idea is to eventually have regular trading hours, though while the shop is still in its teething stage, it’s open by appointment only. 

Strateas Carlucci has taken over a 1960s warehouse, most recently used as an office space. The spacious, industrial build is open-plan, with high ceilings and exposed aggregate concrete floors. “We really love this kind of aesthetic. It works well with our brand,” Carlucci says, adding that the “modern amenities” were a pull too. “We’ve had studios in the past where we haven’t had heating and cooling.”

To accommodate the blend of retail, workroom and atelier, the fit-out flexible. Most fittings are on casters for easy movement. “We’ve had multiple photo shoots … and then after the shoot, we just roll [everything] back to how it was, and it looks like nothing’s ever happened.”

Large dividers sit throughout the store, giving it a storeroom or gallery-like feel. “They’re just really well thought-out, but also really versatile in the space. And I mean, they just look beautiful, and they’re really special.”

The clothing racks from the old premises were brought over. After all, these aren’t your regular clothes rails. The stainless steel, laser-cut garment racks ensure “every garment has an individual slot that it can sit into, rather than a traditional rack where everything just kind of slides.”

Alongside Strateas Carlucci’s clothing is a selection of artwork, books and objects also available for purchase. The showcase includes a select group of artists’ wares, like Parisian designer Lola Mayeras’s vases and Chilean artist Antonia Bozzo’s candles.

Some of the artwork dotted around the space was made by Strateas and Carlucci. There are mixed-media photographs from a gallery exhibition the pair were involved in, and customers can now buy select pieces. “That’s been a bit of a little side thing as Peter and I love creating imagery for the collections, but also now to hang on the wall as well.” 

The shop move is part of a new era for Strateas Carlucci. Since its inception, it has made all its pieces in Melbourne, but the fashion house is now halting its local manufacturing and moving production offshore. Over the last couple of years, the label slowly shifted from four large collections a year to seasonal drops and started experimenting with new manufacturers.

“It’s just a very difficult time for the industry locally, and it’s just one of those things that, unfortunately, we had to do as a business [to] continue to do what we love, but also make sure that it’s a viable business model,” Carlucci says. “We still want to support the local manufacturers that are here, but they’re facing some challenging times. It’s a bit sad.”

While the designers will still develop collections here, and select pieces (like knitwear) will be made in Australia, the majority of the apparel will be made in China. “[We’re] working with some really amazing top-tier factories to execute some really special pieces and things that we couldn’t even dream of doing locally. It’s been a learning curve and an eye-opener.”

Strateas Carlucci 
3 Prentice Street, Brunswick
(03) 9077 8966

Hours:
By appointment only

strateascarlucci.com
@strateascarlucci