Shop 5 Cathedral Arcade,
37 Swanston St, Melbourne
Ph (03) 9077 2177
Husband/Wifey Seating: Minimal
Located in Melbourne’s Cathedral Arcade, LENKO invites shoppers into the wonderfully quirky world of offbeat fashion. Celebrating another year of success, founder Dana Lenko has her finger on pulse while simultaneously setting trends and creating new ones. Australians and internationals can’t get enough of LENKO. The store prides itself in stocking an eclectic mix of unique, handmade clothing and accessories adorned by fashion lovers from Japan to Mexico, Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom.
LENKO boasts an original and vibrant collection of in-house designs that transcend multiple seasons. Gorgeous patterned skorts, shorts and Victorian style blouses. Harem pants, flowing dresses and signature LENKO printed tees will certainly make the heart grow fonder. The LENKO range can also be worn by women and men who dare to be different. Flaunt your style and pride with a series of pieces that will standout for all the right reasons.
With thousands of regulars coming back, the kitschy store is stocked with select locally sourced labels as well as wild, wacky accessories. Anything from bunny rabbit head bracelets, to knuckle rings and boom box necklaces, the choice is exciting and addictive!
Instore: Corky Saint Clair, Chip Chop and of course, LENKO.
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Styling & Direction by: Natarsha Kershaw
Photography by: Jessica Eslick
What inspired you to start the boutique?
It seemed like the logical next step after running the label for a few years, I really enjoyed the interaction with customers so much more than just being in the back designing and wholesaling. Meeting customers and seeing how they respond to the products really makes it all feel worthwhile.
How would you describe your own personal style? Is that reflected in the store?
Eclectic, fun & colourful – I love finding strange and wonderful pieces and working them together, and that is what I try to achieve in my store. I search out fun small labels and people who are making good things and then show people how they can wear them.
Do you encourage people to get to know their local seamstress?
I do visit my local seamstress a fair bit, because I don’t always fit perfectly into clothes, it’s a great way to get a unique piece, made to fit you. Also I always encourage people to learn how to sew themselves because who knows what inspiration will come from it- they could be the next great designer.
How important is it to support local trade?
It so important. It’s vital to the health of the design and fashion industry in Australia. It’s a really tough industry; we really have to do all we can to keep it going. We are always so proud of local talent and success stories, and that is how we make them happen by supporting them.
Is there fierce competition among other fashion stores in Melbourne, what separates Lenko from the rest?
Our point of difference is that we have our own in house label Lenko which is made in Melbourne and reflects the stores style. We also have a very eclectic range of Australian brands like Chip chop, Limedrop and Corky Saint Clair, and I also travel a lot to meet with international designers to bring their wares to Australia. So we do have a really different collection to offer our customers.
What advice can you give to people who imitate famous people’s fashion sense and follow trends?
I have no problem with people following trends, its not my way of working, but anything that makes people feel happy and involved in fashion in my opinion is a good thing. I like to look toward fashion icons when helping people style themselves. We all deserve to feel like celebs in our own town every now and then…
Do you rely on social networking/blogs to promote your business? Has it served in reaching a wider audience?
Yes we do use a lot of new media to get our updates out. We stock a lot of smaller brands that don’t have many of each garment available so for timely updates it’s a pretty good tool, rather than print media when we are probably sold out of the garments by the time the magazines come out. Also blogs are becoming more a trusted resource for people searching for new awesome stuff, so it is important to have presence amongst the blogs. For our regular ranges Print media is still an amazing way to reach new customers.
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LOVE!
Well done. I’m not sure about the thongs in the last shot but aside from that everything is perfection. nice write up too!
Very cool. The owner sounds real normal too, like she knows what she is doing. I still haven’t seen this shop tho? ill check it out this weekend