Sydney artisans Pop-up on Crown St

A Surry Hills’ frontage is a fever dream for many young and talented Sydney artisans and designers; striving behind the scenes to perfect their goods, bound by the limitations of selling online or reselling through established retailers.

Offering a tactile experience that gives those on their way up a chance to engage directly with their audience, the flexible terms and short lease of pop-up shops lend an air of exclusivity and local flavour to the offerings on show. These attributes has seen the pop-up concept fast become an established, guerrilla method of building brands, circumventing the constraints of traditional channels; fostering creativity and encouraging experimentation in a community based environment.

Native Tether is a collective pop-up between accessory makers Everyday Carrier (EDC), jeweller and metal smith Mister Lui, breakout men’s clothing label Dapper and the distinct high-end leather and apparel range of Dannika Zen. The host of the pop-up will be versatile gallery/event space/store blank_space, on Surry Hills’ bustling Crown Street.

The shop will showcase the wares of five young Sydney craftspeople, who despite divergent aesthetics and products are unified by their drive to create original fashion with their own hands, where they couldn’t find what they wanted to wear. The brands will offer a to-the-minute snapshot of the slow-cooked, street ready fashion Sydney’s next wave is creating amidst a culture of frenzied consumption.

Huon Lui, the mind and hands behind Mister Lui creates bespoke, handcrafted rings with the intention of fusing a bond between object and owner. Current offerings including an homage to hip-hop magnate MF DOOM, the ‘Illest Villian’ ring and the new Heritage Range, expressing Asian culture with the Hannya and Chinese Lion Mask rings. “The piece should hold significant relevance to the individual, regardless of their background,” tells Mr Lui, “It is the message behind the pieces that should be portrayed.”

Also out to build awareness of their brand, Andrew Principe, James Gyimah and Huon Lui from EDC offer pragmatic hand made accessories that unite an interest in rock climbing and military spec utilities with a unique style that has seen their functional lanyard that features a Leatherman carabiner and mil-spec 550 paracord retailed at Sydney’s CAPSULE, where the stores early adopter shoppers expressed a high demand the boys are still working hard to meet.

Creator and brand namesake Dannika Zen also started humbly, fashioning a leather shearling jacket that quickly grew into a small range of boutique tailored leather, then flourishing into full seasonal ranges of leather garments, knitwear and coveted footwear. Ms Zen finds pop-ups functional for her brand, offering a sample of Sydney’s different neighbourhoods and an opportunity to personally explore her growing customer base, getting a direct feel for what styles and fits are resonating with an ever-evolving audience.

Similarly, Tristan Young of Dapper started out making clothes for himself and for his friends. Seeking a better-fit and sharper design, Tristan’s garments offer a subtle, intentional difference, a well-informed twist of style he likens to having a butcher make your hamburger. “Everything comes from a personal place with the best intentions,” Tristan explains, “although not for everyone, it will definitely be appreciated by those who know”. Dapper’s contemporary menswear has quickly found homes on shelves both locally and abroad.

The Native Tether collaboration reveals an emerging, snowballing youth movement that wants to tell the world about a unique fashion climate and culture, and the stories that inspire their work. The pop-up phenomenon is the ideal platform from which to disseminate the values of a brand within a new retail paradigm, with Native Tether offering something unique, but not necessarily for all tastes. 

The Native Tether pop-up shop will be open at 374 Crown St, Surry Hills from the 9^th to the 29^th of November.