Itโs a fact well-known to Sydneysiders โ and pretty much everybody else in Australia besides โ that the strip of Oxford Street running through Paddington is one of the most characterful shopping destinations in the city. Now the likes of Parlour X and Sarah & Sebastian are getting yet more company with the arrival of Haulier on Paddoโs most recognisable thoroughfare.
โIโm beyond excited to be opening our first flagship here in my adoptive hometown of Sydneyโ, says Jeremy Hershan, Haulierโs creative director, who has been hard at work readying the space for its soft opening this week.
Conceived by Melbourne-based interiors practice Sibling, Haulierโs two-story flagship plays with the conceit of a typical inner city terrace house, transforming it into a capital-D retail โDestinationโ. The overarching fit-out is inspired by airport architecture of the 1970s (often referred to as the โGolden Eraโ of commercial air travel), awash in powdery shades of primary colour; and bespoke fixtures that feel as though theyโve been transported from an Italian hospital in-period. Even the L-shaped benches, snugly off to one side of the first floor, don the guise of transit lounge seating โ a thoughtful piece of experiential design, which also speaks to the amount of time youโre liable to spend salivating over the storeโs wares.
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Despite its relative infancy, thereโs compelling evidence to suggest that Haulier is poised to join the ranks of other similarly louche Aussie labels that appeal to globetrotting men of mystery. A veteran of European fashion houses, who honed his eye for all things artisanal further at legacy brands including Dunhill and Aquascutum, Hershanโs sole interest is in creating accessories โ and now, clothes โ built โfor the long haulโ.
That mindset has proven symbiotic to his aesthetic inclinations, which are informed in a big way by the โSleazy 1970sโ and early 80s. โBack then, there were no celebrity stylists,โ Hershan observes. โPeople travelled with grace and elegance, and had their [own] take on style. The tote bag we released, for me, was intended to complement that atmosphere.โ
Naturally, Hershanโs passion for enduring goods, sweetened with a hint of porno-stache cool comes across handily in the new ready-to-wear collection โ but itโs the signature โUtility Toteโ bag thatโs likely to get customers, of all tastes and stylistic affiliations, on board. The best-selling canvas versions (available in โsmallโ, โmediumโ and โlargeโ) make for an excellent everyday carry, and have been designed by Hershan in the same dusty, ever so slightly left-field shades youโll see incorporated throughout the store.
That playful outlook is a convincing foil to just how seriously well each tote is made. Canvases are all woven on traditional shuttle looms โ archaic machinery that gives the end-user a harder-wearing product capable of being made in smaller (ergo, less wasteful) batches. Add some high-quality trimmings in brass and veggie-tanned leather, and youโve got the makings of a bag thatโll take you brusquely beyond the farmersโ market and straight into the priority boarding lane.
Haulier
Address: 300 Oxford Street, Paddington NSW 2021
Opening Hours: Tuesday โ Sunday (10am โ 5pm); Thursday (10am โ 6pm)
