I have to confess something – despite the Melbourne label Mesop and Lady Melbourne being around almost as long as each other(that’s elderly in dog years), I hadn’t heard of them. Flushed face emoji.
That said, the brand has had somewhat of an overhaul in recent times, with a new designer taking them in a slightly more youthful direction while working on strong fabrication and prints. I not only had the pleasure of seeing the shop based in the heart of Clifton Hill, but tour around the head office, workrooms, showroom and warehouse.
It’s exciting to meet labels like Mesop who can run a flourishing business at a time when retail struggles to compete with online, and the looming shadow of fast fashion edges out local design and manufacturing processes.
Taking over the old Vittoria coffee building on Smith St, the brand is now entrenched as part of a local scene that is as vibrant as it is quintessentially Melbourne.
You hear about cities having a vibe or ‘look’ that can be recognised in street fashion and the general colour scheme you see wash over it’s inhabitants, informed by everything from youth culture through to the weather. We are well known here in Melbs for being devoted to the colour black, but I have noticed in recent times a move to peppering a black outfit with quirky prints found in say a jacket or scarf. Gorman, Kuwaii or Limedrop are great examples of labels that have come to represent how a city likes to dress.
And I was delighted to find the same vibe at the Mesop showroom.
I just loved animal print that I’m wearing below, worked back with lush woollen coats or a pair of cullottes. I couldn’t possibly photograph the whole range, but you can certainly check it out online or if you fancy it, they’re having a warehouse sale this weekend with between 50% -70% off.
Don’t buy everything before I get there!!
