RENEW DOCKLANDS – Media Release March 2022
Images by Fabrizio Evans
March 2022
Emerging creative enterprises shine a light on homegrown, designed and made initiatives as part of the exciting Renew Docklands program.
Made possible by the City of Melbourne’s Shopfront Activation Program, several local and emerging entrepreneurs and creatives are bringing life to the streets of Docklands.
Under the Renew Docklands program, landlords donate vacant shops to up-and-coming traders, with a rolling 30-day rent-free licences negotiated by Renew Australia. This gives the temporary traders time to test new ideas for a commercial market without committing to a lengthy commercial lease agreement.
In a new and exciting chapter for Melbourne’s Docklands, WØRKS, an Australian-made, ethical and organic label, delivers high end body care and home products with a Danish twist – bridging the gap between renowned Scandinavian design and locally sourced raw materials.
A stone’s throw away, La Guapa Outerwear represents a unique take on sustainable fashion. Originating from Melbourne, La Guapa is an ethical fashion label that turns the use of vintage and deadstock fabrics into a point of value and differentiation. As part of their practice, La Guapa runs a series of masterclasses to demonstrate that through education, change can be brought about by passion, enlightenment and experience.
In addition to activations in Victoria Harbour, Renew Docklands has also welcomed local artist Yandell Walton into the program, providing an exciting digital media activation in New Quay.
Yandell Walton has transformed an empty shopfront into an immersive moving image activation featuring installations and digital media. Entitled ‘Move Me’, the activation is a site-specific installation presenting a figure and plant moving in synergy. The work aims to raise questions around how we may operate within natural environments into the future and suggests our inherent trajectory into a post-human world.
Yandell’s space is one of three additional activations due to come online in coming weeks, and has been made possible by The District Docklands.
Renew Docklands is being delivered as part of the Shopfront Activation Program – a joint initiative by the City of Melbourne and the Victorian Government to bring the buzz to Melbourne’s streets and laneways. For more information on the program, visit the City of Melbourne’s website.
Attributable to Suze Raymond, Owner of WØRKS
“The Renew Australia initiative has given WØRKS the opportunity not just to open a physical retail space, but also to bring all facets of our operation under one roof, to connect with the Docklands community, and to network with other local businesses. For an emerging business like ours, this program and the professional and supportive team who run it are invaluable.”
Attributable to Daniel Dugina, Head of Apartments, LeadLease (Property Owner)
“The City of Melbourne’s Shopfront Activation Program, including Renew Docklands, is a great initiative adding to the revitalisation of Docklands as Melbourne reopens. Through participating in the program we hope to provide a pathway for talented, local individuals and collectives, driven to grow their businesses while complimenting the already thriving Docklands community.”
Attributable to Lord Mayor Sally Capp
“Through our Shopfront Activation Program, we’re creating hubs of activity that build consumer confidence, attract more people to the city and give local artisans and entrepreneurs an exciting opportunity to test their ideas in market. We’re thrilled to welcome Docklands’ newest tenants and provide them the space to showcase their talent and creativity.”
Renew Docklands participant information:
La Guapa Outerwear is a sustainable and ethical outerwear brand located in Melbourne. The brand creates classic pieces to remain with the wearer through the ever changing trend oriented market – turning the use of vintage and deadstock fabrics into a point of value and differentiation.
WØRKS is a boutique personal care brand that meets the needs of modern consumers by formulating organic, plant-based and biodegradable products that outperform their synthetic counterparts.
Yandell Walton’s work encompasses moving image, installation and digital media. She has become recognised for her immersive works that merge the actual and virtual to investigate notions of impermanence, interrogating shifting environments caused by climate change. A leader in the field of projection art; her work has been commissioned, exhibited, and awarded nationally and internationally.