Hi Ali and Viki, could you tell me a bit about yourselves?
Hey! Oo where to start! We are two twenty-one year old twin sisters from Melbourne. A few years ago, we got really serious about slow fashion and supporting local brands when we started to educate ourselves about the link between fast fashion and climate change. We’re really very close and clothes are a big part of our relationship – they kind of have to be when you share a wardrobe!! We’ve always loved fashion and all things design, which eventually led us down the path to starting Empty Spaces.
What prompted you to start Empty Spaces?
We started Empty Spaces in November of 2021. We have always dreamed of starting up some kind of brand or concept together and got really serious about it during lockdown. We designed a few things and played with some ideas for a clothing line but didn't fall in love with anything we created. By November we had been inundated (like many other Melbournians) with new brands from so many talented Melbourne creatives and realised that what we would really love to do is bring together people who love creating and are committed to their process. As seasoned market lovers/shopaholics we thought we could do a pretty ace job of hosting our own event and loved the idea of bringing together brands that had similar values around sustainable/slow fashion to us. We only gave ourselves a month of organising and planning and then hosted our first event. Tada! Empty Spaces was born!
So, what's with the name?
We decided on the name Empty Spaces because it best fits our concept. We host a market style shopping event seasonally where we take up an un-occupied, un-used, temporarily empty space for one afternoon only. Our first space in Collingwood became a gourmet donut shop; our second space in Northcote, began demolition the next day and is now unrecognisable as the furniture warehouse it once was. For our third event, we headed southside, and occupied a beauty spa that will be demolished by the end of the year as part of a larger project. We love taking up these unoccupied spaces and giving them a new life for a day and the challenges/opportunities that come from changing spaces constantly. Moving around also gives us the opportunity to share our event with different parts of Melbourne and to tap into different demographics and styles.
What does community mean to you, and how do you try to be inclusive as possible?
Community has always been at the heart of our event. From the very start we have prioritised fundraising as foundational to Empty Spaces. At each event, we donate 30% of our stall holders fee to a charity that we believe in and change organisations for each event to raise awareness for lots of different causes. We also fundraise on the day with gold coin donation entry and with a drinks stall. We are so lucky to have beautiful friends who volunteer on the day and help us fundraising by running a gold coin G n T stand, or at our last event, a Seltzer stand. Community then, for us, is about raising awareness for causes that feel close to our heart and values, but also extends in a similar way of thought to our local brands. We love that we can get shoppers in touch with Melbourne based businesses and give such incredible creatives the chance to expand their audience and meet their customers in person. On the day, we are always overwhelmed by the kindness and excitement of both business owners and customers, and how connection is such a big part of our little community.
What is your favourite thing about the Naarm fashion industry?
I think one of our favourite things is the diversity of products that come out of the industry. From local ceramists, like @_par_char to effortless cool designs like @thats_ranc mesh sets or gorgeous statement jewellery from @garnishore, if you want to find unique pieces that aren’t going to cost the environment, the Naarm fashion industry is the way to go.
Anything you'd like to see change / grow?
In regards to our business, we’d love to be able to expand our collection of brands to showcase more uni-sex/genderless items as well as support brands that emphasis size inclusivity. In regard to growth, we’d love to have our events more frequently but at the moment we are both juggling uni and work so this is a bit more of a passion project.
Any upcoming projects our readers should know about?
Got a few good things brewing behind the scenes, don’t want to give too much away but let’s just say that Empty Spaces will be capitalising on the sunshine this summer with a new location that is much unlike we have used before!
