Chadstone - The Fashion Capital welcomes a host of new brands and flagships

A lot has changed at Chadstone - The Fashion Capital in the lead up to the festive period with first-to-market openings, new brands and a host of refreshes.

Of all to open, arguably the most striking has been the slightly unnerving yet absolutely intriguing Giant heads of Gentle Monster – the newest eyewear brand to open at the centre.

Its third Australian store, Gentle Monster Chadstone shows off all of the Korean icon’s distinctive luxury brand and the evolution of retail into experiential spaces with products displayed like art or museum pieces in a completely immersive experience.

One of the brand’s primary goals is to ‘constantly stimulate and surprise consumers by placing images and emotions that aren’t prevalent in everyday life’. They’ve certainly done that!

Excitingly for Chadstone’s 400,000 weekly visitors, it’s not only Gentle Monster that’s new.

One of Australia’s favourite domestic premium brands, Scanlan Theodore has also opened at the centre for the first time.

Part of a major fashion remix that is years in the making and further bolstering Chadstone’s fashion credentials is the debut of Nude Lucy and Style Runner. Synonymous with the latest trend-setting looks, both have opened with a bang, best exemplified by Style Runner’s personalised Adidas Samba offer on opening day which proved popular with customers.

Nude Lucy and Style Runner taking residence adjacent to stunning new Forever New and Kookai stores completes the major refresh of a busy part of the centre, now also boasting recent moves and redesigns including that of Lululemon, Michael Hill and YSL.

Elsewhere, a number of new flagships have opened in recent months. One of the most exciting of these is July which trialled physical retail with mall leasing kiosks in Chadstone and The Galeries. After experiences the benefits of physical retail in Vicinity assets, July has now opened a full, inline flagship store in each location, which is great for the Chadstone customer that has connected with the brand in recent months.

We’ve also welcomed other notable flagships such as Tommy Hilfiger, Calibre, and Witchery, further bolstering the centre’s offering leading into Black Friday and the festive season.

Bringing so many innovative stores to life is no easy task which is where Vicinity's leasing and leasing design and delivery teams come in.

Commenting on the trends in retail design this year is Retail Design Manager, Lauren Stewart.

"This year we’ve seen a variety of noteworthy trends shaping retail design. The first is futurist design, characterised by sleek lines, bold geometric architecture, and industrial materials like reflective metals and concrete. 

"This contrasts with a growing emphasis on organic, ‘earthy’ design, which aims to create serene spaces using softer forms and materials inspired by nature, such as timber, textured renders, and cork. Additionally, Australian brands like Scanlan Theodore and Kookai are drawing inspiration from residential interiors, fostering a more intimate in-store atmosphere that resonates with customers.

"This is evident in fitout features such as the cold room at Canada Goose (inviting customers to try out their CG apparel in -30 temperature!) to the robotic heads at Gentle Monster – a kinetic installation that is synonymous with their brand and something you just can’t miss!

"Enhancing customer convenience is another element of design we’re seeing more of. Changeroom phone-charging stations were a key part of in Kookai’s redesign and customer-controlled changeroom lighting at Nude Lucy give that elevated experience.

"These elements not only encourage dwell time but also create memorable experiences that customers return for."