Dust, unlike most commercial fit-outs, wasn't under pressure to open in a matter of weeks.
Rather, the owners and architects spent a good 12 months discussing concepts for the basement store on the corner of Russell and Little Collins streets.
The wait has certainly been worth it, with the architects, SIBLING, delivering "one out of the box".
Formerly Chiodo, a menswear store for more than two decades, Dust announces its arrival with a graphic fluorescent installation that literally pulls those passing by down the steps and into the store.
Based on a multisensory concept that includes all the five senses from smell to touch, Dust is a unisex store that includes everything from designer T-shirts, sweatshirts, perfume and bespoke clothing to vinyl records (Dust's fashion designer, Adam Wood, formerly worked with Nasir Mazhar in London).
"Some of the clothes are quite cropped, a little brutalist, inspired by the shell of the building," says Brett Gronow, one of the owners of Dust.
With the objective to embrace spatial ideas in line with Dust's approach (based on the "golden ratio"), the fit-out needs to be experienced first hand. Reflective surfaces and translucent walls beckon people to explore the many nooks within the 280-square-metre space. However, there is a logical sequence to follow in purchasing items. iPads are set within the mirrored counters, offering a selection both in the store and in the wings.
"If you find a design that you're interested in, it can be produced on site," says Gronow, opening up the steel mesh door to the "print station".
While the fit-out, with its steel, mesh and fluorescent lights, appears fixed, the pod-like stands can be easily pulled apart into three.
"The idea is to allow for flexibility rather than set into one defined way of presenting the garments," says architect Amelia Borg, one of the directors of SIBLING Architects.
"Brett and I had several discussions about the writings and art from William Burroughs and Brion Gysin. They discussed the way we perceive things," she says.
Using several architectural devices, including reflective surfaces, SIBLING loosely divided Dust into the more casual and the bespoke. The bespoke line, titled Redux, is given over to the "sunken lounge", complete with leather banquette-style seating and plush carpet. In contrast, the upper level features reflective polyurethane floors. However, irrespective of the fashion line, both areas feature customised joinery that slowly releases the smell of Dust fragrances.
"We wanted to create a sense of place from the outset of the project, an experience that will linger longer after you've left the store, even if that stay is only 15 minutes," Gronow says.
SIBLING's fit-out for Dust creates illusions at every turn. Mirrored floors below the racks capture images of the raw industrial ceiling. And rather than feeling finite, spaces appear to go on indefinitely. Those that recall the Memphis period (early 1980s) will also enjoy seeing some of the influences from that time but without the distinctive garish patterns, colours and materials. And while there's a strong futuristic ambience, there's also a sense of the past with the vinyl records displayed on the mirrored shelves.
