Country Road – Spearheading Sustainable Design

Last week I attended the launch of Country Road’s sustainable flagship store at Chadstone and it impressed me at every turn. Country Road is literally redefining sustainable fashion and design in a bid to become a leader in sustainability in Australia and overseas. Through the launch of its new flagship store, Country Road is Australia’s first fashion retail store to be awarded with a 5 Star Green Star Design Review Rating, alongside a range that represents the most sustainable, ethical and innovative materials.
Symbolising a new era of luxury, the flagship was designed to enhance the customer experience at every touch point, while revitalising old materials into beautiful new store features. The result is fixtures made from recycled yoghurt containers, carpet crafted from fishing nets and recycled paper wall cladding, to name a few.
Country Road Managing Director Elle Roseby said the relaunch of the Chadstone flagship store was a milestone for both the brand and the industry.
“Our Chadstone flagship revolutionises the retail experience, maintaining our commitment to quality while demonstrating our connection to the environment. It shows that sustainability in fashion extends into retail store fit-outs, as well as garment production.”
Working with London based retail design experts, HMKM, the project took over a year to complete, with the Country Road store design team and HMKM carefully considering the benefit of each and every material used, working with many local and international suppliers.
HMKM were tasked with a brief to bring to life the Country Road vision of inspiring modern Australian living every day. Paul Digby, Creative Director from HMKM in London said:
“Country Road is a truly Australian lifestyle brand, brought to life through a ‘Curated landscape’, where the outdoors effortlessly flows in. Natural, local materials and craft traditions are celebrated through the store design, where the environment is cherished and respected. A unique retail landscape referencing the countries riches, putting community and sustainability at its heart.”
It’s great to see this iconic Australian brand championing sustainability but it’s also exciting to see the brand evolve its marketing to be inclusive of Australia’s rich ethic diversity in its campaigns and supporting local artisans.