Like Cat in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Shop is a shop with a nondescript moniker. Perhaps it’s a deliberate move to ensure the focus remains on the store’s inventory, as Shop stocks art and items created by women and non-binary artists from across Victoria.
The store is the initiative of the Queen Victoria Women’s Centre with the aim to provide income to local women and non-binary creatives. The shop features jewellery, fashion, homewares, books and art with a large range of ethical and one-off items available. Artists on show at Shop include designer Shuh Lee; screen printing studio Print Safari; ceramicist Jade Lees-Pavey; and jewellery label For the Love of Vintage.
Artists are paid on consignment, with 60 per cent of each sale going towards the artist who made the product. It's a curated hub of fine-looking items that enables Melburnians to shop locally and support creative communities.
Shop launched during the 2020 shutdowns, meaning its first foray into retail has been online. However, once things return to normal, customers will also be able to shop in-person at the Queen Victoria Women’s Centre (with access available via QV Square).
