Image: High Street that’s Armadale
Adelaide is set to get a new multi-brand fashion destination bringing some of Australia’s most recognisable labels together under one roof, with its founder describing the concept as “MECCA but for fashion”.
High Street is the brainchild of second-generation Adelaide fashion retailer Annika Lioulios, who grew up working alongside her mum and auntie at TUYU Adelaide, which operated four stores across the city for around 30 years.
Now, after several years living and working in Melbourne, she’s bringing her own take on the multi-brand retail experience back to South Australia.
The idea was sparked during her time in Melbourne, where neighbourhood precincts such as High Street Armadale bring fashion boutiques together with cafés, grocers and wine bars.
“After living in Melbourne for a few years, I couldn’t get over the difference between the two cities,” Annika said.
“You can grab an overpriced skin-glaze smoothie or matcha, wander the strip and find almost every brand you love in one place.
“When I moved home, the gap felt so obvious.”
Rather than simply opening another boutique, Annika wanted to create a destination where shoppers could discover a carefully considered mix of brands while giving them a reason to choose the in-store experience over shopping online.
The line-up will include SIR, Bec + Bridge, Elka Collective, Assembly Label, Deiji Studios, Brie Leon and Samsøe Samsøe, alongside a small men’s section and a gourmet pantry stocked with local produce.
For Annika, High Street is about more than the clothes on the racks.
The store will host VIP events, brand activations and special experiences, while its styling service will be built around an honest, personal approach.
“It’s about creating a welcoming space where women can come in and find the right outfit, casual or event wear, without bad service or someone telling you something looks amazing when it really doesn’t,” she said.
“I’m big on honesty.”
After growing up around TUYU Adelaide, she completed her degree at the University of Adelaide before moving to Melbourne for a change and working in marketing at 36 Short.
She later helped run VIP nights for Elka Collective, an experience that drew her back towards fashion and eventually helped inspire the idea for a store of her own.
High Street will now bring those two sides of her experience together, the Adelaide retail world she grew up in and the Melbourne shopping culture she came to love.
“I really think Adelaide deserves something like this,” she said.
While the store takes inspiration from Melbourne, Annika isn’t looking to simply recreate High Street Armadale in Adelaide.
Instead, she hopes to build a destination with its own local identity, where shoppers can discover new labels, attend events and enjoy the broader experience of shopping in-store.
“It’s my take on bringing a slice of Melbourne to Adelaide – think MECCA but for fashion.”
High Street
When: tbc
Where: Adelaide
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