There’s something so special about getting your hands on a zine. Flicking your fingers through the pages and uncovering a unique treasure trove of musings cemented on pieces of paper.
Finding Twenty Seven is almost like that.
Tucked away on Hindley Street, the dedicated zine and retail store is a hidden gem on the busy road – blink, and you’ll almost miss it. But for those lucky enough to stumble up the stairs towards the shop floor, there’s a whole creative world waiting to be discovered.
Opening its doors to the public last week, friends and co-owners Chira and Payton are putting Adelaide’s once-thriving zine scene back on the map while carving out a space in Adelaide for small-scale creatives to stock items and shine.
“We wanted a home for zine makers first and foremost,” says Chira.
“Adelaide hasn’t had a space in the last few years that shelves and stocks things for local makers.”
“And we’ve seen a few places kind of come and go or some spaces have just, you know, a small shelf is a bit of a token. But most of the time the community here relies on markets and then online platforms such as Etsy to be able to sell their pieces.”
While Twenty Seven is predominately a zine store, the Hindley Street shop is home to producers from all sorts of mediums – from funky prints to sweet ceramics, hand-made jewellery and clothes – there’s always an interesting item catching your eye.
While picking a favourite creator is almost like picking a favourite child, Chira lets Glam know that she holds a soft spot for Bumblebee and Me – a handcrafted candle company with delicately placed dried flowers embedded.
While a lot of their stock is SA based, small creators from Tasmania, the Northern Territory and Victoria have sent over designs and creations to star in the shop.
“We have a large variety of items for any budget, style, or interest, but we especially prioritise inclusivity and representation for LGBTQIA+ peoples and BIPOC,” says Payton.
“It’s this idea of supporting small scale creation and sustainable recycled materials,” adds Chira.
“We hope that as we get more and maybe install some more shelves as our stock grows that it’ll be a nice nationwide pull of zines that people here would never come across.”
“I think helps connect our communities a little bit more.”
While the duo is just starting to settle into their new home, they already have big plans for Twenty Seven’s future. Both hope to find a space that’s more accessible for the entirety of Adelaide’s creative community, expand their stock and introduce classes from different producers to budding creatives.
The pair are also currently planning workshops on zine making to bring to the SA public at Adelaide’s next zine market on December 4.
But for now, both Chira and Payton say they’re proud of the place they’ve made and the response from Adelaide so far.
“For a good few years, I’ve had a note in my phone that was basically a running list of my grand ideas for a retail store or bookshop that I was convinced would never happen,” says Payton.
“Now we have this cool, unique space that blends my passion for books and writing with Chira’s background of visual arts and curation.”
“I hardly know how we did it, and I believe that it really shows people what we’re about, what we’re trying to do here.”
You can find Twenty Seven at Suite 4, Level 1, 9A Hindley Street(in between Off Ya Tree and the TAB) Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday 11am to 4pm, and between 12pm and 7pm on Fridays.
Keep up to date with Twenty Seven on Instagram.
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