Fine Fellow: Sydney's ultimate man cave


What happens when visions align: two creatives, determined to fill a gap in the market and educate consumers on the importance of less is more.

Sydney's Fine Fellow is one hell of a man cave.

I chatted to one half of this conscious consumerism collab - Clara Ho, a jeweller and the talent behind men's accessories label Burton Metal Depository - on the vision for Fine Fellow.

Details from Fine Fellow co-owner Clara Ho's jewellery label
Burton Metal DepositoryImage via Instagram

"We’re helping to expose a lot of small business and local designers - all the products we stock are by Australian designers," Clara explains.

"Part of our objective is to educate the public on why it's important to support local talent and businesses.

"A lot of the time people wouldn’t really think about it, so it’s up to us to showcase that Australian designed and made is on par with anything out of Paris or New York.

"We want to focus on educating people on the value of buying less but better, emphasising quality over quantity." 

Fine Fellow stock a range of men's and unisex products.
Manili candles designed and made in Melbourne. Image via Instagram

Currently a pop-up store in Sydney's Darlinghurst, Fine Fellow is about to celebrate the opening of their permanent store on the rejuvenated Foley Street - a new creative precinct that's part of City of Sydney's Creative Spaces program.

An architect-turned-jeweller, Clara saw a huge gap in the market for men's accessories that were not only timeless in design but made locally.

Mister Wolf watches are stocked by Fine Fellow, & are
designed and assembled in Sydney. Image via Instagram
So she embarked on a series of pop-up shops, inviting now business partner Giuseppe Santamaria to the opening of the 'Man Cave'.

Photographer and Men In This Town founder Giuseppe was drawn to the concept and the two applied for a space of their own.

"We want to highlight that the unique, local designs are what make us different to the big stores, so that adds to the reasons to come here," Clara says.

"When we open on Foley Street we won't just be a boutique - we're incorporating making spaces where people can see the items being made by the artisans.

"People can meet the maker face-to-face, and it connects the designers to their customer, showing the hard work and detail that goes into something."

I personally can't wait to see this store settle into their own space - I'll catch you at one of their monthly Studio Talks!

Visit the Fine Fellow pop-up:

The Tribe
70 Oxford St, Darlinghurst
January 27th - March 6th

Sydney-based business Timbermill handcrafting the furniture for
Fine Fellow's Foley Street store, all using recycled timbers.
Image via Instagram

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