newsletter 2010
Newsletter HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010
Welcome to our new-new shop!
44 Katoomba Street Katoomba
Just in time for Christmas we opened our new shop in Katoomba. It has been worth the wait. After leaving our first shop at 117 katoomba street in August 2009 we enjoyed a small hiatus while waiting to set up in our new premises.
It was certainly worth the wait. 44 Katoomba street is a lovely early turn of the century shop with all it's original brass fret work and lead light windows at the front. Inside the original chandeliers, wooden paneling and brick fireplace are all untouched. There are also lovely lead light windows down one wall and gorgeous old kauri floor boards.
The premises has been an old book shop for the last 20 years so all these features were protected by a patina of dust, darkness and old books. Prior to that in the 1940's it was a wine bar, and apparently a pretty hip place. I am awaiting photos from a local resident whose aunt & uncle owned it then. That is as far back as I have had time to trace but now it is OMNIA - a little bit of everywhere.
So it is that time again preparing for our next year of trading. We are in Vietnam now working on new designs ready for 2010. I hope to have some exciting new lines using linens & Japanese Yukata fabrics as well as our popular silk boxed lines and the suede and silk lined range of bags.
Our men's gifts were very popular for Christmas especially the new short length kimono jacket which was usually purchased with matching boxer shorts or lounge pants. Although sticking with our uni sex versatility of many of our garments, this jacket was also purchased by many women to be worn as an evening jacket.
Some things don't change,like the electricity nightmares you see above you all the time while strolling the streets of Hanoi. But mostly Hanoi is constantly changing all the time. The motorbike traffic has moved 2 levels above insane. At peak hour frustrated grid-locked riders use the footpaths 
in futile attempts to get any advantage; certainly a smog choked metaphor for the intense business activities that make Hanoi a small business maelstom. There are still charming facades to delight our western dreams of the east around any corner.Come and visit us soon either at the February trade show in sydney or come and visit us at our new shop at 44 Katoomba st Katoomba NSW
