In a landscape dominated by major retailers and fast fashion, it feels good to be able to shop at something smaller and more personable.
Here’s where Terminal Six come in: They’re a new online store championing local and niche designers, featuring garments that border on the avant-garde with high-quality construction. Having held a Sydney pop-up to launch Terminal Six last week, the store has now moved online, with the aim of making these clothes more accessible to a wider audience and connecting the worlds of “fashion, art and design worldwide.”
With Terminal Six now in full swing, we caught up with the brains behind the store – young fashion enthusiasts Katia and Samantha – to chat about their journey so far. Read on below and shop it all over at Terminal Six:
Let’s start with an obvious one. Where did the name Terminal Six come from? Does it have something to do with meeting at an airport and an international fashion escapade?
Kit: Long story short, the concept behind TERMINAL SIX was originally meant to come to life as a nightlife experience in Sydney inspired by a night out Sam and I shared at China Chalet. We wrote a list of names for the night and TERMINAL SIX was the one that we both fell in love with… we realised soon after that creating a new shopping experience in Sydney was something we were more passionate about and that’s how TERMINAL SIX blossomed into what it is today. Sadly there isn’t a ~deep and meaningful~ explanation behind the name, besides the fact we think it’s cool.
Who’s behind Terminal Six, and what is your aim with the store?
Sam: Just us! We became best friends very quickly a couple years ago and knew we had to build something together. TERMINAL SIX has evolved from many many experiences together and long conversations. We feel that young people in Sydney seem to share the feeling that there is so much more outside of Australia and therefore many of us move to seek something else. Our aim for Terminal Six was not only to bring what we like to Sydney but also celebrate the insane talent that it already harbours.
When was the first moment that you realised that fashion was more than just clothes to you?
S: Art has definitely been a big part of my life for as long as I can remember but it wasn’t until maybe high school when I began to understand that fashion can be such a strong artistic outlet too. As I got older it kind of just became more and more important in my life as it has allowed me to explore my identity as I grew and began to figure out who I am and who I want to be. I think clothing holds such a beautiful power in that way.
K: I think I realised in my early 20s that fashion goes beyond just clothing; it’s an art form of self expression. Fashion is a way for me to express myself and my ever changing emotions/moods. The first moments of feeling this definitely coincide with the era of me meeting Sam!
Tell us about your process of curating brands. How did you decide what to stock?
S: Honestly the process was pretty easy! We just knew what we liked and wanted to see in Sydney!
K: Our golden rule is stock what we would wear personally. Sam and I have similar yet different styles so it’s easy for us to pick and choose what we buy for the store.
You also have a big emphasis on local designers and fashion graduates. What support networks are there for young aspiring designers or people wanting to get into fashion?
S: I think the fashion industry is Sydney is quite close minded, especially the older generation who unfortunately have a lot of power in its direction. We are surrounded by so many beautiful creative people and we are really proud of that. Their ideas and what they are able to create is so inspiring to us and we truely believe that celebrating that is so important – they are a part of Sydney’s bright future!
K: The fashion courses Sydney has to offer are a great starting point, as well as print and digital publications that give a platform and voice to the next generation of designers and fashion graduates. This being said, we find that there is this underlying current of exclusivity in the Sydney scene which we aim to try and uplift.
Tell us about some of your favourite pieces instore right now?
S: It’s so impossible to choose! As much of an honour it is to be able to stock and represent international brands, our pieces by our local designers really mean a lot to us. They are all handmade by some of our closest friends and to be able to celebrate that makes us so incredibly happy.
K: Um okay, so basically EVERYTHING is my favourite? Obsessed with our current and future international designer pieces, obsessed with everything made by our local designers, just obsessed in general at our selection.
What’s one fashion trend you’d like to see come back.. and one that you’re hoping goes away forever?
S: Honestly, I can get behind anything! Lately I’ve been loving anything kind of ugly or out of place – clashing prints, layering and weird silhouettes. The only thing I’m not too keen on is dressing for others rather than yourself, wear whatever makes you happy and a refection of how you feel that day.
K: I’m gunning for shoulder pads to make a comeback… when I’m not wearing shoulder pads I feel my power drain. When it comes to trends I feel like I don’t have a right to banish any forever as we all have different tastes and vibes, like who am I to say, “Ugh, get rid of camo forever”?
How would you describe Sydney style?
S: A little hard to pin down but I guess our generation in Sydney seems to be very influenced from the outside? Which I definitely don’t think is a bad thing, I just think that maybe it doesn’t quite have it’s own specific identity yet.
K: When I think of Sydney style a vision of sneakers, carabiners and bumbags flood my mind.
Name your Top 3 style icons and why?
S: I don’t think I really have anyone specific! I’ve always been really influenced by film and television and kind of dress based on feeling, I don’t know!
K: Fran Fine because she is the Queen of extra, Morticia Addams because she wears head to toe black/is me in my final form, and of course, my mummy because she is the definition of ICON.
What’s next for Terminal Six and where can we shop it all?
S: We definitely know that this is like the baby of what we want to do in the future and we can’t wait for it to evolve over time!
K: Our new season pieces will be arriving early 2019 so we have something in the works to celebrate the new additions to our store.
