For a 300-square-metre Sydney boutique, Parlour X punches well above its wardrobe weight. In January it became the exclusive Australian distributor of Emilio Pucci. And in September it will add another Italian luxury brand, Fendi, to its stable.
Owner Eva Galambos, who opened Parlour X in 2011 and relocated it into a former church in Paddington last August, now carries 25 international labels, including Céline, Chloe, Balmain, Saint Laurent, Stella McCartney, Balenciaga, Valentino and Commes des Garçons, plus Australian labels such as Ellery, Maticevski and Christopher Esber.
"I started Parlour X wanting to present a gallery-style boutique offering and presenting fashion in the same way that art is presented, with a complete understanding of the designer, its history and its value," explains Galambos, who studied art before moving into fashion. "With luxury fashion you talk about the themes and influences; it's like owning a piece of art with a story to tell."
The Fendi deal gives Galambos access to current season ready-to-wear as well as bags, shoes and accessories, a not insignificant achievement given Australian boutiques have historically typically bought a season behind.
Peekaboo popularity
Fendi is also opening its own stores in Australia. Earlier this year it opened a concession at Sydney International Airport selling bags and accessories, and at the end of the year it will open its first stand-alone boutique in Melbourne.
Galambos, who travels to Europe six times a year to source product for both the physical and online iterations of Parlour X, tips Fendi's signature bags 2Jours, Dotcom and Peekaboo to be popular here. She's particularly taken with the Peekaboo's removable strap, which can be sold separately to the bag.
Galambos says she will stock Fendi bags priced from about $2000 up to $10,000. "The Australian consumer likes value for money. She will spend the money but it has to be worth it. Australians see things really differently compared with women in Europe. But that's another story."
