Retailing to last a lifetime

PROMOTING considerate consumption is the central focus of Doveton Street North’s new specialty clothing boutique, The Outpost.

After seeing an opening for high-quality clothing offerings in Ballarat, owner Patrick Ibrahim said his store stocks quality goods that have been crafted with care, stitched for utility and made to last.

“I’ve always had a deep fascination for clothing and sustainability, things that are made to last and wear and where that comes from,” he said.

“Previously, I was going to Melbourne if I wanted to buy something or shopping online from the UK or Japan.

“We realised there was nothing here and I noticed people were interested in the stuff I was wearing and a lot of my friends here said there is a big interest in Ballarat into more conscious fashion.”

Utilising a meticulous selecting process, Mr Ibrahim said he considers the materials, designers and entire production line of each of the pieces he stocks.

“A lot of our stuff is made from ethical materials or the way it was produced was using proper trained workers, not underpaid workers, a lot of it is done by hand either in the US, UK or Japan,” he said.

“Longevity of the item is what usually drives what I pick, for example we have a lot of vintage pieces from a lot of different suppliers.

“A lot of what we have is traditionally unisex which is something often carried out by modern mainstream fashion brands who are revolutionary in their sourcing and production practices.”

The store includes a mixture of both well-known brands including Levi’s and Ralph Lauren alongside innovative designers such as Nudie Jeans and Novesta, which all uphold a common ideal of sustainability.

Whether it’s vintage or brand new, Mr Ibrahim said each of the items in his store have been created with the highest quality materials and techniques.

“A lot of the clothes we have in here are from brands that design for longevity in mind,” he said.

“For example, Nudie were one of the first Australian brands who offer repairs for their clothing so that the pieces can last a lifetime.

“Novesta shoes were originally made for the Slovakian army so they are one of the first ones to create a rubber sole that wasn’t glued on to canvas and instead the rubber is instead melted onto the canvas.

“For us, it’s more about buying better and buying less, re-use, fix it and don’t just throw away.”

In addition to the store’s core offerings, The Outpost also have a range of local goods and collaborations which aim to showcase great regional products alongside established international brands.

Mr Ibrahim said that the whole philosophy of his business is to have quality goods which isn’t always simply clothing.

“We have created some t-shirts with our friend Travis Price, he also did all our logo for us as well, which are all made in Melbourne,” he said.

“We are also stocking coffee, we are doing stuff from Proud Mary from Melbourne, Single Batch and Single O as well and we will be offering free delivery in Ballarat and Daylesford, once a week.

“There’s a lot of good local producers, we’re also currently working on a sock collaboration with the Odd Sockery out in Clunes as well.”

Although opening during a pandemic may be daunting to some, Mr Ibrahim said he’s looking forward to trading and being a part of the developing CBD precinct.

“This is going to be a new precinct because of the GovHub and the new restaurants popping up so it’s exciting for us to be in that proximity,” he said.

“There isn’t anything like this and I think people do want to try different things as the demographic and environment is already changing here in Ballarat.

“Here, you’re buying something that is guaranteed to last, whether it’s new or used it has a story behind it, how it’s made and a lot of the products have a lifetime wear.”