There’s always a small pang of pride when we hear about one of our fellow Aussies making it big across the shore. Adelaide-based retailer BKNR, short for bunker, was launched last year by Dean and Melanie Flintoft’s fashion company. The duo now have Los Angeles in their reach, with a 6,800-square-foot store soon-to-be-opened in the historic Blackstone Building on Broadway and 9th in downtown LA.
BKNR is the brick-and-mortar retailer of the Australian Fashion Labels nucleus: housing labels Cameo, Finders Keepers, Jagger, Keepsake and The Fifth. Originally designed as an e-boutique, their focus on quality and trans-seasonal garments resulted in continued success and the eventual opening of their flagship store in Adelaide last year. Still, who would have thought this former online-only start-up would be opening a second, international store in the space of a year?
BNKR has already begun construction in LA and is projected to open within the next few months (fingers crossed), in time for the local summer.
Many of Australia’s key brands will soon find themselves in the middle of one of LA’s hottest intersections, exposing our greatest fashion talent with BKNR’s international debut. Still no clues as to what the store will look like, however the Adelaide flagship store may provide a few hints:
The arrival of BNKR really helps to fill this amazing intersection nicely as momentum builds for other retailers to open in the Historic Core neighbourhood. It’s another great step for Australian designers surpassing international fashion barriers.
