The April Hustle&Scout featured 32 incredibly talented Australian designers and collectors who were spread across the Nishi Commerical Foyer and the superbly designed and atmospheric Hotel Hotel foyer. This market featured 13 new stall holders, which is always super exciting because it's very important for each of our markets to be fresh and to provide a new experience to our fashionable punters. What was showcased? Well, lots and lots of fashion gorgeousness - independent designer womenswear (and some menswear, although we always want more!), high-end vintage and second-hand designer labels for guys and gals, hand-printed scarves and pocket squares, books on fashion, jewellery ranging from contemporary handmade silver and gold designs, to pearls, to colourful and funky upcycled vintage pieces, and jewellery made from natural woods. Many of our designers take pride in selling Australian-made and sustainable products, which makes us feel all warm and fuzzy inside to know that we can provide a platform to help get these products out there and encourage more conscious consumerism.
 |
| Janette Lenk of label, T-Heinrich. Photo by Emily Sargeson. |
Honestly though, what better way to get yourself up to speed on the story behind a garment or a piece of jewellery, than by chatting directly to its maker? We believe markets play an immensely vital role in the community because:
1) they provide a space for people to chat to designers and educate themselves on the processes and the inspiration behind a piece,
2) to support small businesses and,
3) to provide an opportunity for locals to come together and celebrate fashion in a way that is meaningful and fun.
Just as farmers markets are an important part of promoting the 'real food' revolution, Hustle&Scout aspires to play a part in promoting high-quality, handmade Australian fashion products that have been made by someone who has poured their heart and soul into making it. We want to share this love and show people that there are other spaces to get a hit of fashion retail, it does not always need to come from your local mall (where the majority of fashion chains use cheap fabrics and sources of labour to quickly mass-produce their product). While multinational retail chains play their role in our local fashion culture, we believe Hustle&Scout can connect the creative community at a grassroots level, strip fashion back to basics and provide visitors with the process rather than just the outcome - slow fashion over fast fashion. We feel really passionate about this and hope that our followers and fans also feel the love, because the love scratches much deeper than the surface of our brand.
Our friends at new pop-up foodie market, The Forage, also share these values, aiming to bring the community together and showcase Canberra's finest cafes, restaurants, wineries and mobile food vendors - keepin it local and keepin it real. The Forage held its inaugural event in conjunction with Hustle&Scout in April and holy moly was it good. Like, SO GOOD. The sun managed to show its hot face after a week of solid rain, and people flocked to the Nishi gardens to sample an eclectic range of food and drink, chill out on a hay bale or a picnic blanket, listen to the live music, and just soak up the electric buzz that filled NewActon that afternoon. Punters bounced from The Forage to Hustle&Scout, and back again, attracting families, friends, solo shoppers on a mission, and even the odd famous face (Mr John Butler was indeed spotted at The Forage, we believe somewhere near the vegetarian food stalls of course). He'll be back, no doubt ;)
 |
| The Forage. Photo by Rebecca Doyle. |
On top of the success of The Forage, we cannot deny that our April market would not have been what is was without the array of incredibly creative people who got involved. Our beloved April's Caravan was back once again with an unmistakably, immaculately styled crew of vintage-inspired roaming models who brought sass and attitude as voluminous as their retro hair-dos. Then we had the spunky team at Haus Models who worked with Form Hair, Next Hair and M.Artistry to dress models in fashionable food-based outfits for a live 'food and fashion' photoshoot directed by photographer Leighton Hutchinson. There was everything from a watermelon helmet to a wedding dress made from baguettes - weird and wonderful and totally true to Hustle&Scout style. The EventPix photobooth presented by Fashfest was also a fun addition to the night, seeing many people pop on the signature Hustle and Scout masks and channel their inner manimal.
 |
| Models by April's Caravan. Photo by Sally Forth. |
 |
| Ingrid from Haus Models in a baguette wedding dress. Photo by Emily Sargeson. |
Then their was the music, sweet music. If the live tunes on the night on 12 April weren't enough to make you feel freaky and free (with the exception of the Palace Electric $10 cocktails of course), then we'll assume it's because you didn't have your toe-tappin dancing shoes on. The afternoon kicked-off with the fabulous four from local folk-rock outfit, Brother Be, who spread themselves and their collection of instruments (thank heavens the drum kit fit!) up the Nishi staircase and rocked us all into a shopping frenzy. Female trio, Kaleid, then took to the stairs and absolutely wowed our visitors with a selection of tasteful soul and r&b covers, our personal favourite being the 'Pumped up Kicks' and 'Royals' covers. Then, it was infamous DJ Faux Real who took us from twilight to night and filled the Nishi with a very cool mix of funky, techy and drum n bass sounds to wrap-up a solid stint of shopping and to get everyone in the mood to kick-on into the night at one of NewActon's food and drink hotspots.
 |
| Palace Electric's Hustle&Scout $10 cocktails, yum! Photo: Emily Sargeson |
 |
| Kaleid. Photo by Sally Forth |
If you weren't able to come along to our last market, you can get a taste for it here on this homemade video:
Also, if you are interested in being a stall holder at Hustle&Scout, please head to our website to apply. Same goes for The Forage, who have also opened applications for the 5 July event. Watch this space for more announcements in June on our designer and entertainment line-up...we will also have a new Hustle&Scout Winter TVC to be shot by film maker Scott Holgate, as well as a brand-new illustration by the talented Alice Carroll.
Team Hustle&Scout x
PS: Thank you to our family for helping us set up and pack down, and to our lovely intern Jane. Props also go to Emily Sargeson and Sally Forth - two budding photographers who dedicated their time to capture a slice of Hustle&Scout magic on the night.