:: Launch of Fatboye Group

By: Carmine Pascuzzi

February 3 saw the launch of Fatboye Group, a boutique retail store formed by three young entrepreneurs in Sydney’s Arthouse Hotel that features fashion, furniture, books, art and jewellery from more than 40 of Australia’s hottest emerging designers, artists, musicians and other creatives.

Fatboye Group’s ‘Pop Up Store’ will be open Wednesdays and Saturdays in the Arthouse, offering an eclectic mix of products from bold high-fashion dresses to rough urban, kaftans embroidered with jewels, leather-bound books, new sounds and a fun atmosphere – creating a unique vibe where guests can grab a casual drink at the day bar, have a bite to eat, and listen to great tunes while they shop. Many of the designs are stocked exclusively by Fatboye Group making the store the only place to unearth these new treasures.

Fatboye Group is the creation of Kristina Iantchev, Jane Lu and Nikki Grace who have a passion for all things fashion. The girls saw a gap in the retail market for both designers and consumers and decided to act on it with further plans to roll out the Fatboye Group Pop Up Stores in other locations such as Paddington, Bondi, Mosman and Byron Bay.

Kristina Iantchev, Director, says, “Fatboye Group is passionate about giving young designers a platform to launch their work. The retail market is saturated with the same look and feel. Consumers are looking for unique designs with a fresh edge. We only carry emerging designers, artists and musicians who are looking for a chance to showcase their work in a retail environment. We have collected some of the best and most exciting fashion from Australia’s budding creatives that we believe consumers will love.”

The list of emerging designers and labels featured at Fatboye include Brent Zaicek who was a finalist on Project Runway, Slap the Goon, i am, Atat by Atlanta Reade, Donnie Bishop, jewellery from Coco Liberace, Flipsters, Departure Lounge, artist such as Alice Ju, kaftans from Mayafire, photography by Matthew Lees, leather bound books and journals by Boheme Art + Design, along with handmade bow ties from Le Noeud Papillon to name just a few.

Fatboye Group also supports an incredible charity called ‘Carpets for Communities’, which offers at risk children in third world communities an education by empowering their mothers to produce eco fair trade products that are sold globally. The charity also reduces child labour and vulnerability to child trafficking in Poi Pet, Cambodia.

Carpets for Communities enables mothers to send children to school through production and sale of one-of-a-kind, hand-hooked carpets. The carpets will be available at the Fatboye Group store and will come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours. All sales funds from this range will go directly to the non-for-profit organisation.

With Kristina, the ex-Macquarie investment banker, who loves surfing and adrenalin sports, Nikki the fashion model that struts the catwalk, and Jane the adventurer who has explored the world, consumers are in for a fabulous shopping experience. The trio will inject their individual and distinctive personalities into Fatboye, as they roll out warehouse parties, trunk shows featuring unique designers, and music events that will attract a loyal following and create a ‘Fatboye Community’.

Fatboye Group will be opened in the Arthouse Hotel, 275 Pitt St, Sydney on Wednesdays between 10.00am and 7.00pm, and Saturdays between 10.00am until 4.00pm.