A church hall and caretaker’s residence in Collingwood are set to be transformed into a First Nations fashion hub, through the support of Yarra City Council and the Victorian Government’s Creative Neighbourhood Partnerships Program.
The program supports local councils to reinvigorate vacant heritage sites to help revitalise neighbourhoods into creative precincts.
KIN Fashion will be the first of nine up-and-coming First Nation designers to occupy the historical space, and will launch it’s designs in Federation Square at the Melbourne Fashion Festival in March 2022.
Once a Congregational Church hall and caretaker’s residence in Peel Street, the heritage site now aims to become a centre for innovation, collaboration and ethical manufacturing in the Australian fashion industry.
Yarra has the highest percentage of residents who work in the creative arts industry, and features iconic live music venues, more than 60 galleries and artist run spaces, rehearsal spaces, peak arts organisations, radio stations, film production houses, and recording studios.
Yarra’s Room to Create Program aims to keep the arts in Yarra by supporting eligible artists and arts organisations, while fostering more affordable and sustainable creative spaces.
The Peel Street site is currently leased under a temporary lease arrangement until 30 June 2023.
KIN Fashion secured the lease as part of a competitive EOI process.
An EOI for the long-term tenancy for the building and submissions are currently open.
