tion as a customer, struggling to find high-quality and beautifully designed clothing within her budget that didn’t lack the thoughtful and considered details she craved. “I wanted to create a dream wardrobe: pieces that felt special but were still attainable,” Pereira told Inside Retail. Now, four years after launching Beare Park in March 2021, Pereira sees the award as an “opportunity to contribute to the ongoing conversation in the fashion industry and be a part of its evolution,” she said. Inside Retail: Where did the idea for Beare Park come from? Gabriella Pereira: Beare Park was born out of a personal frustration I had as a customer. I found myself constantly searching for high-quality, beautifully designed clothing but often found that what I wanted was either out of my budget or lacked those thoughtful, considered details that I truly appreciated. As a consumer, I wanted something that spoke to me – pieces that felt timeless and enduring, yet were modern and easy to wear. Over time, that desire evolved into the idea of creating a brand that would cater to customers like myself, who value quality, attention to detail, and a more mindful approach to fashion. I wanted to create a dream wardrobe: pieces that felt special but were still attainable. As a designer, I still hold those values close – I approach Beare Park with the same care and consideration I would as a customer. The business of Australian fashion IR: The pop-up in Potts Point; why now? And what led to investing in this retail avenue? GP: The Potts Point pop-up was an intentional decision to connect more closely with the local community. Up until now, our [direct-to-consumer] DTC [offering] has been exclusively digital, so it felt like the right moment to meet customers in person and engage with them directly. Potts Point is a destination area – it’s not a high-traffic fashion retail hub, but that worked in our favour. We’ve been able to focus on delivering a more personalised experience in a showroom/gallery-like setting. The response from customers has been overwhelmingly positive, with many making special purchases, including wedding looks, which has been a huge highlight. IR: What role do you feel pop-up stores play in the current retail landscape? Are they a short-term experiment or here to stay? GP: Pop-up stores are a great tool, especially given the current economic landscape. They offer brands like ours the chance to establish a brick-and-mortar presence without the long-term commitment and financial investment that a permanent store requires. It’s an opportunity to diversify the retail experience for consumers, offering something fresh and exciting.  Pop-ups also create buzz and a sense of urgency, which can be powerful for consumer engagement. So, while they might have started as a short-term experiment, I believe they’re here to stay in some form. IR: Through which channel do the majority of Beare Park sales take place? And was this intentional? GP: The majority of our sales take place through direct-to-consumer channels online. This was always our primary focus, as it allows us to have a direct relationship with our customers and maintain control over the brand experience. However, we’ve been fortunate to have some key retail partnerships with stores like Net-a-Porter, Liberty, Bergdorf Goodman, Moda Operandi, and Harrods, which has been incredible. These partnerships have allowed us to reach a wider audience and validate our brand in some of the most prestigious fashion retailers in the world. IR: How will you gauge if this has been a good investment? GP: The feedback we’ve been getting from customers has been invaluable – hearing directly from them is so different from reading customer care emails or Instagram DMs. For example, a few customers shared that they found their perfect wedding outfits at the pop-up, which felt especially rewarding. IR: What insights are you looking to gain from this initiative? GP: The main insight we’re hoping to gather is how in-person sales behaviour differs from online. There’s a different energy when customers shop in person versus browsing from their homes. We’re also learning a lot about how to communicate the Beare Park experience to our online customers, especially as we gather feedback in real-time. Our goal is to take these insights and find ways to integrate them into our digital experiences. IR: Could this turn into a permanent store? GP: While I don’t envision the Potts Point space becoming a permanent store; the residency concept is something we’re considering expanding to other cities in the future, both domestically and internationally, as the brand grows. The temporary nature of the pop-up has allowed us to focus on curating an experience, we could replicate in other locations as we scale. IR: What considerations went into curating the brand’s customer experience, and how has this manifested in-store? GP: When designing the customer experience for our pop-up, we took inspiration from luxury stores and closely studied their visual merchandising and how they engaged customers. We wanted to provide an experience above and beyond the typical pop-up, with attention to detail at every touchpoint. For example, the Potts Point location is a destination in itself, so customers are visiting us with intention. This has allowed us to provide a more bespoke experience, focusing on individual customer appointments. We’ve also sourced catering from local brands, like Room 10 for coffee and Fratelli for Aperol spritzes and olives, to elevate the experience further. IR: Once the pop-up ends, do you envision expanding this model to other cities or evolving it into something more permanent? GP: As the brand grows, we may consider turning this model into a more permanent concept in select locations. The temporary nature of the pop-up has given us the freedom to curate the experience in a way that feels special and limited, which is part of what makes it so compelling.  We’ve really enjoyed the process and think there’s potential for this model to work in other cities. IR: How do you plan to approach overseas expansion? GP: We’re exploring a pop-up in New York. Right now, our primary focus is on strengthening our online DTC model, but I see opportunities for international expansion in the future.  We want to ensure that we’re ready for it, so we’re taking a thoughtful, step-by-step approach. IR: What’s the goal for the brand and yourself as a designer? Will there be a permanent brick-and-mortar store soon? GP: For me, the goal for Beare Park is to continue growing sustainably and thoughtfully. I want to keep expanding the brand’s product offerings across different categories, but without feeling the need to overdo it or resort to excessive styles.  Creating pieces that are truly heirloom-quality – garments that transcend seasons and that people will want to hold onto for years to come. The fabrics we use, for example, are consistent year after year. It’s about making things that feel like they have a long life ahead of them, rather than just chasing trends. The aim is a reserved approach, focused on updating shapes and colours within our signature fabrics. As for a physical store, I don’t feel the need to rush into a permanent retail space just yet. We’re focused on direct-to-consumer channels for now, but there are exciting things on the horizon, including international expansion.