Our Story
In 2016 The Strand Arcade celebrated 125 years since first opening its doors in 1891.
To commemorate this, The Strand held a three day celebration, drawing on its rich history of craftsmanship and creativity, including a range of experiences including pop-up food stalls, a whisky tasting station by The Balvenie and creative window installations.
The Strand also celebrated 125 Years of Creating with a special collaboration, working with past 1891 curator and friend of The Strand, Romy Frydman to capture the Arcade's creative community. Through this portrait series, Romy intertwines architectural elements of the Arcade with representatives of The Strand collective to honour the creative spirit. From iconic names in Australian fashion spanning from Jenny Kee to Deborah Sams of bassike, to resident artisans and craftsmen including Louise Olsen of Dinosaur Designs and Robert Carroll of Strand Hatters, discover their Strand Stories.
Making History
125 years of collective creativity... and counting. Alison Veness shares her insights on past and present at the Strand Arcade.
Deborah Sams' Strand Story
"Each year as a child my mum and I would plan a trip to the Bloch Ballet store in The Strand to choose a new pair of pointe shoes — it was always something I looked forward to!" — Deborah Sams
Jenny Kee's Strand Story
"I feel like a loving grandmother who has influenced and nutured generations of creatives in fashion over the 43 years since Flamingo Park "Stepped into Paradise" at the Strand Arcade." — Jenny Kee
Louise Olsen's Strand Story
"Before opening our own store I had fond memories of shopping with my Mum and loving Linda Jackson and Jenny Kee's store Flamingo Park, and having lunch upstairs while looking down over the balconies to the tiled Victorian floors." — Louise Olsen
Patrick Johnson's Strand Story
"The Arcade has beautiful light on every level, in every store. Developers these days don't think about this, but if you look at the great arcades from London, Milan and Paris, they all have incredible light." — Patrick Johnson
Robert Carroll's Strand Story
"I find the Strand Arcade inspiring because we are a creative team of individual retailers and artisans, like a family. Having been in the Strand Arcade for almost 30 years it's my second home." — Robert Carroll
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