Bermagui Ballin' 6/18

After a full morning of driving, we arrived in Bermagui at around 1 where I spent the afternoon poking around town - essentially a single block consisting of 1 pub, 2 butchers, 1 grocer, 1 news agent, and 2 clothing boutiques. I was struggling to find anything that piqued my interest until i spotted a mannequin sporting ripped skinny jeans and a fitted leather bomber jacket. I wasn't even thinking about travel writing when i walked through the arcade occupied by a butcher and a grungy internet cafe to "Soulique" boutique. With its minimalist chic layout and high-fashion duds, Soulique looks like it belongs in New York's SoHo or Sydney's Padington rather than Bermangui - a working town far more concerned with fishing lines than fashion lines. 

Soulique 

While Soulique's incongruity with its environment would be enough to make an interesting story in and of itself, Ellis herself is really what sold me on profiling the shop. As i've mentioned many a time, I am normally very skeptical about doing reviews of businesses and especially clothing stores. It seems cheap and superficial. However, Ellis - who sells her own designs as well as those of others - changed my mind with her philosophy on clothes. 

"Fashion doesn't need to be shallow," she assured me. "I know it sounds out there, but I believe i can educate and even heal people through my garments."

I have to admit that at first I was skeptical. Heal people? With clothes? Dubious...

Sensing my doubt, she whipped out a very rock-and roll black velvet vest. 

"See here," she said pointing to the label that read "Love is always in your pocket" and subsequently fishing a small heart charm on a chain out of the inner breast pocket, "I put little messages in my clothes. Tidbits of life philosophy that radiate good energy."

"Love is in my pocket!"

Heart Chain

The store itself was designed with the same focus on positive energy in mind. Half of the space functions as a gallery that displays maritime paintings by local artists as well as colorful home decorations and the other half as a clothing boutique. 

Regardless of whether or not I write on Soulique, I really enjoyed talking to Simone and left her store happy and energized. Maybe I shouldn't be so skeptical of New Age energy theories after all...