Overview
Established in 2013 as an online gift store stocked with items for apologising, showing gratitude and getting a little romantic, multi-hyphenate concept store Sorry Thanks I Love You has continued to evolve with the launch of a second Sydney concept store in Paddington. Moving into 25hours Hotel The Olympia — a long-awaited boutique development — this forward-thinking fashion, design and art space feels right at home alongside a similarly eclectic mix of neighbours.
Slotting in beside an Australian outpost for London's renowned Palomar restaurant, specialty cafe Jacob The Angel, and a Hollywood-inspired cocktail bar, Sorry Thanks I Love You brings together rare clothing and accessories from around the world. Think high-end names like Comme Des Garçons, Bao Bao Issey Miyake and MM6 Maison Margiela, alongside emerging designers from Paris' Dover St Market incubator. Plus, locals like Loco Love, Momoko Hatano, and Dinosaur Designs round out the collection.
Yet this brand-new storefront will feature garments of a different kind, as STILY has recently revealed a debut clothing collection of its own. Designed by Co-Founders Ant White and Caroline Ball, fashion-forward pieces span cut-to-length velveteen jersey t-shirts, diamond quilted denim jackets and water-resistant parkas that wouldn't look out of place in an Oasis photoshoot. Made in Japan and Portugal, each silhouette is the result of months of careful consideration.
"It's the beginning of a new chapter for Sorry Thanks I Love You: one fuelled by experience, experimentation and a quiet obsession with doing things properly," says Ant.
Similar care has been taken in designing the new store. Led by Paddington local and award-winning architect, Shelley Indyk, the Oxford Street location presents as a calming, light-filled space. For those familiar with STILY, the Yves Klein blue returns, adorning a pressed-tin ceiling, plush velvet curtains and custom detailing throughout, contrasting with stark white walls and garment racks that tread the line between fashion boutique and art gallery.
"If Sydney is a city of villages, then Paddington is its capital," says Caroline. "The Olympia is the kind of beautiful electric shock that Oxford Street has been waiting for, and we can't wait to show Sydneysiders what's inside."
Sorry Thanks I Love You is now open Monday–Saturday from 10am–6pm and Sunday from 11am–5pm at The Olympia, 1 Oxford Street, Sydney. Head to the website for more information.