In 2006 two young Sydney upstarts got a little bored. Instead of turning to knitting, drugs or daytime television they decided to open a clothing store (as you do). After settling on Crown Street as the most suitable location for their envisioned store the pair opened the doors of Dobry Den (in case you are wondering the words originate in Slovakia, where they are spoken as a form of greeting).
For equal partners Nicole and Keira the decision to open on Crown Street was a no-brainer. Being that they are girls from around the traps they were already firmly entrenched in the Surry Hills art, design, fashion and social community. That is not to say they didn't consider other locations. Initially the wish had been to open somewhere a little more obscure – possibly a back street or laneway – but this idea was quickly dismissed. Sydney shoppers may be fashion savvy when it comes to purchasing, but they sure are lazy when it comes to venturing off the main drags.
‘We just didn't think we would get enough business’, Nicole explains while manning the store's counter and casually serving a customer or two.
Around the time the girls were putting plans in place to open up shop, the little section of the street they would eventually inhabit was undergoing a series of changes. The street itself was about to be given a minor facelift and a few stores were in the process of changing hands (Bondi's Puff n Stuff also opened its Crown Street doors around the same time). The timing could not have been better really.
A few seasons on and the store has established itself as a shopping destination for scores of regular customers. The ranges they carry are mostly the product of local designers including the likes of My Pet Square, Alpha 60 and WhoAmEye, while the jewellery ranges from established to up-and-coming local designers like Bondi boy and Ksubi staffer, Toby Jones. There are also book, magazines and kicks and tricks for customers to pore over.
Their approach to the stock they carry is a rather holistic one, one that reflects the girls' own personal aesthetics. They buy items which they believe will specifically suit their customers. Customers who are (by the girls' own admission) fashion forward and savvy in their approach to what clothing they will adorn themselves with from day to day.
Like all good multi-faceted stores it is not all just about fabric and footwear at Dobry Den. The shop has already established strong relationships with local art spaces like China Heights and Black and Blue, and is known for its support of fresh nights and events.
‘It would be really boring for us to be just about fashion,’ Keira admits when asked what the motivation is behind having their fingers stuck in so many creative pies across Sydney and Melbourne. Nicole continues to explain how it was part of the master plan from the beginning and confides that there are plenty more pages to come in the Dobry Den story; more stores and top secret grand plans. Perhaps maybe even a touch of world domination one day?
You know what they say about hard workers and oysters and the like? Well the girls at the Den have a touch of that twinkle in the eye that makes you think that they'll be around for some time yet. Avert your eyes children; they may take on other forms.