Chic boutique hits right note of inspiration with affordable vintage and fair-trade goods
Although it's less than six months old, accessories and homewares treasure trove The 9th Muse has quickly become a favourite among the city's fashionable folk. On Friday, shoppers were invited to the Lyndhurst Terrace boutique for a special sale and live music.
The all-day event started with a 10 per cent discount off new arrivals, including bags from The Leather Satchel Co and Foley + Corinna, and jewellery by Suzanna Dai. In the evening, the Joven Goce Band played indie and rock tunes as the crowd mingled, sipping wine and nibbling on cheese and fruit platters.
Charlotte Hwang and Jing Zhang, former high school roommates, opened the store in March to offer original and affordable fashion accessories that they felt were lacking in the city. The store stocks hard-to-find brands such as Nicole Richie's House of Harlow, young Asian-American jewellery designers like Bliss Lau and Candace Ang, the tongue-in-cheek homeware line from Peter Ibruegger, and even fair- trade and vintage finds.
Zhang, clutching her Maltese mix dog, said all their products embodied an element of inspiration. 'It may be something we can see being worn by a girl whose style we admire, or just the design itself needs to be authentic and unique. Inspiration is a big word for us; it's where our name came from, essentially.
'We have a lot of cool brands coming in, such as Jennifer Zeuner Jewelry, L.A.M.B. and Isabella Fiore bags,' she said. 'I am going back to Amsterdam, Paris and London in September for more designer scouting and vintage shopping for the store, so we are pretty excited about the fall-winter season.'
