There must be something about Australian-designed leather goods that shoppers in the States can’t get enough of. While expanding to the US has long been a dream of many local businesses, we’re now seeing a flurry of local makers open physical retail spaces Stateside. The latest case in point is Sydney-founded Status Anxiety, which is this year celebrating 20 years in business.
The brand, which was founded by Will Sked and Scott Hawkes in 2004, recently opened a sleek retail store in the fashionable Nolita district. Status Anxiety is known for its minimalist approach to design, and its pared back, mostly white New York boutique stays true to this. A sign outside the store says ‘Choose Simplicity’.
The team celebrated the store’s official opening over the weekend, with video posted to Instragram showing a party featuring fresh blooms, colourful drinks and monogramming. A post shared by STATUS ANXIETY. (@status_anxiety) Status Anxiety has two stores in Melbourne, two in Sydney, one in Byron Bay, and one in Auckland, New Zealand.
It also sells its wallets, purses and bags via independent retailers across Australia. With its New York store, it now joins the likes of July luggage and iconic Australian boot brand Blundstone to experiment with running its own retail store in the US. July opened a boutique in New York in late 2023 , while Tasmanian-based Blundstone, which was named one of Time ‘s most influential companies of 2024 , has its own stores in Soho and Williamsburg in New York, and one in Seattle.
Blundstone boots can of course also be found in scores of stockists across the states, while shoppers at luxury retailers Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue and Bloomingdale’s can now also buy a leather bag or accessories from Australian brand MAISON de SABRÉ . SmartCompany has contacted Status Anxiety for more information. Never miss a story: sign up to SmartCompany’s free daily newsletter and find our best stories on LinkedIn .
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