VINTAGE FLAIR NOW IN STORE
WHEN a prime retail space on Palmerin St was suddenly up for grabs, Warwick business owner Lisa Durand knew it was the opportunity she’d been waiting for to bring her online store into the community.
Ms Durand was inspired to launch The Kewpie Cupboard a decade ago while travelling across Brisbane and Southeast Queensland to car shows and events, which was the easiest way to track down her favourite rockabilly and vintage fashion.
She said it suddenly clicked for her that instead of buying the clothing from other people, she could start her own online business and deliver it to customers from all over the state.
“Rockabilly can mean all sorts of things, it isn’t just 1950s stuff. It can be goth, or cowboy, or anything like that – it all just merges together,” Ms Durand said.
“When you go to those kinds of festivals, which are usually in Brisbane and up and down the coast, people are wearing all sorts of stuff and not following the trends.
“It’s about being true to yourself. Don’t be afraid that someone else is going to point at you or say what you’re wearing is weird – embrace the weird.”
Ms Durand already boasts a 22,000-strong Facebook following and booming online customer base, but said she always struggled to tap into the Warwick market.
She said increasing diversity with an influx of newcomers to the community during Covid and a growing demand for more eccentric and size-inclusive clothing gave her the confidence to start looking for a brick-and-mortar retail spot in town.
When the Palmerin St space formerly occupied by Stephanie’s Lingerie hit the market earlier this year, she knew it was too good an opportunity to refuse.
“It was so good that I ended up scoring that shop, it’s just fantastic. I just had to take the plunge and follow my dreams, because I knew if I didn’t do it now then I never would,” Ms Durand said.