Laden with textural appeal and rich materiality, the interiors for the new Henne store in Melbourne take on a somewhat residential tone. Two separate street-front spaces house unique elevated experiences, with ‘Her Space’ set within the east-facing site and serving as an open-to-the-public store showcasing Henne’s latest capsule collections, while ‘The Atelier’ acts as a location for events, workshops, tailoring, and consultations; a means to showcase the behind the scenes goings-on.
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Interior designer and recent Emerging Interior Design Practice award winner Brahman Perera was enlisted to coalesce the spaces and make them feel like a cohesive unit. Founded in 2020, Henne has grown a strong social media following, with the dual spaces in Prahran, Melbourne representing the Australian fashion brand’s first brick-and-mortar store. Despite the brand’s online origins, the impetus behind the space was to provide a tangible foundation for Henne’s dedicated customer base, separate from that of its online activities.
“The interior is warmly layered with texture and detail at every touchpoint, creating a multi-sensory experience that makes visitors feel present in their physical explorations,” interior designer Brahman Perera told Albert Review. “Henne is a warm invitation to visitors; a space that feels grounded in its physical community, rather than, paradoxically, to the internet.”
“Henne means ‘Her’ in Swedish,” Perera explained. “The brand’s ethos of wardrobe staples and neutral colour palette was integral to the interiors of the store, and careful attention was paid to the colour palette and tones to ensure it reflected the brand’s Nordic inspiration – earthy, neutral, and clean, with a hint of surprise.”
Her Space sees Henne’s latest capsule collections set amongst artwork, literature, and plant life. Plinths and racks were deliberately selected over more traditional clothing and accessory presentation methods for their ability to lend a sense of intimacy to the space. Perera proposes a new kind of neutral for the space, with earthy tones of tan, beige, caramel, and timber proving to be an apt choice for the primarily achromatic brand.
The rich caramel tones are offset by billowy drapery in hues of cream and sand, while veined marble framed mirrors add visual interest. Beyond, a striking periwinkle blue staircase inspired by blue skies leads visitors to a dressing room shrouded in woven seagrass, a nod to Henne’s Nordic influences.
Operating by appointment, The Atelier embraces a warm residential feel. Perera adorns floors and plinth seats with hand-woven Kilim rugs, complemented by grained, white-washed walls designed for fit-and-shoot styling. Throughout both spaces, artistic pursuits by local makers and artists offer site-specific inflections. Wire chairs by Bootleg Studio sit in harmony with plastered tables and charred stools by Bieemele, while the tulip-shaped form of a plastered pendant, created by Perera himself acts as a central anchor.
“Henne’s two spaces come together through synergies in tone and form,” says Perera, “activating the complex landscape of digital retail, social media, and the tangible store experience, in its rich community surrounding.”
Words by T. Angel
