Ginny and Jude's Two Shoes: April 2012

Ginny & Jude's lovely pieces are scattered all around Australia in a select few boutiques who support local designers, and so we thought it was about time we shone the spotlight on them.

First up we have a relative newcomer to the Ginny & Jude family - Always in Warrnambool on Victoria's surf coast.
There are many things to love about this gorgeous store run by Erin Grigg - for one it's located on Fairy Street, which is a lovely name for a street - and most importantly it stocks a plethora of awesome Australian brands: Secret Squirrel, Bhalo, Stone and Honey, Brkich, OkOk to name a few.
And now Always also stock a comprehensive selection of headpieces from Ginny & Jude!

And so, we asked Erin to introduce us to herself and let us peek into her wonderful shop...

Tell us a little about yourself and your shop Always?
Always is found in Warrnambool, three hours from Melbourne, or a little longer if you follow the Great Ocean Road.
The store focuses on Australian made, hand crafted and ethically made garments and goods. Our aim is to stock a wide range of independent fashion and design from Australia and overseas.

What inspired you to open your own store?
I studied fashion design at the Gordon in Geelong and after finishing my course I looked for work in the industry but found the list of available jobs a little disheartening. I’m very much a hands on person and like being involved in the whole design and production process and the jobs available weren’t at all inspiring. I think the whole ‘fashion’ thing scared the crap out of me too!

So, I applied for a job at a fabric store in Fitzroy thinking I would spend some time interning one day a week, but then became more interested with making my own clothes (something I didn’t have time for while studying) and started my own small clothing label.

I had been there almost two years but then the surf started calling my partner back to Warrnambool, so we decided to make the move back, with the plan of opening a little clothing shop. I’ve always felt I would be my own boss, its in the family I guess.

What labels can we find stocked at Always?
We believe in buying local and supporting independent design and business and want to promote that in our community. We love all the labels and designers that we carry in the store and want to help them grow and evolve as businesses.

We are carrying some really beautiful pieces at the moment from Secret Squirrel, Gillian Tennant, Juicy Bear, Bhalo, Brkich and bags from Baggu.

We are looking forward to some new additions to the store over the next couple of weeks including knitwear from Good night, Day, hosiery from OKOK, jewellery from Stone and Honey and your amazing head pieces!

Who or what do you look to for style inspiration?
I don’t think look at anyone for style inspiration but I do hang out for the new Steven Alan, Paul Smith, Karen Walker and Organic by John Patrick collections. I guess I love tailored and simple cuts, interesting colours or with a great print. Good quality fabrics are what inspire me.

City vs Country?
Hardest question! I miss Melbourne so much but life is so relaxed in the country. I miss Melbourne’s food and pubs, shops and museums. When I’m not here I miss my family and being near the ocean and Melbourne’s bay is not anywhere the same. The country is a great place to live during the week and the city is the best place to be on the weekend! So I can’t decide… I’m spilt right down the middle.

Top 5 things to do in Warrnambool?
There are lots of touristy things to do in Warrnambool but I’ll avoid those…
I could dedicate all five to eating and drinking but instead you must…

1.   Go swimming at Childers Cove. It’s just outside of Warrnambool and up the Great Ocean Road a little. It’s amazing! There’s a couple of small coves surrounded by cliffs, the water is a nice shade of blue/green and the waves are small. On a hot day the place is almost empty. Perfect for a relaxing swim.

2.   Do an op-shop and vintage store crawl. There's The Mill at the old Fletcher Jones Factory, Ozone Bazzar, Long Gone and Totally Barking Vintage, plus the op shops.

3.   Walk the entire foreshore promenade from the breakwater to the river mouth. It’s a bit touristy but its lovely. Dusk is the best time, a mob of Wallabies hang out in the sand dunes.

4.   Eat homemade gnocchi gorgonzola with sour dough and aioli at my favourite restaurant Nonna Casalinga.

5.   You can’t go to Warrnambool without having a drink at The Warrnambool Hotel… It’s the only place in town where the Guinness is good and the wine pour is big.

Favourite never fail recipe?
I’m a rotten cook, really, I never have time. But I do love the smitten kitchen blog and try to follow the recipes.