Australia's coolest & quirkiest boutique. Read on...

Shannon Fox aka Foxy aka (previously) a radio presenter, DJ and music writer. With all that fun life experience in her bones it's no wonder she has created one of the coolest boutiques in Western Australia! The store is a culmination of her two loves - music and style and houses an eclectically cool selection of Australian & Kiwi labels. We took 5 and caught up with her over some emails... Read on & get inspired x

Hey Shannon, thanks for taking 5 to tell us a little bit more about your ‘eclectic-ly cool’ store in WA. Can you tell us what inspired you to start your own business?

I actually opened the store on a whim! I had moved to the country and was missing my fave boutiques, so I decided to bring the styles / labels I loved to me. A cute space opened up and I jumped on it, and within a month I was up and running.

When did you first open the doors?

The Albany store opened on the 45^th anniversary of the release of Jimi Hendrix’ album Electric Ladyland, in October 2013 - I took that as a good sign, given I had named the store after that LP.

For our international readers, can you tell us exactly where Eclectic Ladyland is & why you chose this slice of paradise to launch your business?

The physical store is located on the south coast of Western Australia in a town called Albany, about five hours from Perth. It’s such a dramatic coastline down here, with pristine, empty beaches everywhere. Albany smells like peppermint trees and is full of friendly wildlife. I moved here from the city because I thought it would be romantic to live by the seaside! That said, after five years living here, I’ll be saying goodbye to my slice of paradise soon and returning to Fremantle to grow the business online.

What is your favourite part of running your own business?

I love being my own boss – taking creative control and only having to answer to myself. The success of the store relies heavily on how much effort I am willing to put in, but I love rising to that challenge.

Awesome, did you grow up in WA?

I grew up in the hills of Perth, so I was a bush baby until I left home and headed straight to the coast! Growing up in the most isolated city in the world really fosters creativity. There’s a thriving music and arts scene, and fashion too.

What’s your favourite thing to do in your neck of the woods?

I don’t get a lot of free time, but I love having a long breakfast at my local café and exploring nearby beaches. I also have a huge beautiful hibiscus tree in my backyard, so there’s nothing I like more than sitting in the hammock under it with a good book and the cat.

How about your favorite local beach?

It’s hard to choose just one, but Little Beach is like a postcard come to life! It’s in a National Park, so it’s surrounded by bush and big granite boulders, and the water is bright turquoise. The sand is white and squeaky. It’s heavenly.

If we came to visit you for 7 days....with a van and a tent, where would you send us? 

Obviously Little Beach, other beaches I love are Gull Rock, Mutton Bird Island, and in nearby Denmark, Greens Pool (another postcard location). The old whaling station is really interesting and a bit eerie, and there are some amazing natural rock formations on the way like The Gap and the Natural Bridge. My fave is Dog Rock, which is a rock that looks vaguely like a dogs head, so someone painted a collar on it and now it’s an attraction hahaha! There are some great places to eat in both Albany and Denmark, and our nightlife is (in)famous. We have the worst nightclub in Australia (according to some poll apparently) but that’s part of its charm. There’s no pretence here.

Where abouts is your top place that you have travelled to in Australia?

I will always go back to Melbourne. It has stolen so many of my friends! I love the NGV, the record stores, and all the vintage stores. Not to mention all the great bands.

How about in the World?!

I just adore New Zealand. Every time I touch down I just feel full to the brim with happiness! It’s such an amazing place, it’s like the scenery of the entire world is in one place. The food is amazing, the people are friendly, the cities are super cool, and the countryside is jaw dropping. 

And finally, What is your favorite quote or piece of advice that you have received. Go.

“You’re still going to get criticized, so you might as well do whatever the fuck you want” Kathleen Hanna, Riot Grrl pioneer and feminist icon.

At one point when I had two stores, plus the website, and lots of staff, I had to look at myself and go, who are you trying to impress? It was a stressful time! So I created a dream board, and I realized all I want from life is love, music, friends / family, and travel. And now it informs all my decisions. I want to do (and wear) whatever the fuck I want!

Thanks for chatting Shannon, hopefully we will be visiting WA soon (with our van of course!) and pop in for a bit of shopping. Keep up the amazing work x

P.S. Shannon stocks a selection of our tropical Las Palmas collection in her beautiful boutique, be sure to pop in & try on your favourite piece if you're on your way to Albany! Want to hear about another legend making waves in WA? Head over and read up on Girl boss Jess from Ete Swimwear. Or jump over HERE and drool over which smoothie bowl you'd like to make tomorrow!