Misfit Shapes’ New Bondi Bedrock

Bondi Beach’s Campbell Parade is a a revolving door of souvenir stores, poorly considered ventures, and everlasting fast-food conglomerates. Thankfully, once you step a street back onto Gould, you’re presented with a less overt retail offering. 

Last weekend, Gould St welcomed a non-standardised retail space along it’s semi-secluded strip.

Misfit.

What was once a Globe store brimming with fittings and innumerable stock has shifted to a minimalist culmination of apparel, boards, mags, and hardware. Not exactly a board store, and not exactly an excessive apparel affair. Misfit’s created a clean cut storefront in the heart of Sydney’s beaches that make buying clothes, or a new stick, less of an anxious ordeal. 

“There is nothing cryptic behind it,” Chris Chong, Misfit’s brand director said about the store, “we just wanted to create a space that was pleasant to be in, and that allowed our products and art to be showcased in the most unadulterated form.”

Photography

Kane Grosvenor

The Misfit brand’s appearance is eponymous; the only agenda they’ve set is that their isn’t one.

A collection of idiosyncratic minds crafting what they consider to be worthwhile at the time; whether that be boards at the hands of their Mona Vale shaper Dave Howell or an apparel collection designed by one of the individuals involved in the brand itself. They have a small range of surfers on their team such as Otis Carey, Asher Wales, and Jake and Jaleesa Vincent.

Retail spaces have been on the downturn for a number of years, and competing with the ease of online browsing is futile. But smaller scale and minimally fitted settings such as Misfit’s provide a curated environment the online world never could. 

Three racks splashed with tees, button-downs, and trunks. Four benches garnished with pants, caps, accessories and fins. All sitting spaciously amongst the board splattered walls.

“Our past couple of retail fit outs have been of the same vein, and we like them, and the overriding response from those that step foot in is the same.” Chongy continued.

Venture up that little staircase to find yours truly sitting solemnly behind the Stab hot desk.

Photography

Kane Grosvenor

The boards in stock range from Misfit’s hi-fidelity craft such as the ‘Proform’, to the more Sydney appropriate twin-fins and ‘Dope Machines’, and if you’re truly feeling a throwback there’s even a 6’9″ single dangling next to one of @rad_dan_’s installations waiting to be waxed.  

Oh, and don’t fret if you’re concerned about Globe’s departure. The Misfit store still stocks all their previous skateboards, trucks, and whatever else you require to roll from A to B. 

The store might look like more of an amalgamation of fashion and art than any ‘surf’ store you’ve seen, but despite it’s sparse appearance there’s everything required to get you out front for a mid-summer night’s shred. 

Pop your head in, pick up a book, throw on some trunks, and pull a board off it’s hook – they’re there to be ridden. 

Photosynthesis 75 Gould. 

Photography

Kane Grosvenor