6 minute read
CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES: QUIET LUXURY
QUIET LUXURY
Giftguide catches up with Nina Hearne of Hearth Co who started her retail journey online and is about to open her second brick and mortar store in Sydney’s Eastern suburbs.
When Nina Hearne launched Hearth Co as an online retailer, she soon realised it also needed a physical location for customers to have the instore experience.
“I launched Hearth Co online in 2022 after spending nearly a decade overseas, living in Singapore and New York,” she explains.
“Post-Covid, I realised Hearth Co was more of a ‘touch and feel’ brand, one that demanded an in-person experience. That led me to the adorable row of shops in the heritage Palm Beach post office building, which became the perfect physical space to bring the vision to life.”
Hearth Co is a lifestyle brand that curates luxury handmade items and fine arts with a focus on story, sustainability and style.
“Hearth Co is grounded in the belief that handmade objects carry the energy of their makers. Whether a loomed textile or a work of art, it’s this energy that people are reacting to when they’re drawn to a piece, without them fully understanding why. I wanted to create a brand that honoured that energetic connection.
“My background as a lifestyle editor introduced me to incredible independent brands doing things differently, with greater care for sustainability, supply chain transparency and human impact. Hearth Co would be a platform to curate beautiful products under this banner.”
Carrying a selection of sourced, vintage and handmade items, the curation is focused on products and pieces that are beautiful, made with intention and valuable due to their handcrafted origin and lasting appeal.
“My sourcing began with brands and makers I encountered during my travels. Many craft-led studios, particularly those less focused on distribution, are eager for thoughtful retail exposure, but only when the context aligns with their values. Hearth Co’s aesthetic of ‘quiet luxury’ has helped build those connections.
“While I stay aware of trends in textiles and production, I lean toward timeless design over fashion-driven cycles. The brand is intentionally perennial, resisting disposability and celebrating long-term beauty. Today, I discover many new makers via Instagram and increasingly, they find me. The sourcing process has become more collaborative.”
As a retailer, Hearne loves that moment when someone walks in and truly ‘gets it’—they feel the mood, the intention, the story behind every item.
“I often hear, ‘I’ve never seen a store like this before’ and that’s the ultimate compliment. I try to evoke the same feeling I had walking into iconic New York stores like ABC Carpet & Home or Love Adorned—spaces that spark wonder and curiosity. If we can deliver that for even a moment, we’ve done something special.”
However, it hasn’t been all smooth sailing since launching, especially coming from a corporate background with support teams made the reality of doing everything herself both humbling and instructive.
“Like many solo founders, I wore every hat—negotiating leases, sourcing products, building the brand and even cleaning windows,” she remembers.
“Managing costs has been critical. I mitigated inventory risk by mixing consigned pieces from artists with purchased stock. Importing from Europe and the US has remained a challenge, especially amid a weak Aussie dollar, rising freight costs and shifting tariff regulations, factors that have constrained many Australian independents trying to stand out with global curation.”
Hearne adds that in the early days she would have been more cautious with indent ordering in the fashion category. There’s an industry pressure to conform to traditional wholesale cycles, but she has since learned that many suppliers are open to working flexibly—selling stock on hand and negotiating MOQs. Starting small and building demand before committing heavily is the smarter path, especially in an unpredictable retail climate.
“I’ve learned to manage the emotional highs and lows of small business. Success isn’t linear and attaching your self-worth to daily performance is unsustainable. Staying in creative flow and tuning out the noise often yields the best results.
“I’m also trying to be better at leaning into community and collaboration. Not every value exchange needs to be monetary but you have to think a certain way and be a bit of a hustler to really capitalise on this. I’ve seen and worked for founders who built great momentum through generosity of their time and constant networking—something I’m still growing into as an introvert and a busy mum of three.”
Hearne believes AI will reshape retail on every level—from backend operations to customer experience. Larger players are already using it to personalise content, streamline inventory and manage CRM at scale.
For small businesses, the opportunity lies in efficiency: automating administrative tasks, enhancing marketing workflows and improving inventory forecasting.
“That said, our edge is in the human touch—the tactile, the curated, the soulful. While AI enhances the back end, we’ll keep the front end personal.
“There’s a cultural swing toward fantasy, surrealism and colour—expressed through bold palettes, playful forms and layered maximalism. ‘More is more’ is back and we’ll lean into that with curated textures, prints and statement pieces that create visual drama without chaos.
“Equally, ‘nesting’ remains strong: the desire to craft spaces of comfort and wellbeing. That’s where Hearth Co thrives— offering artisanal, handcrafted pieces that help people slow down their environment," she enthuses.
"We also see growing demand for items with story and soul - ceramic vessels, handwoven textiles and one-of-a-kind decor. These aren’t just trends; they’re signs of a deeper value shift toward conscious consumption.”
As the cost of living continues to bite, Hearne says 2025 will likely remain tough for discretionary retail. High living costs and economic uncertainty are dampening appetite for premium, non-essential purchases.
Consumers are more cautious, with data showing ongoing shifts toward value-based spending and essentials-first budgeting.
“However, there’s still opportunity in resilience. Brands that elevate the instore experience and deliver emotional or lasting value can carve out space. We’re focusing on curating meaning, not just merchandise and avoiding the race to the bottom on price—we don’t participate in the big sales like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Discount fatigue is real and margin erosion isn’t sustainable.
“I’m actually currently working on a business plan for a second location in Sydney’s Eastern suburbs. Palm Beach has proven the concept, but its seasonal rhythms make it tough to scale.
“A store in Woollahra or Double Bay offers the ideal counterbalance: more consistent foot traffic and easier access for a discerning and design-conscious customer base year round. It will allow us to grow the brand while staying true to our original vision. Stay tuned... "
