When COVID-19 closed the border between Queensland and New South Wales, Nikkou Store’s owner Tiffany Cooper simultaneously closed the door to her Casuarina boutique for six weeks, shifting much of her business online until things returned to normalcy. Over that period of time the online store experienced an 81-percent boost in sales, many of which were coming from Brisbane-based customers unable to swing through on their southern sojourns. The increase in interest from Queensland clientele got Tiff thinking about expansion, a notion that was pushed into reality by Lauren Lance – a close friend and owner of Gold Coast institution The Borrowed Nursery. Lauren was in the midst of planning a Brisbane addition of her own at Windsor-based retail development Colwill Place and encouraged Tiff to jump onboard too as part of an influx of sought-after coastal retail in Brisbane. Enamoured with the idea of engaging directly with her Brisbane customer base and the prospect of creating something beautiful within a heritage building, Tiff signed on – officially opening Nikkou Store at Colwill Place on Monday October 12. The store boasts a striking modern aesthetic based on a palette of crisp white, timber and pastel orange, accentuating the original pressed-metal ceilings and flashes of exposed brick.

For the uninitiated, Nikkou (Japanese for sunlight) embodies the best bits of the beach – sun, sand and surf – across its range of homewares, accessories and garments. The store’s guiding curatorial ethos centres around female-run and Australian-based businesses, with Tiff seeking out like-minded makers eager to build a close-knit community around slow and sustainable fashion. Pieces from labels such as Outland Denim, Zulu & Zephyr, Sir the Label and Spell, as well as adorable kid-sized garments from Babybird Studio, The Lullaby Club and Ina Swim line the racks, while candles from Black Blaze, facial mists from Ayu, scented oils from Auric Alchemy and incense from This is Incense adorn the shelves. Nikkou Store also stocks accessories and sandals from St. Agni, jewellery from Brie Leon and sunglasses from Velvet Canyon – all perfect finishing touches for summer outfits. Nikkou Store joins the likes of The Borrowed Nursery (and Lauren’s floral offshoot Foliar) as part of Colwill Place’s first wave of retailers. New stock will arrive weekly, so be sure to pop in regularly to browse the beautiful brands Tiff is bringing into the Nikkou fold. Head to the Stumble Guide for contact details and opening hours!