Delicious food with a sprinkling of style was the recipe for success for Finnish-born Irene Kollanus, the owner of Prospect’s popular fashion-meets-food Mekko Market & Cafe.
Seeing a gap in the sustainable fashion market after relocating to Adelaide more than a decade ago, Irene knew the rent-a-rack concept, which launched in Finland in the ’80s, would work here.
“Textile waste has become one of the largest contributors to Australia’s waste problem,” Irene says. “I’m one of those people who love fashion and I had so many good quality clothes that no longer fit me, but I didn’t want to just give them away for free.”
Irene trialled her rent-a-rack idea in the thriving food and fashion precinct of Prospect and, to this today, still enjoys seeing the surprise on her customers’ faces.
“Many come for brunch not realising there is a market attached to the café, and they end up staying to shop after their meal,” she says.
While Mekko Market & Café’s food and drink offerings (think cauliflower with yoghurt and feta whip and cheeky Scandinavian cocktails) draws people in affordable designer brands at a fraction of the retail cost make them stay long after the last bite.
Some of the designer brands found at Mekko (meaning ‘dress’ in Finnish) include Aje, Camilla, P.E Nati on, Shona Joy, Zimmermann and Gorman, just to name a few. There’s also a selection of men’s clothing making its way onto the racks, with brands including Ralph Lauren and R.M.Williams.
“The clothes often sell at an average price between $10 and $40, which is why our market is so busy,” Irene says.
For brand new items, lucky shoppers can often score a phenomenal 70 percent off the original price. Using a specialised app from Finland, stallholders can update their prices and sales in real-time.
“[The app] is made purely for rent-a-rack markets,” Irene explains. “Stallholders can use the app to create their barcoded price tags and they can also follow their sales online in real-time, so they know exactly when it’s time to refill.” What’s more, an integrated map of the market allows stallholders to choose the exact location of the rack they wish to rent. Mekko also has a sister store, Monday Market, located in Norwood.
Mekko Market & Café
89 Prospect Road, Prospect
08 8344 8382
mekkomarket.com.au
@mekkomarket_adelaide
South Australian Style Magazine 