Last month I attended the opening of a new store in Sydney’s Inner West, Baraka HQ. (It’s at 136-138 Georges River Rd, Croydon Park NSW, if you’re ever in the area.)
Run by two of the loveliest people you’re ever likely to meet, Baraka HQ is the culmination of a life’s dream for co-owners Kath Fry and Eisha Saleh.
I first met the pair at a fashion parade where they were showing their latest range at the time. I was there to gather information for an article I was planning to write about them. The venue was a gigantic hall in Lidcombe, the occasion was a Mother’s Day event for the local Lebanese women’s association.
A women-only event, they had a DJ playing fabulous Arabic music, food, dancing and there was some serious revelry going on, let me tell you. Anything you’ve heard about how hard Muslim women can party, when they’re all together with no men watching, is all true!
In amongst all this, the Baraka clothing was stylish, elegant and immensely wearable. Eisha and Kath were warm, welcoming and a lot of fun. I liked them both straight away.
Informed but not limited by their Muslim faith, their designs are both fashion-forward and modest enough to be worn by anyone. A refreshing change from all the flesh on offer elsewhere, many styles I found to be ideal for the kinds of business meetings that I regularly find myself attending.
Not just a place to buy fashion, accessories and gifts, Baraka HQ is a place to hang out, make yourself a cup of tea or coffee in the adjoining coffee lounge, read fashion magazines and peruse the art on the walls. The current exhibition is a series of fabulous prints on canvas by photographer and graphic designer Peter Gould.
There will be 1-2 hour craft workshops available from December, too; I’ve been asked to teach some knitting classes myself—so wish me luck!
Many thanks to Torunn Momtazi for the luscious photos in this post.
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