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| Stay True online |
The Lounge Feature |
Words by: Gareth Rees
A very rock ‘n roll inspired online store focussing on servicing the Australasian region with unique gear has officially opened for business. Run by Andy Carr, formerly of surf DVD distribution company Steelehouse, Stay True Online is currently stocked with some hip independent Californian brands that aren’t readily available here, with hopes to eventually bring in many more artfully obscure labels that fit the rock/action genre from around the globe. An extension of Carr’s new distribution, product marketing & development company of the same name, Stay True Online (STO) will make sure the public also have direct access to individual lines and brands they’d normally have to hunt down and pay fat cash to import from overseas sites – where they aren’t usually able to make purchases with their Aussie or NZ credit card anyway. Andy saw the potential for STO during his many trips between Steelehouse’s American and Australian HQ’s, so he set about securing deals with labels that caught his eye with their pure rockin’ ethos.
“Stay True Online is a retail outlet for me to sell the brands I have the rights too, but I’ll also be stocking other clothing, footwear and accessory labels that I’ve been granted exclusivity online in the southern hemisphere,” says Andy. Expect to see magazines and ‘zines, band merch, cd’s, photos and art as the site bulks up, but in the meantime STO has loads of killer shoes and threads.
“At the moment I am working with Rockett Clothing and my own label Evening Clothing, and also stock Atticus Clothing and Macbeth Footwear, with more coming,” says Andy. Apart from being the exclusive online retailer for these labels, STO will offer bigger ranges than regular stores too. STO aims to keep their products rare and their customers happy. “STO is the only place you can get every pair of Macbeth shoes in all colours in any size physically available. No other store in Australia offers this service. STO also has older stock from Macbeth that you may not have seen in stores for a while.”
Investing major time and financial stability to get STO up and running, Andy is hoping his gamble pays off, but is satisfied he’s at least doing business by ‘staying true’ to his own ideals. “STO is inspired by our love of Rock ‘n Roll, and our focus is more about our customers, brands and image rather than profit and money. We are our own customers; we go to the same shows, listen to the same music and read the same magazines. We’ll be attempting to give customers what they want, not tell them how they want it.”
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