RETAIL FIX

ACT

Meet Gather Collect

lanked on two sides by nature reserves, the Canberra suburb of Aranda retains a unique sense of native bushland, despite the fact it’s just 10 minutes from the bustle of the city. It’s a fitting setting for Meet Gather Collect, a retail space that unwaveringly supports Australian creatives. The store’s founders, self-proclaimed “very shy duo” Thea and Pete Bollington, are makers themselves, so they know the importance of representing local artists. The shop stocks Pete’s furniture line, Curious Tales, along with a large range of quirky colourful homewares and gifts by other designers, all hand-selected by the enterprising pair. “I have to love what we sell,” says Thea. “If I don't have that tingly, exciting feeling about a product, then how can I expect our customers to feel the same?” Items like Frankie Gusti soy candle jars (in alluring scents like Cucumber G & T and Mandarin & Mimosa), earthy Arcadia Scott Ceramics and Kimmy Hogan prints are standouts among the careful curation. If you can’t visit the store, the couple