In Melbourne, 1891, the Argus Newspaper advertised the grand opening of ‘Lord Coconut’s Emporium of Wonder’ attracting those with an appetite for the intriguing, the mesmerizing and the unique.
In Melbourne, 2011, a store of the same name, Lord Coconut, opened its doors to the public and with it came the same charisma as its namesake.
Lord Coconut, a retail store and gallery quietly tucked away on the fourth floor of Melbourne’s Carlow House, specializes in perfect gifts for the contemporary male.
Offering specialty handcrafted cufflinks, jewellery and artwork, the store grew out of owner Mark Boldiston’s awareness of a distinct lack of options when buying presents for males.
Boldiston explains, “we all constantly complain how hard it is to purchase gifts for men and I knew if I could create a store which was known as ‘the place’ in Melbourne to purchase contemporary jewellery and gifts for men, I would be on a winner.”
‘The place’ definitely exists within male territory – complete with taxidermy, historical wall murals and rustic fitout, Lord Coconut ensures the male shopper is no longer overlooked.
All of the pieces on sale have been handcrafted by local and interstate designers and personally selected by Boldiston.
“My preference has been to work with local Melbourne artisans whose work I would wear myself,” he admits.
One such artist, a.l.i Alexander, will appear in store handcrafting a unique lapel pin during Lord Coconut’s Open Studio event as part of the Craft Cubed Festival on August 20.
Lord Coconut
lordcoconut.com
