New York style lands in Leura Mall

Named after proprietor Lindy DuMoulin’s uncle, the Teddy Sinclair retail space has brought an exciting, more masculine edge to shopping in the upper Mountains. Hailing originally from Sydney, Lindy and husband Paul were house sitting in Leura when they became keenly aware of the very female skew that so many shopping precincts suffer from. Enthused by the affordability of the Blue Mountains’ lifestyle, the couple decided that Leura was the perfect place to launch their flagship store.

Before they started trading, and whilst busy with other projects; Paul is an artist and Lindy, an interior designer, they sought business advice from friends and researched their new venture extensively – including taking a trip to New York for inspiration!

Their dream was to design a shop with an industrial ambiance where men would enjoy browsing and buying practical things designed with them in mind: bags, belts, jewellery, computer and mobile phone accessories, pens, and wallets, to name a few. When the ideal location became vacant on the tightly held Mall, they felt the stars had aligned and moved quickly, to secure and renovate the site.

The result is a stylish yet quirky shopping experience. Though the Teddy Sinclair interior has been designed with manly sensitivities in mind, it’s a space that both men and women will enjoy. With their combined business acumen and creative flair, Linda and Paul source products that appeal to those with an eye for detail and craftsmanship, no matter what your gender!

Speaking with Lindy and Paul, you come away with a sense of awe by their dedication to pursue their dream. They are two super inspiring people and though we know Teddy Sinclair is their main focus right now, we can’t wait to see what they do next. And selfishly, we hope it’ll be Mountains’ based…

Tell us a bit about the set up of Teddy Sinclair ?

The idea for Teddy Sinclair was born when we noticed the differences between men and women as they shop. Men often look bored in gift and accessory shops, which are almost always geared towards women. We realised that if we made the shopping experience more attractive to men, they would visit Teddy Sinclair, then tell their friends about us too. We had our male customers in mind as we renovated the shop and thought that keeping the original brickwork and architecture would give the space a rougher edge. Selecting strong, industrial-type materials and lots of wooden furniture to feature in the shop has added to this sense of function and practicality.

What do you feel sets you apart from other gift shops?

Paul has a collection of not-for-sale artefacts and curiosity items which we display around the shop to enhance our customers interest while they are browsing or buying. We also support local artists by displaying their work in our front window.

What drives your creative direction?

The image of Teddy Sinclair, the old-style explorer, is often our inspiration. We make some decisions by asking ourselves: “would Teddy like that?”

We are always inspired by local or Australian authentic and creative designers. Our Teddy Sinclair designs are produced through a love for the enduring, natural qualities of leather.

What’s next?

Establishing Teddy Sinclair in Leura is still very much our priority. We may open other shops in the future but this one is unique. Our online store is also under construction!

How do you escape from your work?

Travelling out west to unwind in some quiet backwater is our way of escaping. Paul also works in his art studio above the shop and, when the weather is fine, we sit in the delightful Megalong Valley Tea Rooms courtyard to reflect on how beautiful the Blue Mountains are.

WORDS WENDY SAWKINS IMAGES ANN NIDDRIE

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