Curious and Brave

It’s all about fashion, lifestyle, interior décor, homewares, and all things Australian-made. A mindfully curated collection by artisans and designers who create items that make a difference to the world we live in. 

Local Novocastrian, Leanne Ingram’s dream has finally been brought to life…..and her little Georgetown space is open and ready for business.

The idea had been there for 30 years, but it wasn’t until a family holiday in January this year that her combined idea hopped, skipped and jumped into reality.

Her endearing, one-of-a-kind boutique is located on the main road that runs through Georgetown and welcomes you with an appealing arrangement of flowers, pots, baskets and homewares out the front that immediately lures you inside.

“It's my space, it's my shed.” 

Each brand has their own story and for some, you can’t get them anywhere else in Newcastle. All brands in store are handmade within Australia.

“It’s a lifestyle, and it really reflects the customers I get. The style isn’t designed by age, it's more about quality and original pieces of work.” 

Mother of three, ‘Curious and Brave’ is her pride and joy, her passion. Leanne explained that her combined idea was truly a reflection of who she is.

So why ‘Curious and Brave?’

A few years ago, a group of girlfriends and I decided we had to tick off 50 things we’d always wanted to do before 50. It could be absolutely be anything…even something like if you usually turn left, go right! And this was always on my list, so it was a bit of a light bulb moment. So I guess if you're curious, you don’t know where it's going to take you so you have to be brave enough to take that risk, to take that jump. But I think it also reflects a lot of the labels as well. I take a risk on some of these new up and coming labels and everyone has their own story to tell.

So why Georgetown?

I’m a local Newcastle girl. Like all of us, we leave and come back. But I just love the demographic here, it’s really changing. When I first opened up it was like I just moved house into the neighbourhood. Everyone came in and said, “Welcome to Georgetown, I hope you do well!!” The people are so lovely and the locals do really support me.

“It’s not just about retail, it was never going to be just about retail” Leanne told us. 

Dynamic and versatile, Leanne hopes to open her space up for both workshops and events as well. She says it’s more about lifestyle then anything else. The clothing industry has a notorious reputation for excessive waste and Leanne won’t be a part of that. By hosting these events, she wants to make fashion more circular by encouraging shoppers to be mindful with what they buy. Mending skills workshops, meet the designers, recycle your own wardrobe and life-drawing classes are all on the table as of late September.

It’s not just a shop. Leanne wants her space to build the community. Since opening up, she says the people she has meet are just incredible. The customers inspire her. Soon, Leanne hopes to name a ‘curious and brave’ lady of the month- it could be a customer, a designer or someone that has just truly inspired her.

Her ideologies continued to emerge as we wandered around her space together. Keeping at the notion of being brave, she wants to initiate a community awareness program around mental health. Allowing the community to participate in designing different socks to promote awareness around real world issues within our local community has always appealed to her. 

The labels found in store are new to Newcastle she sources designers who produce ethical/sustainable pieces. Some brand collaborations stem around mindful buying and encouraging customers to think about who made what is in their closet. Non-toxic denim to prevent rivers turning blue from the dye and vegan vegetable tan leather products are all found within her store.

Once all settled in, Leanne hopes to drop her own label so she too, can tell her own story through clothes.