To kick off our store features we chatted with the talented Fleur Yorston, owner of the gorgeous Island Collective located in Yamba, and one of the first supporters of Kollab! 

Fleur Yorston has run her lifestyle store, Island Collective in beautiful Yamba, Northern NSW for 11 years. Browsing inside, you can find a gorgeous curation of some of Australia top interior decor brands with a sprinkle of a few fashion labels.

But that’s not all! Yamba is a popular tourist destination and Fleur, through Island Collective, also offers interior styling services to clients who have their homes or holiday houses in the area.

Fleur, who has a Masters in Fine Art from RMIT University in Melbourne, has a studio onsite where she paints, and also produce sculptural works for exhibitions and for sale in the shop.

“I'm extremely grateful to be able to combine all of my above passions in one place. No two days are ever the same.”

Fleur started Island Collective in 2013, after finding it difficult to find beautiful homewares, art, and furniture in Yamba. She found herself having to travel to Byron Bay or further, and this simply wouldn’t do. “It was also the time when my children started primary school, so needed to be more flexible with my hours. My partner is a tradie and works long hours so one of us needed to be the drop off and pick up taxi!”

Fleur’s family moved to Yamba 13 years ago from Dunedin in the bottom of NZ’s South Island, chasing the warmer weather which would allow them to have more time outside with their young family at the time. Yamba was the perfect place to lay down their roots. A well-known tourist destination with many beautiful beaches to choose from, no matter which way the wind is blowing, you can find a calm place to swim or picnic, making it a great place to stock Kollab products! “Yamba also famous for its prawns...people travel far and wide to have a feast on them. There really is nowhere else I would live in Australia, the small supportive community and laid-back lifestyle keep people from ever leaving.”

Kollab and Island Collective are the perfect pair when it comes to purchasing functional products making getting outside and enjoying the scenery easy, breezy, and beautiful! “I can’t believe it’s almost 10 years since I made my first Kollab order, and my love for the brand has grown stronger every year.” We asked Fleur what her favourite Kollab products are and why.

“My favourite products are the lunchboxes and clutches. I still have lunchboxes that my kids had in primary school and are now in Secondary school, which are still used. Since stocking Kollab, I have always used a clutch to hold my wallet and have a matching tote, which carries all my paperwork etc. I use these every day, and my lunchbox!”

Being so artistic and having owned Island Collective for 13 years, we wanted to know how Fleur keeps those creative juices flowing. “To keep inspired and have a break from our small coastal town, I love getting a city fix and even better if I can go abroad for inspiration.”

Fleur’s talent for the aesthetic is clear as soon as you stroll past the beautiful store.

“Because I have a fine art background, my shop merchandising is never cookie cutter. I'm always looking for different ways of displaying and especially encouraging clients to physically get involved with the displays and products. This comes from my training at art school, where I did a lot of 3 dimensional sculptural installations.”

All of these factors combine to make Island Collective a leading retailer in the area and Kollab is incredibly garetful to have had their support for almost a decade!

So if you're looking for an excuse for a seaside getaway with some retail therapy and endless inspiration thrown in, add Yamba and Island Collective to your must-visit destination list!

To find out more about this beautiful store and it's talented owner visit the Island Collective website below.