Sister: A Linen Dress, a Dream, and a Sunny Fitzroy Store

It all started with a black linen apron dress. In 2015, Emma Cutri and Alice McIntosh began selling their one-size-fits-all pinafores to friends on Facebook. What began as a side project soon grew into a cult wardrobe staple for women across Melbourne.

From Facebook to Fitzroy

With the help of a seamstress, a studio in Brunswick, and a small team, Sister evolved into a full label, offering six seasonal collections and a core range of timeless, natural-fibre essentials. After three years of online sales (and two popular pop-ups), the brand opened its first bricks-and-mortar shop in North Fitzroy in 2018.

A Mediterranean-Meets-California Escape

The store interior is soft and romantic—a mix of European summer and Californian beach escape. Think: Arched doorways, Terracotta tiles, Terrazzo details, Marble-slab benches. Current and core collections hang alongside small-batch pieces made from deadstock fabrics, like the standout red-and-blue gingham range. You’ll also find a curated mix of prints, jewellery, ceramics, and scents, all in line with the Sister aesthetic.

A Home in the Scotchmer Street Village

The shop sits on a sunny North Fitzroy corner near Dench Bakers, in the heart of the Scotchmer Street village. Locals pop by for bread, a rotisserie chook from Super Tasty Rooster, or a bottle of natural wine from Blackhearts & Sparrows—and now, a Sister dress, too. The store design was inspired by a stockist trip to Pasadena and Laguna Beach, where Cutri and McIntosh fell for sun-washed streets, Spanish architecture, and independent retail culture. The fit-out will evolve with each collection—but the warmth remains constant.

“Hello, Sister!”

The brand name was born from an inside term of endearment between Cutri, McIntosh, and their friends. Today, it’s printed in cheerful red letters above the door—a casual greeting, a nod to friendship, and a reminder of the label’s humble, heartfelt beginnings.

Like, “Hello, sister!”