Featured in Farrago Magazine Edition Six 2026

With bags of precious designer clothes on our lap, my friend Lucas and I make the long PTV commute from Derrimut, back on the Sandringham line. He tells me how he met Chris from Fresh Flames. It was a random Saturday morning in Melbourne, so early that cafes were still closed on Flinders Lane. 15-year-old Lucas was the first one to line up for the Fresh Flames pop-up shop on Little Collins, so eager that he turned up before the organisers themselves. When the Younan brothers arrived he volunteered to help set up, and he continues to help them out to this day. My friendship group has since gone to every Fresh Flames pop-up, getting our regular dose of Lucas-approved clothes for very unpretentious prices.

From its inception in 2017, Fresh Flames has been a growing powerhouse of vintage reselling in Melbourne. Known for their pristine selection of football t-shirts and high quality vintage Ralph Lauren, every pop-up amasses large queues reaching all the way to Elizabeth Street. The project was started by the Younan brothers, Chris, Isaac and Dom, selling pieces from their “extensive wardrobe” to friends and family. Since then, they have built a website, started hosting pop-ups in Melbourne’s CBD, and now have a permanent showroom store in Melbourne's West, giving a “breath of life to the Westside” where the brothers were born and raised. The humble project continues to grow with Fresh Flames now dressing AFL and AFLW players off the field, bringing sports fashion culture seen in football to Aussie shores. 

From the curation at both the pop-ups and the show room, it is clear why Fresh Flames continue to pull large crowds of fashionable young people. The brothers have noticed trends that come and go, yet persist in selecting only what is of high quality. Chris references the USA branded pieces that were “all the rage” in 2015-2018, and the current demand for Ralph Lauren. However, the store feels fresh and exciting, and apart from the odd Coach bag that is currently high in demand, every article of clothing feels impartial to the outfits on my Instagram feed. Chris tells me they curate only what is timeless, keeping the clothes they cherish at the forefront of the project. His intentions feel successful as I browse (and buy) at Fresh Flames. Every piece I pick out to buy seems to leave the brothers in anguish that they can’t wear and keep all the clothes themselves. Even when the clothes in question are women’s Dolce and Gabbana bedazzled skinny jeans (note: this is the second time I reference these pants in this edition). There is a real love and appreciation for what is put on the rack, and the result is a clear vision for the aesthetics of the project. 

Reflecting on the rise of Fresh Flames, Chris also references the general pull towards vintage designer pieces in the last decade.

“As designer brands continue to rapidly increase their retail prices as they have a monopoly on their own market, it is only logical for consumers, especially those of a younger demographic, to turn to the second hand market. Vintage designer, and shopping vintage as a whole, is not only significantly more affordable, but the pieces were also made to a higher standard and quality.” 

This shift is clear when looking at the numbers. As reported by Lilian Raji in Forbes, the revenue of luxury brands are going down, while Gen Z is one of the highest splurging generations in luxury goods. The vintage market and authentic resellers such as Fresh Flames are coming out on top. As Chris remarks, “the most ironic point also being that designer fashion houses are digging back into their own archives of now-vintage pieces to remake the same or similar pieces at an extravagantly higher amount than that of the original retail price, and of course, that of similar pieces on the second hand market.” 

The brand's edge over that of the luxury industry is a genuine community that the Younan brothers have created. Fresh Flames has been able to retain high quality pieces for affordable prices due to the friends, family and the growing support around them. Chris calls this the “cornerstone” of the store and its operations, and it is through this tight knit circle of “incredible and hard working friends” that they have been able to maintain pricing at a low while also growing their stock and ventures. 

“Coming from different backgrounds and life experiences, this has benefited the way our store is run as we are all friends first, with the love for each other to take the ideas on board to see the store and our community grow. We feel that this separates us from other vintage stores as everyone who is a part of our team seeks to put our customers and community first.”

The core of the Fresh Flames project is the authentic connection it provides Melbournian fashion heads with. What other space is welcoming 15-year-olds so eager to see nice clothes that they get out of bed before 8am on a Saturday? Or letting a student magazine borrow their archival Issey Miyake for a photoshoot in a sweaty office? Yet, it is these exact spaces that our generation yearns for and needs, and it is here that creativity and hope for better is found.