We’re marking ALPAKA’s 8th anniversary with a milestone announcement – the grand opening of our first flagship store! It’s a testament to our growth over the past eight years, the unwavering support of our community (that’s you!), and our mission to help people move easier through the world.

We’ve come a long way since 2016. That year our founders Jin and Ramiro set themselves an ambitious challenge: create a bag that was equal parts functional and aesthetic, that they’d both use themselves, and that wouldn’t break the bank.

Combining Jin’s “bag nerd” passion (with over 300 bags in his collection), and Ramiro’s love of travel and desire for cool, affordable bags, the result was 7even Messenger. And the start of what would become ALPAKA. 

Eight years on, we’re still fusing form and function in new ways, and shaking up the carry goods industry as they go. 

From day one, it’s the ALPAKA community that’s been the cornerstone of our success. We've been fortunate to build a loyal following that shares our vision, and their feedback and insights have been key to refining and improving our designs.

We’ve had our fair share of speed bumps along the way. But, taking inspiration from the tech startup world, we failed fast and kept moving forward. ALPAKA started with passion and then, with a supportive community helping us, we learned as we went. 

Now, eight years into our journey, we're taking a giant leap forward with the opening of our flagship ALPAKA store. Right here in our hometown of Melbourne, this new space is more than just a retail outlet – it's a physical manifestation of our brand.

The store features a custom fitout designed to showcase our full range of products. But it's more than just a place to shop – we've designed it as a gathering space. We’ll be hosting events, meet-ups, classes, and more. And opening our doors for community members to do the same. 

The official store launch is October 27. We’ll be celebrating with a full day of activities, including free food and drinks, prizes, and in-store exclusive deals. 

We're located at Melbourne's District Docklands Shopping Centre. SW G06, 5 Star Crescent, Docklands VIC 3008

As we look back on the past eight years and forward to this new adventure, we're filled with gratitude for our community and excitement for the future. Here's to many more years of innovation, quality, and moving forward together.