Architectural design studios, Edition Office and Bankston, are hosting a month-long installation of models, hardware and imagery in our lobby at The StandardX, Melbourne to celebrate the launch of their collaboration ‘Casts’, which elevates architectural hardware to art.
As a space driven by design, we took the opportunity to chat with Edition Office Director Aaron Roberts and Bankston founders Emily and Steve Bradley about the small things that find significance in our lives – the objects, materials and details that turn a room into a place we remember – and what makes them stick with us.
A material or texture that brings back a memory for you?
Emily: “It isn’t a texture, it’s a smell. Cut metal. My parents ran a lighting manufacturing business, and I worked there in the school holidays. I still catch it walking past any industrial site, and it takes me straight back. A family business can feel like a second home.”
Steve: “Adelaide sandstone. I grew up around it, so it registers as home before I’ve properly looked at a building. There’s a weight and age to it that other surface treatments struggle to achieve and used in a modern context it brings a depth and maturity to a building that new materials take decades to realise. Melbourne bluestone does something similar for me. We lived in the city for years, and whenever I come across it somewhere else in the world it takes me straight back to walking those streets.”
Aaron: “I’ve always been fascinated with how materials age with use or weather over time, especially when this becomes imbued into the material. This became apparent during my early days of study in Hobart, where many of the older buildings had stone steps and thresholds that were sandstone, which had been worn down over the years.
The Belgium pavilion by Rotor Collective at the 2010 Venice architecture biennale really drove this home for me. The installation treated material wear not as damage, but as an aesthetic and social record. They displayed salvaged architectural fragments from Belgian public buildings to show how human touch reshapes matter over time”
Something that gets more beautiful with use?
Emily: “Anything that carries the imprint of its use. We had an antique desk with a hinged lid that I did my homework on as a child. It was covered in graffiti carved by other children long before me. I used to sit there inventing who they were.”
Steve: “Cobblestone streets, and old stone stair treads for the same reason. Centuries of feet have worn particular points smooth or created ruts while the edges and joints stay rough, so you get polish and texture sitting together. It’s not something anyone set out to design, it’s just the accumulation of everyone who has walked there, and I find that super interesting.”
Aaron: “Elements that patina with use or weather over time without becoming unusable are quite wonderful. Outside of architecture, I see this in musical instruments, old pianos or guitars where the use can be seen on the frets or the keys, with the tone of the instruments improving over time.”
A space you remember because of a small detail?
Emily: “The Coupole at Galeries Lafayette in Paris. My mother took me there as a child, and I took my own child recently. It all came back.”
Steve: “An unassuming Airbnb we stayed in in Italy this year. Nothing about the apartment announced itself, and then there was an original Perriand chaise longue à réglage continu sitting casually in the corner, well worn and clearly still in use. I think that’s what stayed with me, the fact that it was being lived with rather than presented.”
Aaron: “A stair in the middle of a temple in My Koyasan, Japan, which draws you down into darkness. Once you land at the bottom of the stair and your eyes adjust, a faint glint appears in the middle of the room which originally seems empty, and a slither of light falls from above and lands on a small golden statue. It’s the only detail in the room.”
The best-designed object you’ve touched?
Emily: “An Esa Model 802 lounge chair and ottoman by Werner Langenfeld, made in Denmark in the 1960s. It came to me from my parents. It is still the most comfortable chair I have sat in.”
Steve: “That same chaise. The seat sits on the base without any fixing between them, so you adjust the angle just by sliding it with your hand, and it still feels completely solid while you’re on it. Form and function are resolved in a single detail.”
Aaron: “My friend’s silver 1961 VW Karmann Ghia. Also, all the things you’re not supposed to touch in the Noguchi Museum, NYC.”
Your favourite hotel room detail?
Emily “Well placed hooks. A room can be beautifully done and still leave you with nowhere to hang a towel or a coat within reach of where you need it.”
Steve: “Considered design generally, though handles are predictably what I go to first. Whether they’re ours or another brand doesn’t matter, you can tell straight away when a handle has actually been designed rather than specified as a functional commodity.”
Aaron: “Small threshold moments. Places to put things down, consideration for the weary traveller. Good robes and slippers. Also good lighting, which is very easy to get wrong.”
See CASTS in the lobby at The StandardX Fitzroy until the end of September, 2026.
There are few things Melburnians take more pride in than a steamy, silky — or, as Lachlan Ward predicts, icy — brew. And none who know more about the *magic* of Melbourne coffee than ST. ALi, Australia’s most recognised independent specialty coffee roaster.
Now pouring in Bistro X, ST. ALi has been shaping Melbourne’s coffee culture since 2005. We caught up with their CEO Lachlan to talk about what makes the city’s coffee scene so enduring, where to spend a day drinking your way across Melbourne, and why the future might just be served cold.
Tell us who you are and what you do.
I’m Lachlan, the CEO and one of the partners at ST. ALi Coffee Roasters.
What makes a truly great coffee experience? Is it the beans, the barista, the space or something else?
There’s no one thing that you can pin it down to. But I think what makes coffee special is the human connection, right? You’ve got to start with great coffee (obviously), and then it comes down to the people around it. That’s what has built coffee into what it is today and influenced how it’s consumed globally.
If someone had 24 hours in Melbourne, what’s your must-do coffee itinerary?
You go to breakfast at ST. ALi in South Melbourne and get the full flight of things there. Then I would head into the city and go to Patricia, one of the most iconic Melbourne venues. Bowen and Pip do an incredible job on the people side, too. It’s such a busy venue.
If you’re still in the city, head up and check out Pellegrini’s, one of the earliest spots for coffee in Australia. And if you’ve got caffeine capacity left for somewhere north side, go to Proud Mary. They do some amazing stuff in Collingwood with experimental coffee.
If you’ve only got one day and you’re here for coffee, you gotta keep busy, right?
Melbourne locals are loyal to their cafes. What do you think keeps them coming back behind the coffee itself?
Number one, the coffee’s got to be great. But it’s the human piece for me.
The cafes you go back to are the ones that get it right every time, that remember your name, all those little things. We’re so lucky in Melbourne to be one of the most vibrant and developed coffee cities globally, and there are so many roasters doing an amazing job.
Is there anything brewing at ST. ALi that you can give us a taste of?
The younger generation of coffee drinkers are drinking more and more cold coffees and beverages, so we’re spending a lot of time developing different products and formats that support that change. You’ll see more from us in the next 12 months around that. It’s not going anywhere.
Coffee is constantly evolving, but what’s one trend you’d happily leave behind?
I would leave behind infused coffees. There’s this trend at the moment where coffee is fermented with different fruits or flavours. And I mean, call me a boring old guy, but I just don’t enjoy those coffees. I would, hopefully, never drink one of those again.
So whether you’re sipping early-morning espresso, settling in over brunch at Bistro X or lucky enough to be around for a limited-time coffee cocktail collab – such as our Italo Disco Punch for DiscoMediterranea set On Top last month – consider this your invitation to drink like a local.
Get your fair share of ST. ALi coffees at the Bistro X.
On Friday 31 July, Cellar Door Manager Josh Foy will venture from the rolling vineyards of Yarra Valley’s Helen & Joey Estate to join us at Fitzroy’s Bistro X for a special evening dedicated to wine.
Helen & Joey Estate is the second producer featured in our Monthly Pour series, which celebrates a different winemaker and Victorian wine region each month throughout winter. Across four courses with matched wines, Josh will guide guests through the stories behind each vintage and share the philosophy that underpins the label: an innovative spirit and a “let’s give it a crack” attitude.
Here’s a look at what’s to come.
Tell us who you are and what you do?
I’ve been the Cellar Door Manager at Helen & Joey Estate for the past two years, while also looking after our local wholesale accounts. I have a little over twelve years’ experience in the wine industry, having worked across both the Mornington Peninsula and Yarra Valley running cellar doors, sales and even dabbling in IT.
In three words, how would you capture the spirit of Helen & Joey Estate?
Passionate, expressive and innovative.
What is it about Yarra Valley wines that the rest of the world loves so much?
The Yarra Valley is an incredibly diverse wine region. While it’s now best known for producing exceptional Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, many people forget its history dates to the 1800s, with varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon playing a major role. The valley floor, where Helen & Joey Estate is located, continues to produce consistently outstanding Cabernet alongside an exciting range of emerging varieties.
What I love most about the Yarra Valley is that every vintage tells a story. Each year reflects the climate, the challenges and the successes of the growing season. Even over the past few cooler vintages, you can see subtle but distinct differences across wines from every corner of the valley.
If someone had 24 hours to spend in Yarra Valley, what should be at the top of their list?
We always recommend a visit to Coldstream Dairy for their incredible handmade cheese and unique herbal cheese blends. The Healesville Sanctuary is another must-see, and for those feeling a little more adventurous, either a bike ride along the Warburton Rail Trail or an early morning hot air balloon flight offers an unforgettable way to experience the valley.
You’re joining us later this month at Bistro X for a special collaboration. What are you most looking forward to?
Our chefs and I are incredibly excited to see what your team has paired with our wines. The Wayward range, in particular, takes a more natural, textural approach, so the food pairings can be wonderfully unexpected. I’m also looking forward to introducing wines I’ve grown to love over the years to a new audience. As a small, family-owned winery tucked away in the Yarra Valley, opportunities like this are always something special.
What pairing are you most excited for people to try on the night?
The Wayward Child Pinot Gris has always been one of my favourite food wines. Its texture and complexity make it incredibly versatile, and I’m especially excited to see it paired with the Crab Royale.
Is there anything exciting in the pipeline for Helen & Joey that you can give us a taste of?
Helen is always experimenting alongside our winemaker, Adam. Whether it’s revisiting styles that have fallen out of favour and bringing it back or trying something a little unexpected, like another sweet wine or even a sparkling red (coming soon), our philosophy has always been simple. Instead of saying, “there’s a reason no one does it,” we say, “let’s give it a crack.” So far, that mindset has served us pretty well, and we’ve got some exciting things on the horizon.
Tickets to The Monthly Pour with Helen & Joey Estate are limited.
HIGH TIDE ON WHY PEOPLE HAVE BETTER SEX IN HOTELS.
Modern adult store High Tide landed into The Box at The StandardX, Melbourne earlier this year, bringing more than just beautifully designed objects along for the ride. Known for its thoughtful curation of sexual wellness, self-care and pleasure products, the brand is helping reshape conversations around intimacy through the lens of design, inclusivity and wellbeing.
The collaboration sparked a few overdue conversations around hospitality and intimacy, and why they’ve always belonged in the same room. We caught up with founder Paige Aubort to talk desire, design and why sexual wellness deserves a place alongside every other hospitality essential.
Hotels are designed around human needs. Why do you think intimacy has historically been left out of the conversation?
We live in a society that still feels incredibly uncomfortable talking about intimacy in any kind of open, normalised way. The irony is that intimacy has always been part of hospitality. People have been having sex, desiring, exploring and escaping in hotels since they first began taking in guests. It just hasn’t been openly acknowledged with the same care as sleep, food, lighting, bedding or design. That is what feels interesting now. Todays’ hotels have become very good at thinking about the whole person. How they sleep, eat, move through a space, how they feel when they arrive. Intimacy is part of that. It’s not separate from the human experience.
Why do you think people become more open, connected, or curious when they’re away from home?
We exist in a very busy, very loud world that requires a lot from us. That often sees us following quite strict schedules. To travel is to walk off the beaten path, to come into contact with sights, sounds, tastes and smells that we have not yet formed an opinion on. There is also the anonymity of being in a new city, which is a really sexy part of travel. You are slightly removed from the version of yourself that exists at home. You are not being looked at through the lens of your routine or your responsibilities. That can create a lot of freedom.
As owners of a modern adult store, what do you think people are actually seeking when they walk through your doors?
The people who walk through the doors at High Tide have often taken time out of their day to think about what the best version of themselves might look like. Is it someone who enjoys life more? Someone who seeks pleasure every day, not just when everything on their to-do list is done? And then they start to see that exploration, whether with toys, lubricant, books or conversation, can be one way of moving towards that person.
People are also seeking permission. They want to be in an environment where sex and pleasure are spoken about politely, professionally and casually. There is something very powerful about having someone speak to you about a sex toy with the same calmness and consideration they might use to talk about skincare or a beautiful object.
And lastly, human beings are innately so curious. We designed High Tide so that every item can be picked up, touched and looked at. Nothing is hidden away.
Hospitality and sexual wellness seem like very different industries on the surface – where do you see the overlap?
Both are about how people feel in an environment, and both are about care. As owners of a physical brick and mortar store, we see ourselves as being of service to the people who visit High Tide in the same way that we took care of people who came to our venues to eat and drink. A good hotel, a good restaurant, a good store, they all understand that people remember how they felt. They remember whether they felt considered. They remember whether they felt comfortable enough to ask the question they really wanted to ask.
What role does the environment play in intimacy?
I think people often assume intimacy happens because two people are attracted to each other at the same time. Case closed. But the environment plays such a huge role. When I think about intimacy, I think about light, I think about texture, I think about music. All of these things can act as brakes or accelerators (thank you Emily Nagoski). And I think hotels like The StandardX understand this instinctively. They understand that design is not just about how something looks, but how it makes a person feel in their body. That is why intimacy belongs in the hospitality conversation. It is not just about putting a product in a room. It is about understanding that people are more likely to feel connected, open and present when the environment allows them to feel safe, unhurried and considered.
Why do you think people often reconnect with themselves or their partners when they’re travelling?
Because it creates distance from the parts of life that usually take up so much space. Even just being away from your laundry, your inbox, your kitchen bench covered in things you have not put away yet, can change how available you feel to yourself and to someone else. There is also the excitement of novelty. When you are experiencing something for the first time, you tend to be more present. That is where reconnection starts. In the feeling of having enough space to actually notice yourself again. To notice the person beside you. To remember that pleasure, intimacy and connection are not separate from life. They are part of what makes life feel full.
Turns out the sexiest thing about hospitality might not be the thread count. High Tide’s thoughtfully curated collection of body-safe toys is available in The Box at The StandardX Melbourne, at their design-led store on Rankins Lane, or online.
Q&A: ARTIST MOLLY STEPHENSON ON THINGS THAT LINGER
We spoke with Melbourne/Naarm-based art therapist and artist Molly Stephenson about her lobby installation at The StandardX, Melbourne.
Throughout May, The StandardX, Melbourne will play temporary home to three of Molly’s imaginative and material-led pieces spanning sculptural and oil pastel works, adorned with found objects of significance from the city and beyond.
Ahead of her installation, we discussed how to capture a “hint that something just happened here”, and how we create spaces and experiences that invite people to linger.
Your work feels like it holds onto fragments and materials with a past. What do you find yourself unable to get rid of?
I don’t really get rid of anything. If I see a certain texture or colour or object, I’ll put it in a box or anywhere on the floor, and just know I will use it. I’m really interested in how we define waste. Not waste in terms of rubbish, but waste as something that may or may not hold value. How we use it, how we dispose of it, or how we can give it more weight. So I’m always holding on to things, literally and metaphorically, that I’m drawn to.
You reference hauntology and what lingers. What does this mean to you?
I stumbled upon the term hauntology when I was doing my honours. It’s basically about something resurging or returning, or something that never quite left, like a shadow. I was fascinated by that and how something can linger. Kind of like waste, it’s not something that disappears, it’s just out of sight until it refleshes itself.
Is there something you’ve found recently that you know will end up in a work?
A lot of things, mostly domesticated objects. I recently got hit with all these ideas and I was at home in our garage and I thought ‘great, I’m going to take the doorstop, I love that shape.’ Then I found a suitcase lock and my old medication box. I was collecting all this junk I was purely attracted to texturally or shape wise.
Except, my partner is obviously looking around the house and asking what’s happened to our doorstop.
How do you approach beginning a piece?
Usually from playfulness, being curious, and engaging in sensory exploration. If I find something a bit kooky, I get really excited.
When I’m making work and go into it with a preconceived idea, it’s disastrous. It doesn’t feel right and it doesn’t feel me. Whereas if I’m exploring objects from a sensory place of just play, I make the work I’m most aligned with.
Is there a piece of Melbourne art or culture that has been staying with you recently?
A show I did see recently was at Potter Museum of Art, curated by Chuz Martinez, called A velvet ant, a flower and a bird. I haven’t felt that energised, stimulated and excited by a show in a really long time. It touched on things I’m fascinated by — that intersection of ecology and relationships and art. I highly recommend everyone to see it.
What kind of spaces do your works belong in?
They sort of go anywhere and everywhere, but my works have never felt finished. I like to think of them as lying dormant. I find sometimes they stay in my home forever and then all of a sudden I’ll get this urge to rip it apart, and I’ll bring it back into the studio and think, ‘oh my gosh that’s exactly what it needed.’
You’re showing these works inside a hotel, a place people pass through. Does that change how you think about your work being experienced?
My experience of being in a hotel has been clean and businesslike, but when I walked into The StandardX, Melbourne it was so fun and playful and experimental, so I’m curious to see how my sculpture is perceived and how people interact with it.
My mum always says it’s like an alien. It was the meshing of a candle holder, a terracotta vase and pot stand, a lot of shells and filler and ribbon and sand and a bit of soil from my old garden, so it’s got a very lifelike presence. I’m curious to see if people want to get up close and delve into all these intricacies, or if they want to keep their distance.
Do you have a favourite piece you’ve ever created?
Yes I do, but it was the process that I loved the most. When I was doing my honours in 2020, I made this sculptural installation as my final work. Every day I would be reading theory and taking notes, fully obsessed, deep diving, and then playing around again with found materials from home or from outside.
I made a sculptural installation that was about a space that hints to there being a prior activity. A party just finished, or you sit down and the seat’s warm; you feel there was something that just occurred, and I tried to externalise that sensation in a playful, whimsical, kind of creepy way.
Molly’s pieces will be displayed in the lobby until 2 June 2026 and will be available for purchase.
For five days, The StandardX, Melbourne moved differently.
Melbourne’s biggest race weekend delivered its usual velocity to the city, but inside Fitzroy, a neighbourhood known for its creative edge, late-night energy, and refusal to follow a script, the tempo hit something else entirely.
Rimmel London’s global Thrill Seeker activation, a campaign built around bold self-expression, high-impact beauty, and the idea of chasing intensity over perfection, landed at The StandardX, Melbourne, a design-led hotel that sits somewhere between cultural hub and social playground. Executed by MAXMEDIALAB, a Sydney-based creative agency known for translating global brands into culturally sharp, experience-led campaigns, it didn’t simply arrive. It unfolded.
Sunrise hot air balloons. High-speed laps. Late nights that refused to end quietly. The experience ran on contrast, fast and slow, light and shadow, public moments and private ones. Talent like Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Ruby Adler stepped into a version of Melbourne that didn’t sit still.
Neither did we.
The Cast
Rimmel London has always owned a particular kind of attitude. Raw. Expressive. Thrill Seeker sharpened that into something more physical, less about how beauty looks, more about how it moves through space, through people, through moments.
MAXMEDIALAB translated that instinct into a living program. Part campaign, part ecosystem. Creators, talent, spaces, and timing stitched together with real intent.
The StandardX, Melbourne, known for blurring the line between hotel, event space, and cultural connector, didn’t just host it. We absorbed it.
The Shift
Hotels are usually about pause.
This wasn’t.
At The StandardX, Melbourne, where public and private spaces are intentionally fluid, designed to encourage movement rather than stillness, run sheets mapped the days, but what they actually built was rhythm. Mornings opened slow. Midday stretched. Nights escalated. Then everything reset just enough to do it again.
Spaces stopped behaving like spaces. The lift became a moment. Rooms became studios. The Loft, one of the hotel’s most adaptable, design-forward spaces, became a nucleus. Guests weren’t staying, they were moving through something.
Night One: The Ignition
It started with colour and didn’t let up.
A Rimmel-themed dinner set the tone, not formal, not structured, just energy placed in the right corners. The Loft shifted into a Glam Suite, its flexibility turning a private space into something performative, where getting ready became part of the night itself rather than a prelude to it.
Moments appeared in the margins: a phone to record your secrets, a vending machine that didn’t feel like one, a lift that stopped being functional. Custom Thrill Seeker cocktails and Red Bull mixes kept things moving. Nothing too controlled.
The point wasn’t to introduce. It was to drop you straight in.
The Middle: Finding Pace
By the second night, the edges had softened.
At The StandardX, Melbourne, where the layout naturally encourages crossover between guests, creators, and events, people knew where to go, or didn’t, which worked better. The Glam Suite kept turning. The lift kept carrying. Conversations stretched longer. Exits got later.
By the third, the hotel had become both prelude and after, guests moving between the Podium Club, Rimmel events, and back again, with The StandardX, Melbourne holding everything in the middle.
Installations became habits. Moments became patterns.
The pace didn’t spike. It sustained.
The Crowd
The mix stayed sharp all week.
Global creators. Cultural figures. Familiar names moving through without announcement. Leigh-Anne Pinnock among them, adding presence, not spectacle.
At The StandardX, Melbourne, where anonymity and visibility coexist easily, it was never about who showed up. It was about how they moved through it.
The Final Stretch: No Clean Ending
By the last nights, structure gave way entirely.
The hotel’s spaces, never designed to fully shut down, only to evolve, carried that energy forward. Some stayed out. Some stayed in. Some hovered somewhere in between. The Loft still held. The rooms stayed open. The energy shifted but didn’t disappear.
The final night didn’t close. It softened.
Longer conversations. Slower exits. The kind of comedown that feels completely earned.
What Stayed
This wasn’t about a single night or a headline moment. It was about continuity.
Rimmel London brought the attitude, a global beauty brand rooted in London street culture, known for democratising beauty and pushing individuality. MAXMEDIALAB built the world, layering strategy, talent, and cultural timing into something immersive. The StandardX, Melbourne, a hotel built around experience, design, and cultural exchange rather than traditional hospitality rules, let it breathe.
Somewhere between the schedule and the spaces, the expected version of a hotel stay disappeared, replaced by something looser, faster, and harder to define.
BISTRO X AT The StandardX, Melbourne: FOOD, FLAVOR, AND FITZROY ENERGY
Grounded in classic French technique with a Melbourne edge, Bistro X celebrates simplicity, honest food, and quality ingredients.
The market-fresh menu changes regularly, and the team works closely with local growers, bakers, roasters, and winemakers to keep everything hyper-seasonal. The wine list offers local gems, world-class champagnes, and hidden discoveries. Whether stopping by for steak frites, Tuesday steak nights, or a special occasion, Bistro X delivers a dining experience you’ll return to.
Executive Chef Ben John leads a team of Melbourne hospitality originals, championing hyper-seasonal produce and Victorian ingredients. His career spans Vue de Monde, Iki-jimi, London’s The Ledbury, and Pure South Dining, reflecting both skill and dedication to his craft.
Bistro X isn’t just about dinner. It’s ‘Rose St. Brunch Club’ each weekend partners with St.Ali, Melbourne’s iconic coffee roasters, offering a weekend brunch and beverage menu that blends market energy with Fitzroy’s relaxed charm. Dining, coffee culture, and lifestyle moments converge, making it a true neighborhood hub.
At the center of Fitzroy’s creative scene, The StandardX, Melbourne is where dining meets music, art, design, and fashion. Sip new-wave cocktails, explore the rooftop, or get lost in eclectic beats—the city’s energy collides here.
Q&A with Executive Chef Ben John
What shaped the kind of chef you are today? Culture, discipline, and community. Growing as part of a team and learning from others every day has shaped my approach to food and hospitality.
How would you describe your cooking philosophy? Find great produce, know your farmers, and respect the ingredients.
What was your vision for Bistro X? Something relaxed and approachable—a neighborhood bistro that feels both fun and intimate.
You’ve said, “the mood creates the food.” What does that mean? The environment our team creates, both front of house and back of house, shapes the energy of the food and service. A happy, upbeat team makes happy, upbeat food.
What’s the soundtrack to your kitchen right now? Whoever seems to have the best Discover Weekly playlist. It can get weird and beautiful.
Where do you find inspiration outside the kitchen? Nature and farmers markets—they remind me why I do what I do.
From Tuesday steak nights and weekend brunch and coffee moments with St.Ali, Bistro X is where food, culture, and community converge, perfectly at home in Melbourne’s most dynamic creative neighborhood.
This Saturday, On Top at The StandardX becomes something else entirely.
Not a party. Not quite a workout either. Think rooftop recovery for the chaotic middle — out late, up early.
Saolful, the Melbourne-born platform creating counterculture-led classes for real, messy lives, is bringing After A Big Night Out to the rooftop on February 28. Slow yoga rolls into mat Pilates, followed by cocktails overlooking the same city you danced in hours before.
Ahead of the session, we sat down with Connor Rua — Saolful’s founder and resident rule-breaker — to talk balance (or why it’s misunderstood), clubbing as cardio, and why wellness works better when it’s social.
What even is Saolful, – your version?
We’re an online platform dropping counterculture themed fitness classes, recipes, and rituals for real, messy lives. But simply? It’s wellness for rebels.
You talk about the “chaotic middle.” What lives there?
Majority of people. It’s the space between wanting a six pack & spiritual awakening and not fully committing to either. It’s late nights and early meetings. It’s trying to drops the kids off and joining a zoom call. It’s clubbing on Friday and stretching on Sunday. It’s being ambitious but exhausted. Disciplined but indulgent. The chaotic middle is the people who don’t want to optimise their entire existence they just want to feel good in it. Just real life.
Is Balance overrated?
Overrated? No. Misunderstood? Completely! Personally I feel that balance has never been more misunderstood than now. It’s been hijacked by the optimisation culture of beige data, strict routines, longevity podcasts and living in the safe lane. Balance for us is about blending discipline with indulgence, going clubbing, watching the sunrise and then the same day going for a 2km swim or even do one of our 10min horizontal flow yoga on the sofa.
Why rooftop watch parties and shared experiences rather than traditional classes?
I love traditional classes but being a creative director it’s hard not to look at how things can be reconstructed to become more relatable, engaging, disruptive & elevated. We want wellness so entertaining, you forget it’s on a screen and fitness classes that feels more like beers with mates than workouts. Watch parties is just our take on how we recreate the physical experience but also still have something for those suffering with FOMO or just life shit preventing them from coming.
If Recovery had an anthem what would it be?
give me a reason – bad tuner . Turn it up!
Why should wellness be social?
Because Wellness isn’t measured in reps, percentages or clicks. It’s measured in moments, the small, human ones that remind you you’re still moving and sometimes that does include a double scoop from Messina.
What energy does a space bring to recovery?
A space dictates energy and your energy shapes the recovery. Being able to host the session at the On Top rooftop bar makes you feel limitless. Seeing the cityscape, the sky makes your body feel bigger. I guess recovery isn’t just one thing. It shifts depending on where you are. Sometimes it’s quiet. Sometimes it’s collective. But the right space reminds you that you can reset anywhere.
What’s one wellness habit you refuse to follow?
Red light LED masks. Could be tempted at Halloween though.
What made Saolful feel aligned with The StandardX?
The StandardX has built a welcoming space that allows creative expression and comfort. Naturally there is a real cultural synergy in Saolful’s ‘no rules’ approach to wellness. For us anything goes if it works for you, there is no judgement.
What Does “feeling good” look like in 2026?
In 2026, feeling good looks less like perfection and more like permission. Permission to rest. To indulge. To not optimise everything. Maybe it’s vaping in a yoga class or maybe cooking the crispy fried rice when getting home at 2am. I don’t care what it is as long as it’s yours.
In a city known for its rooftop bar scene, we set the Standard. This summer, The StandardX, Melbourne opens On Top — an elevated oasis where locals and travellers come to soak up the sun, the skyline, and the social energy of the city.
When the sun’s out, nothing beats a rooftop. On Top settles into a neighbourhood rhythm from Thursday evenings through the weekend, stretching from long, sun-soaked afternoons into easy nights, as golden hour unfolds across uninterrupted city views.
Set high above Fitzroy’s creative sprawl, the rooftop leans into warm tones, statement greenery, and sweeping skyline vistas, anchored by a Corten fireplace. A retractable roof and overhead heating keep things comfortable as Melbourne’s moods shift — no matter the forecast.
The drinks set the pace. Cocktails flow with minimal ceremony — Aperol Spritz and yuzu margaritas on tap, alongside a tight edit of signatures like The Last Dance. Stingray Draught keeps it local. For something a little unexpected, a fully stocked vending machine adds a playful twist, offering pre-batched cocktails, standout local wines, and ProSexy cans — our signature prosecco — ready at the push of a button. And when the weather calls for it, a Pidapipo ice cream cart rolls in, because summer should never take itself too seriously.
Food stays unfussy and satisfying. Think wagyu sliders, prawn rolls, fried chicken with hot sauce — snacks made for sharing, grazing, and staying longer than planned. The energy stays relaxed and social. On Top isn’t about being seen — it’s about being there. A rooftop that feels lived-in from the first visit, and one you’ll want to return to.
