Merlin and Amanda Cunliffe visit Kiitos Living by Desing

Last Sunday we had some very special visitors at Kiitos Living by Design, Barwon Heads.
The Honourable Merlin Cunliffe and his wife Amanda, where brought to Kiitos by their dear friends and former business partners, John and Vicky Harris. For those who don't know, Merlin was the owner /founder of legendary Melbourne, stores Thesaurus.
Thesaurus was an avante garde  mini chain of three outlets, in Malvern ,Carlton and Toorak, in the mid 1960's and 70's and were described as the most forward looking shops of their time.
Thesurus did not seek to cater for all tastes. Merlin who is now revered as a  Melbourne retail /design icon, and has been described as being instrumental in changing the culture of retailing in Australia, chose stock for his stores according to one taste only- his. His take was if you want one thing in the shop you are almost certain to want everything else.
We are no longer surprised when customers of a "certain age" come to Kiitos and rave about Thesaurus and Marimekko. Merlin and his Thesaurus stores sold marimekko clothing and fabric to a whole generation of proud new homeowners in the 60's and 70's and it is always nice to hear these ladies reminisce about their Unikko curtains or the moo moo dress made with Marimekko fabric brought from a Thesaurus Store.
Prior to Sunday our knowledge of  Merlin Cunliffe and Thesaurus, was quite limited.
Merlin has been kind enough to send me two original vintage Thesaursus posters which were part of Thesaurus marketing and we are going to have them framed and displayed at Kiitos, so thank you Merlin we are so honoured.
This blog is to be continued,these few sentences in no way do justice to Merlin Cunliffe, and his contribution to Melbourne retail and design.