It's more fun in the Philippines
Win a fabulous four night vacation in Bali!
HomeDestinationsEat & DrinkHotels & SpasBooksFlyingCruisingShoppingInsider TipsGolf
 


a passion for fashion
Published in the April-June 2010 issue.

When it comes to fashion, there’s no better place in Australia than Melbourne, where back alleys and side-streets offer the best of designer duds, finds Katie Smith.


Walking around Melbourne’s city centre, it’s easy to overlook the secret life going on all around you. After all, what stranger to the city is going to wander down a narrow alley, the walls of which have been rendered psychedelic with graffiti? Certainly not anyone with any sense, you might think – until you realise that this graffiti has been considered for heritage listing. Alleys such as these, moreover, hide some of Melbourne’s most lauded cafés – and a whole alternative world of shopping that puts Melbourne at the forefront of the Australian style scene.

In a world that seems increasingly filled with huge malls crammed with made-in-China goods, meandering down Melbourne’s alleyways is a refreshing retail experience. Choose the right one and you may find something truly quirky and unusual. Shops here have more character, fun and eccentricity than you’ll find in any mall. One minute, you’ll feel as though you’ve stepped back in time to the heyday of the hippies; the next, you’ve catapulted forward into fashion boutiques that look as though they’re sets for some futuristic movie. And honestly, who could resist wandering into shops with names as alluring as Shag, Blonde Venus and Smitten Kitten – if only to see what they might have to offer?



Melbourne’s best fashion alleys and arcades can be found within a few compact blocks, bordered by Swanston and Elizabeth, Bourke and Flinders streets right in the city centre. Here, you’ll find all kinds of hidden shops featuring everything from eccentric fashions to homemade confectionery, underground magazines to alternative music. It’s fashion boutiques, though, that are the area’s standouts, offering style options from chic to shabby, retro to nouveau. Neon-lit Marais is a picture in purple, showcasing whimsical pieces from Vera Wang and Balenciaga in what was once a Turkish bathhouse. In contrast, entering Shag is like stumbling into a drag queen’s cluttered dressing room: expect fabulous retro clothing and eclectic décor – bird cages and even a mounted stag’s head. And speaking of retro, if you have a hankering for bellbottoms or a Pan Am flight attendant’s bag from the 1950s, Retrostar Vintage is your shop: it stocks practically every former fashion you care to remember (or would rather forget).

Variety is not confined to the merchandise for sale but extends to the shop spaces themselves. At Bobby’s Cuts, clothes are folded in what was once the deli cabinet of this former butchery; T-shirts sit in meat trays and knives still hang on the walls. Nearby, Block and Royal arcades – stately Victorian-era wonders with high ceilings, elegant shop signs and stained-glass windows that throw slabs of red and blue light across mosaic floors – contain much more than Victorian tearooms and old ladies’ hat shops. In Cathedral Arcade, Genki not only has its own clothing range but also features cult labels and collectibles from Japan.

All of this makes these alleys a collective showcase for the talents and imagination of young Melburnian designers. In Flinders Lane, Christine Barro’s boutique takes accessorising to a whole new level. If you don’t know what a Sonia Rykiel bag is, this is the place to find out. You can also pick up brooches, belts, scarves and hats here. The boys, meanwhile, will want to check out Betty & Ford for cufflinks and the latest in hand-sewn silk ties and shirts.



Albert Coates Lane is another treasure trove of home-grown talent, with a smattering of international designers. Cactus Jam’s QV Mens store houses dozens of street-fashion labels, some of which have become iconic to those in the know: Diesel Style Lab, Tsubi and Von Dutch, to name a few. Many of the designs you’ll find here have a touch of irony; some are positively retro. Certainly, old-fashioned school running shoes seem to be making a fashion comeback. Another interesting shop is Aesop, renowned for the natural ingredients and pared-down packaging of its beauty products: here, you can buy creams in what look like paint tubes.

If you’re not into fashion, fear not: there is plenty to entice you in Melbourne’s alleyway outlets. In Royal Arcade, Koko Black’s Belgian chocolates are displayed like works of art, while Suga opts, instead, for an endearingly old-fashioned look, and sells the kind of treats your grandparents would have enjoyed: humbugs, bull’s eyes and the like.

Meanwhile, you can browse a staggering 4,000-plus magazine titles at Mag Nation and, at The Basement Discs, listen to a huge range of music: everything from obscure jazz to foreign-language chanteuses can be uncovered with the help of the store’s knowledgeable staff. Il Papiro’s stunning handmade stationery and notebooks make perfect gifts.



There’s so much choice – often hiding in lofts or basements, or down dark, nondescript alleys – that it’s easy to miss out on some real treats. The solution for many a keen shopper in Melbourne (and not just those from out of town) is to head out with a guide on a structured city excursion – such as Hidden Secrets, a company whose tours evolve constantly to take in what’s new and happening. Hidden Secrets’ tours also give participants an introduction to the architecture, history, art and graffiti of these vibrant back-streets.

Though its style is decidedly more mainstream, Melbourne Central, on the corner of LaTrobe and Swanston streets, extends over two blocks and incorporates 300-odd shops, many of them housing the latest ranges from leading fashion labels, running the gamut from haute couture to cutting-edge streetwear. As well as international brands, the complex houses the outlets of Australian fashion icons such as Roy’s, Veronika Maine and Saba (which, incidentally, started off as a men’s shirt shop in Flinders Lane). You’ll also find an outlet for RM Williams’ bush gear and a concept store for Billabong, an iconic Aussie brand now known worldwide for its surfwear.

Everyone from locals and tourists to students, construction workers and businesspeople on their lunch breaks seem to turn up at Melbourne Central at some point during the day. Beyond clothing, the precinct houses an eclectic range of stores, a cinema, a bowling alley and abundant eateries, some of which are cafés by day and sleek cocktail lounges by night.

It would be misleading to suggest that Melbourne’s only interesting shopping is to be found in its city-centre alleys. If you’re planning a shopping spree in this city, two other retail strips – Chapel and Greville streets – are fashion musts. Chapel Street runs for more than four kilometres, passing through several Melbourne suburbs. Its cutting-edge fashion boutiques and funky homewares outlets are the place to see and be seen by the local glitterati: cast members from soap opera Neighbours and other almost-famous actresses are regulars here. The area is yuppie heaven, so expect to find plenty of upscale designer labels (including those of Australians Bettina Liano, Scanlan & Theodore and Collette Dinnigan), along with a scattering of art galleries, cinemas, hip cafés and trendy bistro dining.

If you want something a little more left-of-centre, turn down Greville Street for retro clothing, old vinyl record stores and hippy-style jewellery (and, increasingly, midrange chain stores). Or just keep heading down Chapel Street itself. At one end of the strip, bright young things in high heels might totter along under the weight of trendy shopping bags but at the other, old Greek men with two-day stubble and nicotine-stained fingers still sit and sip coffee in old-fashioned cafés.

Brunswick Street is another iconic retail strip: it runs right through Fitzroy, ending on the border of Melbourne’s CBD. Scruffy and somewhat bohemian, it has long been associated with the city’s arty fringe and became known in the 1980s and 1990s as a centre for indie and new-wave music. These days, trendsetters and young professionals are taking over. The folk you see along the street today reflect its wonderfully eclectic ambience: bicycle-riders jostle for space with smart-suited businessmen; fierce teenagers with belly-rings and green hair rub shoulders on the street with elderly Italian ladies hauling bags of onions.

The street’s New-Age shops tinkle with wind chimes and organic vegetables, while bold sofas sit brazenly in the windows of its chic furniture stores. Hairdressers look like art galleries; art galleries like cafés; cafés like Italian peasant kitchens. Yet – refreshingly among all this Brunswick Street trendiness – you can still find old-fashioned butcher’s shops, laundrettes hailing from another era and cheap-and-cheerful eateries serving generous helpings of hearty home-style cooking and some of the best café lattes in the land. Just follow the graffiti – and the smells of coffee and sugar that linger in the air – to uncover Melbourne’s secret life. •

Photography courtesy 
Tourism Victoria.


TRAVEL FACTS

getting there

where to stay

where to shop
  • Hidden Secrets Tours offers small group tours of back-alley boutiques and shops. Phone 03 9329 9665 or visit 
www.hiddensecretstours.com
  • Aesop, 35 Albert Coates Lane, phone 03 9639 2436 or visit www.aesop.net.au
  • Basement Discs, 24 Block Place, phone 03 654 1110 or visit 
www.basementdiscs.com.au
  • Betty & Ford, Shop 10, 26 Equitable Place, phone 03 9602 2680 or visit www.bettyandford.com
  • Bobby’s Cuts, Shop 4, 237 Flinders Lane, phone 03 9663 4030.
  • Cactus Jam, QV Mens, 26 Albert Coates Lane, phone 03 9654 0798.
  • Christine, 181 Flinders Lane,  phone 03 9654 2011.
  • Il Papiro, 5 Degraves Street, 
phone 03 9654 0955.
  • Mag Nation, 88 Elizabeth Street, phone 
03 9663 6559 or visit www.magnation.com
  • Shag, Centre Way Arcade, 259 Collins St, phone 03 9663 8166.

further information
Hyatt Regency - the perfect escape
Get our latest newsletter
Sign up today to receive travel tips, the latest travel news & exclusive competitions, straight to your inbox!

V&T Takeoff
Updates from our editors and writers
The team from the Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau were in town last week to update Australia on some of the BIG things happening in the Texan state.
V&T mag dropped into Bali last month and helped the W Retreat & Spa celebrate their 2nd anniversary and what a splash it was. With local and international fashion designers on display, the W Lounge was transformed into a catwalk party zone. 2500 people flowed through the resort late into the night, moving to NYC DJ Sandy Rivera. This was the biggest ticket in Bali for some time and the resorts pulling power is a testament to just how hot this property and international hotel brand actually is.www.vacationsandtravelmag.com/Mca/874/765/3/0/0/#takeoff1 How did we cope the next day? Poolside. Don’t wait until their 3rd anniversary as the vibe, sound and style of this resort makes for a very cool holiday. In the heart of Seminyak and right on the beach, Bali beckons.
Thanks to our friends at Air France we got out of the office for the day and enjoyed a great round of golf at the annual Financial Markets Charity Golf Day and Gala Dinner. Held annually in February, this event as well as the  Financial and Media Markets Charity Sailing Regatta in October raises AU$1.2 million for a wide range of charities.The ASX Group and Thomson Reuters Australia (formerly Reuters) joined forces in 1999 to form a Charity Foundation with the objective of helping Australian-based children, disability and medical research charities by organising fundraising events in conjunction with the Financial Markets. Pictured here: Thomas Reeves Air France, Middle, Patrick Benhamou, Atout France; Anthony Gallagher Vacations & Travel magazine.
Vacations & Travel magazine rubbed shoulders with local and international buyers and sellers of travel from around the globe at 2013 AIME (Asia Pacific's Incentive Meeting Expo). This is the biggest event on the Australian travel industry calendar, where key decision makers congregate to network over a three-day event of hosted parties, trade and leisure travel meetings and press conferences.
The who's who of Sydney's entertainment industry turned up for the recent opening of the city's newest hotel to receive a makeover, The Parkroyal. Located in Darling Harbour, the property has just emerged from a milt million-dollar makeover to reveal striking rooms and seriously sexy public spaces. Speaking of sexy, some of the celebs on hand to celebrate the re-launch included Casey Burgess, Danielle Blakey and Amy Milne, not to mention Timomatic who entertained the crowds into the witching hours…



about us advertise subscribe & win contact us Golf Vacations