Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
City Style
Ask any fashionista in Melbourne their favourite time of year and they'll invariably say it's
winter - and usually for the fashion opportunities that crisp, cold days deliver. While Mel-
bourne designers do produce swimwear (Gorman, Zoe Elizabeth and We Are Handsome's
retro offerings are local favourites), it's during the autumn-winter season of the fashion
cycle that the city comes into its own. Temperatures only have to drop a few degrees for
boots and jackets to emerge, and unpredictable summers see many a cardigan or light-
weight scarf thrown in the mix.
There is no shortage of places to shop in Melbourne. City laneways and Victorian shop-
ping streets have long provided reasonably priced rental spaces that encourage creativity
rather than conformity in shop owners; their vision contributes much to the city's eclectic
identity and character. Yes, the chains and big global designers are all well represented, and
there are suburban malls aplenty (including Chadstone, known as Chaddy, the largest in the
southern hemisphere and Victoria's oldest;
www.chadstoneshopping.com.au
), but the city
and surrounds offer a host of alternatives.
Buoyed by a culture of small shops and an adventurous-minded public, young designers
flourish. Rather than adhering to the established studios' hierarchies, many start their own
labels straight out of design school, giving the scene an amazing energy and vitality.
Discount factory outlets can be found aplenty in Bridge Rd, Richmond; the lower end of Smith St, Colling-
wood; or at South Wharf, but savvy Melbourne fashionistas prefer designer-specific sample sales, dis-
covered via word-or-mouth or mailing lists - check out Missy Confidential
