Best places to shop for latest fashion in Melbourne

From high-end designers to hidden thrift shops, Melbourne has all you need when it comes to finding this season’s hottest fashion trends.

April Rose-Pengilly at the of W Hotel Picture: Jason Edwards

From high-end international designers up the Paris end of Collins St, to hidden retail hideaways down graffiti-lined alleyways, Melbourne’s CBD is an Aladdin’s cave of fashion finds. As Melbourne Fashion Week kicks off, Herald Sun fashion writer Alice Coster uncovers 21 of the city’s sartorial gems for 2021.

Fashion models Amer Athiu and Aleisha Scanlon. Picture: David Caird

1. CHRISTINE ON COLLINS

Level 2/14 Collins St, Melbourne

Christine Barro, an ex-buyer with Georges on Collins, is one of Melbourne’s true fashion aficionados. Her namesake boutique on the Paris-end of Collins St, is a treasure chest of fashion’s finer details, including Lanvin costume jewellery, Anya Hindmarch handbags and Philip Treacy millinery.

You might not end up buying anything at the multi-storeyed salon, but you will feel as though you have left reality for the ultimate shopping fantasy. Christine is also famous for her annual and generous sales.

2. TONY BIANCO

300 Lonsdale St, Melbourne Central

The Melbourne-based, Australian fashion footwear and accessories brand is now run by Tony Bianco’s two sons Anthony and Adam, catering to the street-smart savvy shopper with an affordable yet cool edge.

3. RETROSTAR VINTAGE CLOTHING

First Floor, Nicholas Building 37 Swanston Street, Melbourne

Vintage, or op-shopping more your style? Set on the upper floor of the heritage Nicholas Building, RetroStar is the largest vintage store in Australia. Specialising in the 1940s through to 90s trends, it’s a curated gallery of psychedelic prints, cowboy boots, floaty dresses, silk scarfs and vintage denim from around the world.

Find a hidden gem at Retrostar.

4. LUCY FOLK

1A Crossley Street, Melbourne

Unofficially recognised as Pellegrini’s corner, after the iconic Italian institution, wander down Crossley St for a unique strip of hidden gems including a neon red pretzel, the delicious home to boutique jewellery designer Lucy Folk. Fawned upon by the boho and Bondi set, the Melbourne designer has become a global name.

5. SUPPLY STORE

29A Sutherland St, Melbourne

Melbourne’s sneaker obsession is going nowhere. While they hate advertising, trust us, this is the streetwear go-to for sourcing the most coveted kicks.

6. SCANLAN THEODORE OUTLET

Shop 215A, Level 2/211 La Trobe St, Melbourne Central

A favourite with the sophisticated social set, the luxury Australian label can be priced out of reach of the everyday woman. Not anymore, with an outlet store hidden away on the second floor of the busy Melbourne Central shopping centre. With discounts of 50 per cent and more off an array of signature styles including dresses, jackets, pants, shoes and bags, it’s a true treasure.

7. DION LEE

Emporium, Level 2, Shop 234. 287 Lonsdale St, Emporium

The Australian go-to designer for our modern set seeking a sports-luxe silhouette. Linked to Melbourne Central, Myer and David Jones, The Emporium features more than 200 brands including other Aussie favourites Camilla and Marc, LIFEwithBIRD and Zimmerman.

Amer Athiu in Melbourne’s iconic Hosier Lane. Picture: David Caird

8. FLUEVOG

1 Degraves St

With a chunky heel recognisable on the feet of celebrities like Lady Gaga, Beyoncé and Madonna, Canadian cult shoe designer John Fluevog flagship store is the perfect step into funky Degraves St.

9. HoMie

2/296 Brunswick St, Fitzroy

While just edging out of the CBD, the Melbourne streetwear slash social enterprise was established to help the city’s homeless and is trending with celebs for all the right reasons and most worthy of a shutout.

10. M.J. BALE

Shop 71 Ground, Level, 71/45 Collins St, Collins Place Retail Centre

They’ve got you sorted with suits off the rack and custom-made, along with every accessory from wedding day, to the well put together stallions at the Spring Racing Carnival.

11. Adriano Carbone Master Tailor

100 Elizabeth Street, Block Arcade

One of the last of the great traditionalists. The elegant, detailed and timeless Melbourne-made bespoke suits is a true legacy nestled within the historic shopping arcade.

12. J’ATON COUTURE

3004/368 St Kilda Rd, Melbourne

It wouldn’t be Melbourne fashion without name dropping our homegrown haute couturiers Jacob Luppino and Anthony Pittorino of J’Aton. With a reputation for skilled handwork and attention to detail, J’Aton is favourite among Australia’s society and celebrity elite with their Prahran atelier now a St Kild Rd salon.

Aleisha Scanlon in Melbourne’s iconic Hosier Lane. Picture: David Caird

13. MYER

314/336 Bourke St, Melbourne

The old warhorse is still the ‘my store place to go’, finding a resurgence after the Spring Racing Carnival with leading brands, like THAT Mossman pant suit, selling off the rack, not to mention a highly anticipated Christmas window and Black Friday sales.

14. BRAVA Lingerie

Goldsbrough Village, 550 Bourke St, Melbourne

Lingerie shopping can be a harrowing, not to mention expensive, experience. But there is something for everyone, literally every shape and D Cup + size, and a few cheeky ensembles that’s won’t break the bank. You will thank us later.

15. DFO

20 Convention Centre Pl, South Wharf

While the wheel isn’t going anywhere the bargains are still moving off the racks fast down at South Wharf DFO. Find plenty of gold nugget, designer labels at bargain bin prices.

16. CROWN

8 Whiteman St, Southbank

Get down and have a flutter because you will need some cash in the pocket for the top level brands of Louis Vuitton and Rolex to all around favourite Forever New.

Crown Melbourne’s retail precinct.

17. MISS LOUISE

Shop G4, The Westin, 205 Collins Street

A Melbourne institution, Miss Louise has been giving our well-heeled their designer fix since 1964. Like her parents, Morry Fishman and his wife Louise, who travelled to Europe twice a year on buying trips, Jacqueline Fishman hand picks stock with names like Marc Jacobs, Jimmy Choo, Christian Louboutin, YSL, Sergio Rossi and Bottega Veneta. It’s where you will find Melbourne’s stylists and celebrities on the Chesterfield trying on the latest most desirables.

18. DAVID JONES

310 Bourke St, Melbourne

Always priding themselves on being that next level up, the department king is rolled gold with homegrown labels such a AJE, Anna Quan and Carla Zampatti. Look out for sales and extended business hours on Black Friday and Cyber Monday from November 26.

David Jones is ready to welcome Christmas shoppers. Picture: Mark Stewart

19. HARROLDS

101 Collins St, Melbourne

The new department store kid on the block has quickly felt its home on fashion strip Collins St.

20. DIIDA

287 Lonsdale St, Melbourne, Emporium

The high-end fashion label uses European imported fabrics and manufactures their collection in Melbourne, opened a third boutique at the Emporium in 2019. It’s the go-to for corporates and our Real Housewives of Melbourne fashionistas.

21. dot COMME

Curtin House, Level 3 & 4/252 Swanston St, Melbourne

Owner Octavius “Otto” La Rosa is first to admit he has a bigger wardrobe than most. The Melbourne Fashion Week darling and collector sells high-end archival, ahem ‘wearable’ fashion, providing a unique retail experience and different slant to your usual vintage haunt.

OPINION: MELBOURNE IS READY TO STEP OUT IN STYLE

THERE are some things we are just itching to return to. I have been dreaming of dining on a buzzing street on a balmy summer evening, people dressed elegantly in black, enjoying a glass of wine and engaging in the buzz of conversation.

Perhaps it’s early morning, a whole day stretching gloriously ahead with plans to visit a grand gallery with a world-class fashion exhibition on show, followed by a stroll down narrow streets for a cup of the world’s best coffee.

No, it is not the glittering streets of Paris I have been dreaming of, nor the charming, chaotic piazze of Milan, but our very own southern-style star, Melbourne.

Reachable without jet lag, Melbourne’s CBD is a beacon that inspires affection among fashion editors and shoppers alike. I will not win any favours in the city where Vogue is headquartered further north for saying so, but the mythology around the Victorian capital’s style credentials exists for a reason.

Edwina McCann. Picture: Vogue

You only need to look at the plans for the city’s reopening to understand why.

Because this is Melbourne, it begins with a blockbuster. The headline-making exhibition Gabrielle Chanel: Fashion Manifesto will showcase the fascinating history and exquisite creations of one of the most influential designers of the 20th century.

Her influence continued well beyond her life, as is plainly evident in this show featuring all of the designer’s greatest hits. Visitors will learn about Mademoiselle Chanel’s hand in introducing the Little Black Dress to women’s wardrobes everywhere.

The exhibition debuted at Paris’s venerated Palais Galliera to great fanfare in 2020 and is truly world class. There’s no need to be a fashion buff to enjoy it: sport, romance, princesses and silver-screen idols all feature. It opens at the National Gallery of Victoria on December 4.

Of course, if it is unadulterated fashion you’re after, the city has plans to supercharge your next shopping spree. We are all hankering for the joy new clothes can bring. Happily, then, it isn’t all about black, although Melburnians can do that as well as the French.

The M/FW Secret Garden Runway presented by Vogue launches Melbourne Fashion Week today at Gardens House, Royal Botanic Gardens where the best, mood-boosting spring trends will be showcased. It kicks off a week of stylish events, pop-up runways and online conversations for a full fashion briefing to inspire your refreshed wardrobe.

The week culminates in a favourite event on the Vogue calendar: Vogue American Express Fashion’s Night Out (VAEFNO), which returns to the CBD live.

We couldn’t be more excited to bring the event back to life offline with exclusive dining offers and fashionable activations. Take in the best of the city’s diverse design scene from Maticevski’s sculptural gowns and Arnsdorf’s crisp modern tailoring, to Scanlan and Theodore’s elevated everyday classics and White Story’s fresh twists on the white shirt. It sure beats shopping online any day.

And if you need any more excuse to join in the fun, feel satisfied that you are lending a hand to kickstart the economy. In 2019, Melbourne Fashion Week and VAEFNO put $29m into the city’s tills, and the contribution that Melbourne’s designers and creatives make to the nation’s cultural life can’t be overstated.

Let’s encourage all Australians to leave behind loungewear and leggings to return to the world with style and flair. Who better to lead the way than sartorially fluent Melburnians? Not that it’s a competition, of course, but the sporting spirit has long fuelled Melbourne’s love of events and superior style in attending them.

So forget Paris: there is a fashion epicentre far closer that should be first on your travel list. I know it’s at the top of mine.

Edwina McCann is Editorial Director at Vogue Australia.