Camberwell Market, Your Bargain Best Friend

Whether you're a soccer mum who drives an Audi in Toorak, or eat Two Minute Noodles every night in a tiny college dorm, everybody loves a good market bargain. I myself have strolled many a market aisles, rummaged through countless racks of second hand clothes and perused a ridiculous number of vintage stalls in search of the best bargains Melbourne has to offer. One of my personal faves remains trusty old Camberwell Market, filled to the brim with more bargains than your local Salvos store.

Every Sunday, rain or shine, crowds flock to Camberwell Market, which sits unsuspectingly in a carpark at the rear of Burke and Riversdale roads. This popular trash and treasure flea market is positively brimming with second-hand and hand-crafted goods, including everything from vintage fashion finds and quirky jewellery to silverware and Hello Kitty backpacks...that's right, I said Hello Kitty backpacks.

You never know what you'll unearth at this bustling bargain hotspot, but chances are you'll walk away with your arms loaded with piles of clothes (you never knew you needed but definitely couldn't do without) that cost less than a coffee! It might  take a bit of dedication to work your way through the somewhat staggering amount of stalls, but vans supplying hot jam donuts and coffee should provide you with ample energy to see you through the treck. 

If you're in need of a wardrobe re-vamp (and you should be as Spring's just around the corner), look no further then bagging a bargain at the Camberwell Market. Turn up early to avoid being crushed by the enormous crowds and bring plenty of empy bags for all your market goodies. Excuse me, I have to go  pour boiling water over my dehydrated noodles now...

Australia's First H&M lands in Melbourne

H&M Australia. H&M Australia....one more time, H&M Australia. Sorry, I was just having a moment there. Today, my dear friends, is a particularly sartorially significant day because today is the unveiling of the new Melbourne H&M. Now If you're some kind of freak who doesn't understand the importance of the Swedish retail giant opening its doors in Aus (I'll forgive you because I'm in a good mood) then I shall elaborate further. Since 1948 the Swedish brand has been designing "affordable high-quality fashion" and has only continued to grow into the retail megastar it is today, with 3000 stores spanning 53 countries. And now Australia, the wait is over, with the store opening it's doors in Melbourne today! Seriously though guys, it's about time.

The new store occupies one of my favourite buildings in Melbourne, GPO, and spans a mind-blowing 5000 square meters across three levels. That's 5000 square meters of affordable fashion-fulled fun right there people! A staggering 3000 people turned up today to witness the 10 am opening of the bright, open-plan flagship store, with many shoppers arriving from 9 pm the night before to secure a sacred place on the red carpet that wound its way down Bourke Street.

But the question is, will the hype and my excitement be worth it? I was like a kid in a candy store when I entered any European H&M, snapping up cheap basics and fashion fixes faster than you can say 'holy high heels!' But I must say, that when the Australian counterparts of Topshop and Zara arrived, I couldn't help feeling a little cheated. Where were the styles I had loved so much in Paris, Barcelona and London? But my fingers are crossed and my faith is strong, come on  H&M show Melbourne what you got!

Runway 1 at Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival

Designers and models and runways, oh my! That's right folks, Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival (or VAMFF for those in the know...or if you're just just lazy like me) is in full swing and this years program is proving to be the biggest and best line up the festival has seen! Beggining on the 17th of March, runways will, err, run, until the 23rd. But if you missed out on a ticket don't despair, because the festival's Cultural Program is packed with more exhibitions, workshops and talks than you can poke a sartorial stick at, and many of these events run until the end of March.

My Fashion Festival started off with a bang at Runway 1, presented by Miss Vogue, on Tuesday night. An excited and fashionable crowd gathered around Central Pier, queueing outside the L'Oreal tent, people watching and getting photos with the Dulux Dog...not entirely sure why he was there, but he's so adorable it doesn't really matter. But we were all really there to lay eye upon designs by Scalan and Theodore, Bassike, Josh Goot, Christopher Esber, Strateas Carlucci (winner if this year's Tiffany and Co Designers Award), Willow and Maticevski. 

When dressing for a Runway show, one needs to strike the perfect balance between the 'I'm very chic and fashionable' look, with the 'I didn't try to look this good, it's just natural' approach. Never an easy task. For the evening, I selected a flowing pastel skirt for a feminine touch and a simple cropped black singlet for nonchalance. A fierce statement necklace and furry clutch added a bit of necessary tuffness to the look.

The show was impeccably styled and produced, to match the perfectionist ideals of these designers, and filled with the obligatory Melbourne black. Scalan and Theodore opened the show with the sports lux look that had the audience hooked. Black was the main colour of choice, broken up with an occasional metallic sheen and there was not a sky-high heel in sight, with models strutting their stuff in Nikes...much to their delight, no doubt. I gotta say that I found Josh Goot fell a little flat with a slightly monotonous and, dare I say it, dull collection. Things really picked up for me with Willow, who brought a little bit of femininity to the show with polka dots, sheer and the hallmark classic wrap-over designs. These guys know there drapery. And of course, the show stopper - Maticevski. This was the highlight of the night for me. From his opening piece, a ruffle-hem party dress in a pale lilac, his collection showed creativity, control and structured elegance. The structured ruffles were a constant theme to the pieces, striking the perfect balance between masculine and feminine. In a nut shell, nailed it!

 

 

 

What I wore:
Skirt: Zara
Top: Bardot
Necklace: Zara
Clutch: Backstage
Shoes: Target

Classic and Comfortable

Some days nothing beats a simple outfit. Sometimes you don't want to have high heels pinching your toes, jeans that make your bladder want to explode or a body-con dress that rides up to your arm pits every 12 steps. Nope, some days you just want something easy and fuss free - and my outfit today was just that. I went with the monochrome look (which last year became more ubiquitous Than Miley Cirus meemes) in a classic black and white patterned skirt and black holter-neck top, which always gives me a flashback to the 90's...Spice Girls, anyone? I added a modern twist to this classic outfit by wearing one of my favorite turquoise statement necklaces, which stands out perfectly against a plain black background. Simple, comfortable and stylish! So much better than an arm pit-hugging mini dress.

What I Wore:

Skirt: Retro Star

Top: Cotton On

Necklace: Market

Ankle Boots: Django and Juliette 

A Melbourne Shop Fit For A Wannabe Ballerina

We all do stupid stuff sometimes. These may include (though are not limited to) things like tripping up stairs, reading the Herald Sun, or accidentally melting your microwave because you turned it on without anything inside. Or, like me, you could do the stupid thing of trying on a beautiful dress that you know costs the same as a Bali holiday....or half your uni degree. But when I saw the eye-catching shopfront of Anaessia, located on Little Lonsdale Street, I could hardly resist. With perfectly pretty dresses displayed behind the shopfront's shiny glass, I was a mere porn in a game of sartorial chess. And I really suck at chess.

The shop immediately caught my eye on a drab, cloudy Melbourne day, as it stood out like a shiny beacon among all the black and grey of the passing pedestrians. Exquisite princess-like tutus rotate tantalisingly in the window and the soft glow from chandeliers draped in coloured silks creates a warm and inviting ambiance. At some stage in her life, every girl (and perhaps boy-hey, I don't judge) has dreamed of being a ballerina, and this really is the place to have that dream come true. Sure, it comes with a hefty price tag, but even just walking through the shop and admiring the lace gowns is enough to make you feel as though you're on the set of Swan Lake.

Established in 2005, the Australian label is all about delicate craftsmanship that incorporates perfectly tailored, highly shaped pieces using the finest vintage fabric sourced from around the globe. You'll find tutus covered in taffeta and tulle, floor-skimming gowns draped in detailed lace and pretty silk ribbons adorning flattering necklines. Each of the unique, hand-made pieces exudes femininity, capturing elegance and glamour as well as a vintage, etherial romanticism. You won't find  the scoff-worthy words 'one size fits all' (seriously, when does that ever apply...except in the case of scarves?) uttered here. Instead, you will receive complimentary alterations with your purchase, because these guys get that you're just as individual as the dress you're trying on. There's something nice about being fussed over when trying on a dress that can be tailored to your every desire...how many textured skirts would you like under your dress? How high do you want the neckline? Would you prefer the dress in cream or white?

 

How do I know these questions, you ask? Because I stupidly tried on a dress. And now I can't stop thinking about the beautiful cascades of tulle, exquisite lace detail and hand-stiched sequins. I guess I might not ever be able to afford a dress from Anaessia (unless I sell my kidney on the black market), but you what, i'm glad that I had this moment of stupidity. Because for just one second I got to feel like a ballerina. Now, does anyone know where I can get a cheap microwave?