Here's some beautiful vinatge details I discovered. Why don't they make clothes like this anymore?
Tuesday, 11 August 2009
Vintage Details
Here's some beautiful vinatge details I discovered. Why don't they make clothes like this anymore?
Wednesday, 5 August 2009
Boutiques on Brunswick
Brunswick Street certainly has a unique vibe. It’s alive with arty, grungy and generally alternative types and I self consciously consider that I lack the body piercings to belong in this end of town. In Fitzroy however, anything and anyone goes, even an overdressed fashionista like myself it would seem. My reticence is soon lost in the liberal, laidback mood leaving me free to savour the sights, sounds and shopping of one of Melbourne’s most hyped fashion centres.
The Brand New Vintage
That ‘Brand New Vintage’ look (retro inspired styles without the foisty smell) dominates Brunswick Street style: seen in the likes of Leghorn Rouge, its sister store Quick Brown Fox and Kinki Gerlinki, these stores stock cute and quirky pieces with a vintage influence. Their novelty value however, reveals their Asian sourcing just as their price points reflect the quality of their fabrics.
With their eclectic mix of clothing and accessories they create the feeling of one-of-a-kind bazaars despite having branches across the city. Leghorn Rouge is the one to watch, selling the samples that inspire the mass produced lines of Quick Brown Fox. Specialising in accessories, their key piece for the season is a pair of Ugg-shaped canvas boots with contrasting patterned trim for $119, which epitomise the Leghorn look. As the sales assistant was proud to point out, you wouldn’t find footwear like this in Sydney!
True Vintage
For die-hard vintage aficionados, there are an abundance of true vintage stores, their rails crammed with cowboy checked shirts and leather jackets for the boys, and sixties and seventies patterned synthetics for girls.
The Alternative
For something more sophisticated, Gorman is the place to go. With the price of tops starting at $199, it’s as close to high fashion as Brunswick Street gets. Clothing for the urban sophisticate, monochrome basics are lifted with splashes of oh-so-fashionable neon, or ready yourself for spring with their bright ‘African violet’ prints.
The Home-Grown Showcase
If Melbourne’s vibrant fashion scene is perfect for cultivating home-grown designers then Fitzroy is the ideal glass house in which they can flourish. Fat offers the widest range of labels offering well-known Aussie brands such as Antipodium, Romance Was Born and Sass and Bide. But with jeanswear dominating the rails it left the innovation to Alphaville.
Alphaville’s house label, Alpha60 displays true conceptual design. Its soft tailoring in a cool urban colour palette of black, bluestone and steely greys embodies Melburnian city chic. The quality of the fabrics is a cut above the rest of Brunswick Street, the complete package of design and production making the price tags seem almost cheap. Their pleated scarves are a testimony to their style, making a statement of any outfit for only $120.
Also worth checking out is Friends of Couture at Scarlett and Sly. Based at Sydney Road, Brunswick you don’t get much more home-grown than this. Their knitwear is adorable, with lavishly embellished cardigans illustrating their gift of reinterpreting vintage styles with modern wit.
The Hidden Gem
I don’t usually hold factory clearance outlets in particularly high regard so as I stepped into the one on Brunswick Street I was fully expecting to walk straight back out again. It was an Alannah Hill label that caught my eye, then another one, then another and another, the place was half full of discounted Alannah Hill pieces. Whether they’re seconds or passed seasons stock, I couldn’t say, but the pretty camisoles and floral skirts are typical of Hill’s designs at a fraction of the cost.
Upstairs a wonderland of fabrics awaits with an entire wall lined with rolls of Alannah Hill remnants. Superior fabrics with gorgeous prints are for sale, some from as little as $10 a metre. All you need now is the sewing machine!
The Punctuations
Punctuating the run of fashion boutiques, Brunswick Street has plenty else to offer. Here’s the pick:
• The Grub Street Bookstore – 2nd hand book dealers. The little Shakespeare series with the claret coloured hardbacks and gold lettering will add grandeur to any bookshelf.
• Kleins Perfumery – Delectable bathroom treats from candles and cosmetics to flowery soaps like Granny used to have. Great for gifts, indulgent treats and good old fashioned scents.
• The Brunswick Street Bookstore – The secret hoard of design books hidden away upstairs is well worth a browse; inspiration for budding, burgeoning and even beleaguered artistes.
• Kami – Novelty paper store with beautiful floral prints used on anything from photo albums to gift cards, and notebooks that are just too pretty to use.
Pretty Polly
The end of Brunswick Street in sight, take a moment to indulge in some Art Nouveau opulence with a cocktail at Polly. Fitting for its location, its theme is done in the spirit of novelty rather than polished authenticity but it is all the more charming for it. Recline on a sofa, soak up the spirit and hopefully sip a few of your own!
The Brand New Vintage
That ‘Brand New Vintage’ look (retro inspired styles without the foisty smell) dominates Brunswick Street style: seen in the likes of Leghorn Rouge, its sister store Quick Brown Fox and Kinki Gerlinki, these stores stock cute and quirky pieces with a vintage influence. Their novelty value however, reveals their Asian sourcing just as their price points reflect the quality of their fabrics.
With their eclectic mix of clothing and accessories they create the feeling of one-of-a-kind bazaars despite having branches across the city. Leghorn Rouge is the one to watch, selling the samples that inspire the mass produced lines of Quick Brown Fox. Specialising in accessories, their key piece for the season is a pair of Ugg-shaped canvas boots with contrasting patterned trim for $119, which epitomise the Leghorn look. As the sales assistant was proud to point out, you wouldn’t find footwear like this in Sydney!
True Vintage
For die-hard vintage aficionados, there are an abundance of true vintage stores, their rails crammed with cowboy checked shirts and leather jackets for the boys, and sixties and seventies patterned synthetics for girls.
The Alternative
For something more sophisticated, Gorman is the place to go. With the price of tops starting at $199, it’s as close to high fashion as Brunswick Street gets. Clothing for the urban sophisticate, monochrome basics are lifted with splashes of oh-so-fashionable neon, or ready yourself for spring with their bright ‘African violet’ prints.
The Home-Grown Showcase
If Melbourne’s vibrant fashion scene is perfect for cultivating home-grown designers then Fitzroy is the ideal glass house in which they can flourish. Fat offers the widest range of labels offering well-known Aussie brands such as Antipodium, Romance Was Born and Sass and Bide. But with jeanswear dominating the rails it left the innovation to Alphaville.
Alphaville’s house label, Alpha60 displays true conceptual design. Its soft tailoring in a cool urban colour palette of black, bluestone and steely greys embodies Melburnian city chic. The quality of the fabrics is a cut above the rest of Brunswick Street, the complete package of design and production making the price tags seem almost cheap. Their pleated scarves are a testimony to their style, making a statement of any outfit for only $120.
Also worth checking out is Friends of Couture at Scarlett and Sly. Based at Sydney Road, Brunswick you don’t get much more home-grown than this. Their knitwear is adorable, with lavishly embellished cardigans illustrating their gift of reinterpreting vintage styles with modern wit.
The Hidden Gem
I don’t usually hold factory clearance outlets in particularly high regard so as I stepped into the one on Brunswick Street I was fully expecting to walk straight back out again. It was an Alannah Hill label that caught my eye, then another one, then another and another, the place was half full of discounted Alannah Hill pieces. Whether they’re seconds or passed seasons stock, I couldn’t say, but the pretty camisoles and floral skirts are typical of Hill’s designs at a fraction of the cost.
Upstairs a wonderland of fabrics awaits with an entire wall lined with rolls of Alannah Hill remnants. Superior fabrics with gorgeous prints are for sale, some from as little as $10 a metre. All you need now is the sewing machine!
The Punctuations
Punctuating the run of fashion boutiques, Brunswick Street has plenty else to offer. Here’s the pick:
• The Grub Street Bookstore – 2nd hand book dealers. The little Shakespeare series with the claret coloured hardbacks and gold lettering will add grandeur to any bookshelf.
• Kleins Perfumery – Delectable bathroom treats from candles and cosmetics to flowery soaps like Granny used to have. Great for gifts, indulgent treats and good old fashioned scents.
• The Brunswick Street Bookstore – The secret hoard of design books hidden away upstairs is well worth a browse; inspiration for budding, burgeoning and even beleaguered artistes.
• Kami – Novelty paper store with beautiful floral prints used on anything from photo albums to gift cards, and notebooks that are just too pretty to use.
Pretty Polly
The end of Brunswick Street in sight, take a moment to indulge in some Art Nouveau opulence with a cocktail at Polly. Fitting for its location, its theme is done in the spirit of novelty rather than polished authenticity but it is all the more charming for it. Recline on a sofa, soak up the spirit and hopefully sip a few of your own!
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