INCU
This one is a no-brainer. Located in the Galeries Victoria in the Sydney CBD, Incu is a one-stop-shop for all of your fashionable needs, the clever clogs at Incu take all of the guesswork out of choosing the most wearable and key pieces from some of the hottest local and international labels. And it's conveniently located above Town Hall station at The Galeries Victoria.
Shop RG 23-24
500 George St, Sydney
+61 2 9266 0244
VIA ALLEY
Having made the leap from being an online mecca for design to having a flagship store on Crown St in 2006, Via Alley is a gold mine for all your hip/design/geekster needs to accessorise your life. Besides stocking cute smalls like speakers in the shape of golden pigs to classic Casio watches, they sell all kinds of cameras, headphones, novelty chopsticks, ipod/pad/phone covers, shoes, hair accessories AND an edit of super cool off centre labels that not only look awesome but generally function superbly as well.
Shop 3, 285 Crown St, Surry Hills
+61 2 8354 0077
KSUBI
Ahh Ksubi, what a landmark they are in the Australian fashion scene. Seems kinda unfair then that BOTH their Australian stores are in Sydney, innit? Though undoubtedly it’s a far more ‘Sydney’ label than say, a Melbourne one. You can choose between ‘from here to infinity’ on Glenmore Rd, or ‘city of the dead’ in Bondi. Either way, the Ksubi stores are the best places to get a piece of the action, for menswear, womens and all the accessories (including their killer shade) for your ultimate Aussie hipster needs. Plus you can visit all the other awesome neighboring retailers.
16 Glenmore Rd, Paddington
+612 9361 6291
MOKU
Moku sits rather quietly between the retail hub of Glenmore Rd's intersection and the end straight of Oxford St, peeping out behind the little porch garden below the shop window. Stocked full of goodies, mainly from super hip underground NZ labels like Stolen Girlfriends Club, LifeWithBird and Limedrop as well as selected local and international ones. Plus the shop girls are super lovely.
208 Oxford St, Paddington
+61 8354 1919
ASSIN
For all you high end neo-gothic-ninjas out there, Melbourne born boutique Assin opened it's doors in Sydney in 2008 to bring shoppers a sea of the most stylishly (mainly) black collections out from the likes of Rick Owens, Dior Homme, Comme des Garçons and Ann Demeulemeester from withn it’s stark interiors. With a super discreet entrance that you kinda have to search for, Assin is full of clothes that will make any fashion fan quiver.
(Verona Cinema Complex)
T2 Verona St, Paddington
+612 9331 6265
ROBBY INGHAM
For those of you sartorially inclined towards the more lyrical Stella, Givenchy, Dries and Chloé, and perhaps sipping some champagne whilst you peruse, then Robby Ingham is for you. It re-opened it’s refurbished doors earlier this year. Stocking a super comprehensive selection of killer international designers within it’s two floors of dark timber, glass and steel, under a red ceiling, I reckon the pop-psychology of it’s renovation leads you to want to try try try and buy buy buy…if you can afford it.
424-426 Oxford St, Paddington
+612 9332 2124
DINOSAUR DESIGNS
The first ever piece I acquired from Dinosaur Designs was a massive boulder cuff (that has both done damage and had damage done) that I still wear and adore, years on. Every time I visit a Dinosaur Designs store, I feel like I’m in a super fun art gallery or museum where I can touch all the works and exhibits. A must-go for me in Sydney shop land. I prefer the Strand Arcade location, simply because the Strand is beaut, and you can drop in on a number of great local designers who are also in The Strand whilst you’re at it.
Shop 77 The Strand Arcade, Sydney
+612 9223 2953
THE CORNER SHOP
So Dinosaur Designs brings me to it’s neighbour in the Strand, The Corner Shop. I was so happy when The Corner Shop opened up here, as it’s such a conveniently central location in the lovely Strand building. Beautifully fitted, with light streaming through it’s yonder windows, you can spend hours browsing through all the little nooks and crannies of Belinda Seper’s fashion mecca. The displays, racks and fitting rooms are gorgeous too, totally seducing you to try something on, at the very least. The Corner Shop is one of the most satisfying retail spaces in Sydney.
Shop 80-81 The Strand Arcade, Sydney
+612 9221 1788
SYDNEY 97
A taste of Chinatown without actually having to go all the way down into Chinatown (though it is highly recommended, more on that in a second), 97 Sydney is full of weird and wonderful Harajuku-style gems. Almost everything comes in only one size, but it doesn't really matter somehow. The odd factor of the stock is high and items seem to magically fit most people in some way or another. Staff are super friendly and eager to help you try and cram your hooves into quirky little (literally) shoes - generally they only stock teeny tiny sizes in footwear, one of the only boo-factors about this little shop.
World Square, George St Entrance,
+61 9264 1170
CHINATOWN
One of my best kept and favourite shopping secrets is actually an entire street – CHINATOWN! It is an absolute goldmine for shopping goodness. You can do some yum cha upstairs at Marigold to power up for the shopping before heading to the bottom floor to check out the little shops in the complex. Then head over to Chinatown’s main drag, Sussex St and explore all the little arcades. If you’re after something no one else is going to be wearing, that will have everyone asking you where you got it and wondering how the hell you can pull it off with such panache, then head to Chinatown.
Sussex St, Sydney