Jessica Adams finds French perfume, fluffy slippers, discount designer fashion and beautiful Australian-made bags and accessories on Brunswick Street.
Brunswick Street is good for a breakfast-to-lunch wander, or go later in the day and finish up for dinner, or a cocktail. The cafes, restaurants and bars here are excellent and they cater for vegetarians, foodies, chiconomists, organic eaters and lovers of ice-cream too. There is a post office about halfway along Brunswick Street if you need to save your arms, and send parcels home (and let’s face it, you probably will!)
Begin your tour by catching a 112 tram from Collins St in the City, or take a taxi to the corner of Gertrude and Brunswick St.
Douglas and Hope
Douglas & Hope at 181 Brunswick Street use cult retro fabrics to produce their beautiful bags, cosmetic purses and clothes. They also have lampshades, jewellery, cushions and candles. Their aesthetic is sometimes 1930s – sometimes 1970s. Visit www.douglasandhope.com.au
Zetta Florence
Zetta Florence at 197 Brunswick Street is a huge paper and card shop with leather-bound photo albums, unusual greeting cards, collectable notebooks and cult wrapping paper. They import from Europe and sell gorgeous stuff you won’t find anywhere else. Visit www.zettaflorence.com.au
Kleins Perfumery
Walk all the way up to Kleins Perfumery at 313 Brunswick Street and enter beauty heaven. Sleep masks, candles, soap, aromatherapy oil, bath salts, body cream, make-up, perfume, face masks…and all handpicked from the world’s best brands from Australia and around the world.
The Greenstore
The Greenstore at 385 Brunswick Street is years ahead of its time, and was selling the best in eco-friendly beauty care and home products long before green became hip. We’re talking hemp, unbleached cotton, lavender oil and recycled paper notebooks – plus herbal dog soap!
Polyester Records
Polyester Records at 387 is indie and alternative music nirvana with lots of hard-to-find Australian artists on the shelves, and an excellent selection of intriguing DVDs and CDs from around the world. If you heard it on Triple J (Australia’s cult national music station) you can buy it in here.
Now cross the street and go back the way you came, walking on the opposite side.
T2
Tea gourmets (this could be you, once you see the shop) will love T2 at 340 Brunswick Street which offers saucers to sniff, pots to buy, and funky orange cardboard boxes full of exotic tea to take home. Everything is wrapped in Chinese newspaper. Visit www.T2tea.com.au for more.
Sustenance
Organic skincare and food rule at healthy Sustenance at 296 Brunswick Street. It’s a big store with lots of imported and Australian brands and a vegetarian friendly café. Visit www.sustenance.com.au for more information. It’s a modernist hippie hub in Mebourne.
Wilkins and Kent
You won’t be interested in the furniture at Wilkins and Kent at 230 Brunswick Street unless you are a mad shipper – but the household fripperies are fabulous. Think cool, clean modern design with lots of witty retro in-jokes. The pom-pom paper clips are cool. Lots of kids’ presents. Visit www.wilkinsandkent.com
Harem
Every woman in Melbourne knows about Harem at 248 Brunswick Street because it’s the pinkest, frilliest boudoir boutique in the city. Chandeliers, camisoles, fluffy slippers, designer soap – you get the picture. Lots of cheapish travelling treats. Visit www.haremmelbourne.com.au
Clear It Factory Outlet
Clear It Factory Outlet at 188 Brunswick Street is your last stop. Heavily discounted clothes from hip designers: Soup, Revival, Dangerfield, Pulp Kitchen, Princess Highway, Coo Ca Choo, Alannah Hill. This is the place to pick up an all-Australian frock for just a few Aussie dollars.
