A fashion writer’s guide to a weekend of shopping in Sydney
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ESPOLÒN TEQUILA
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JASON HENLEY
WORDS BY IZZY WIGHT
From Newtown vintage to a hidden fashion speakeasy.
Sitting somewhere at the intersection of a bustling metropolis and a slow, sun-soaked beach town, Sydney offers a unique choose-your-own-adventure shopping experience. With a coastal laissez-faire attitude, it’s also a city that encourages you to take your time: wander, window shop and stumble upon something new.
As the host of Australian Fashion Week and home to some of our buzziest designers (e.g. Alix Higgins and Jordan Gogos), Sydney is dotted with stylish one-of-one boutiques, vintage haunts, glossy flagship stores and a rotating series of pop-ups. Right now we’ve got an eye on Espolòn Tequila’s Reverse Cloakrooms, happening this Thursday and Friday in partnership with Second Life Markets. They’re a celebration of pre-loved fashion, community and culture, as guests are invited to swap cocktails for curated vintage pieces across two back-to-back night of DJs, hosts and local artists as curated by DJ Mowgli May.
Discover more from Australian designers and retailers in our Fashion section.
With everything on offer across the city, you could very easily spend a week trawling for new wardrobe additions. But if you only have one (long) weekend, here’s where you should visit.
Friday
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Start in the inner-city hotspot of Surry Hills, preferably with a lazy breakfast and strong coffee at Bills (or anywhere, really. It is Sydney’s coffee capital). Walk five minutes down Crown Street and you’ll hit The Standard Store, a Scandi-esque boutique with a carefully curated selection of international labels like Soeur, Tabi, Stine Goya and YMC.
Head in the opposite direction to the corner of Crown and Campbell Streets and you’ll find Above The Clouds, a mainstay for hard-to-find streetwear labels and luxury ready-to-wear. Expect racks of Comme des Garçons, Junya Watanabe and Marni, plus an eight-metre-long (!) sneaker wall featuring Adidas, Asics, ERL and Salomon.
Then walk the 10 minutes over to Darlinghurst and find RTTS.land, the dreamy retail space by Ramp Tramp Tramp Stamp designer, Niamh Dal Masetto. A hub for emerging designers and a hotspot for the fashionably-minded (Gabriette visited when she was in Sydney), the store stocks pieces from Niamh’s collection, plus local labels like Maroske Peech, Ouse World and Dylan Scott.
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Stop for a late lunch before changing location to Chippendale, an up-and-coming suburb just a 10-minute Uber away. Start on McAlister Lane at Love and Pop, a creative concept store brimming with wares from local artists like Kat Incognito, Kangs Studio and Naomi Kent.
Finally, treat yourself to dinner, drinks and an exclusive shopping experience upstairs at The Lord Gladstone (or ‘The Gladdy’, to locals) on Thursday and Friday night. The collaboration between Espolòn Tequila and Second Life Markets will transform The Good Space upstairs into a ‘Reverse Cloakroom’, where you can enjoy immersive art installations, late-night performances and swap cocktails for pre-loved fashion.
Like fashion’s answer to an underground speakeasy, acquiring a ticket to Reverse Cloakroom is easy – all you have to do is purchase two Espolòn cocktails at the bar (choose between a paloma, margarita or old fashioned). You’ll be given a number that corresponds to a vintage piece inside, maybe designed accessories, reworked denim or archival designer. The possibilities are wide and it’s the perfect way to round out a day of Sydney shopping.
Saturday
Take your pick of inner-city brunch spots before exploring the CBD’s extensive fashion offering. Brimming with cult-favourite designer labels (Ganni, Acne Studios, Paloma Wool), Incu’s shiny George Street store is very hard to leave empty-handed.
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From there, Chinatown Country Club’s concept store is a quick five-minute trot away. As the name suggests, the space combines the exclusivity of traditional country clubs with the warmth of Chinatown. It’s inviting, experiential and always stocked with a curated mix of luxury designer (Margiela, Marine Serre) and contemporary streetwear (Hyein Seo, Kiko Kostadinov, Wales Bonner). The store also has a cafe attached for a quick coffee break. Shopping is tiring work.
You’re in Sydney, which means hitting a beach of some sort is a non-negotiable. Make the most of the day and head over to Bondi, where you can stroll past storefronts while getting a hit of coastal vitamin D. Check out Tuchuzy on Campbell Parade for lessons on excellent easy dressing – expect labels like Helmut Lang, Missoni, Sir and Bassike. Finish with a swim and seafood at Sean’s.
Sunday
Newtown, Sydney’s eclectic inner-west gem, is where you’ll be starting your day. For breakfast, wander down King Street until something calls your name (Alas is cute) then make your way to Irreplaceable Store. Visited by Zendaya just last year, it’s a curated treasure trove for vintage denim, sneakers and collectables. Look for the perfect band tee and leave with something else, it’s impossible not to.
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Next, cross the road and enter the Y2K-esque dreamscape that is So Familia Store. Comprised of curated pre-loved pieces, independent and international labels, it’s like stepping into Paris Hilton’s early 2000s wardrobe. A must-visit for fun accessories, colourful statement pieces and all that glitters.
For a final vintage hit, head up the street to Newtown Vintage 313. A sprawling two-storey space filled with everything from ’70s denim to ’50s fit-and-flare dresses, it offers a little bit of everything in an extensive range of sizes. Stay until you find something special, then head home for a nap. You’ve earned it.
To learn more about Espolòn Tequila’s partnership with Second Life Markets, head here.
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