Melbourne -- Shopping (August 5, 2008)

Melbourne is often described as the San Francisco to Sydney’s LA – a funkier, edgier city full of diversity and creativity. It is considered the cultural and fashion center of the country and, based on this information, I headed out for a full day of shopping, keeping in mind the current 1:1 ratio of the US dollar to the Australian dollar.

I started out in the downtown CBD, where I immediately turned down Collins Street, with its high-end designer boutiques such as Gucci, Chanel and Ralph Lauren. Considering I cannot afford any of these stores (and the fact that they are five minutes away from me at home), I continued further into the city.

Quite unexpectedly, I happened upon the ever-ubiquitous red-and-white Target logo and peeked inside for a look at the Aussie’s take on Target’s high-lo aesthetic. The store, super-small compared to our Target super-stores, carries mostly clothing and little to none of the toilet paper, house wares and electronics that you would expect to see in the US.

Most shocking, however, were the prices – let’s just say this Target is much more high than low, with simple tops and bottoms in the $50 - 60AU range. Like home, Melbourne’s Target has a “GO International” collection, this one a lingerie grouping designed by hometown talent Collette Dinnigan. While the pieces are a bargain compared to Dinnigan’s runway pieces, they are still too expensive for what they are at $28AU (on sale from $45AU, no less) and I headed out the door disappointed and empty-handed.

Next up on the agenda was Myer, one of Australia’s two main department stores (David Jones is the other). Despite being a leading retailer, the store seemed fairly dilapidated and reminded me of what the downtown St. Louis Famous Barr looked like before it closed down. Myer carries a mix of domestic and foreign labels, including high-end designers such as Peter Som and Derek Lam. However, once I saw the same Robert Rodriguez dress I just bought for $180 at Neimans selling here for nearly $1,000, I hightailed it out of the store as quickly as possible.

Per the recommendations of Jen Norris and the lovely girls at my hotel, I headed to Chapel Street, the Melrose Avenue of Melbourne. True to description, the area was a mix of high-end boutiques and cafes, and stores filled with the latest club wear. After popping my head into places such as Alannah Hill (a grown-up version of Betsey Johnson) and Eurotrash (a brilliantly-named hole-in-the-wall with high-end vintage finds), I headed back to the hotel to rest before going out for the evening.

That evening, Jen’s friend, Tomas, picked me up and we went to dinner in St. Kilda, a formerly run-down beach resort that has now become the hip hangout for Melbourne’s youth. (Imagine if Coney Island became the new Brooklyn). After another great dinner (mussels with chorizo in a tomato sauce) and a quick walk down St. Kilda’s main drag, I went back to the hotel and happily plopped into bed, exhausted from a long day of walking.