Chapel St.

Chokka with goodies, just don’t catch chainstore-itis. From South Yarra Station, whip over Toorak Rd. for Mecca Cosmetica at #166 / 9827 8711, a buffet of lush bewdy brands. Cross back, head right, then swing left into Claremont St. for macaron magician Adriano Zumbo’s mega popular patisserie at #14 / 1800 858 611. Sneak right via Yarra Lane to influential fashion palace Le Louvre at 2 Daly St. / 9650 1300, a mirrored shrine to swoon-worthy Lanvin, Jil Sander and Stella McCartney, with bridal gowns upstairs. Exit left and turn left up Chapel St. for Burch & Purchese Sweet Studio at #647 / 9827 7060, a wonderland of cakes, chox n’ sugar art. Exit right and sashay south down Chapel St. to Toorak Rd. If you’re feeling nibbly zip left into Toorak Rd. and cross over for zingy Vietnamese morsels at MissChu at #276 / 9041 5848, and while you’re there nip into fine art trove #270 Gould Galleries / 9827 8482 / Tue-Sat / before doubling back to Chapel St. and turning left. Totter along for dandy den Déclic at #588 / 9827 5258 / with smart shirts and ties; Oz mainstay #576 Saba’s / 9826 3600 / statement threads (m/w); Marcs at #576 / 9826 4906 / for casj guys’ n’ gals’ daywear; Marimekko at #576 / 9804 7213 / with vibrant, patterned Finnish homeware; and, on the cnr of Oxford St., saucy local femme label Scanlan Theodore at #566 / 9824 1800. Side step left into Oxford St. for floaty swimmers and beach gear (w) at Zimmermann / 9827 2123, then hop back onto Chapel and carry on to find fab Dinosaur Designs at #562 / 9827 2600 / with sculptural candy-coloured resin jewellery and tableware, followed by skate and street-art m/w tees and sweats at BlackBook #558 / 9824 1104. Cross over for conceptual Oz fash label (w) LIFEwithBIRD at #563 / 9029 6934, graphic local fave Gorman at #561 / 9826 9516 / and saucy Sydney glamourpuss (w) Sass & Bide at #531 / 9804 7270. Exit right and after a brisk walk, look left for covetable, contempo interiors at #464 West Elm / 8396 0300, before nipping into Wilson for race-y Northside Wheelers at #6a / 0409 413 700 / with fine vintage-mod cycling wares. Whisk back to Chapel and cross to colonial-chic upstairs bar Zhou Zhou at #455 / 9826 0169 / 5pm-11pm Wed-Thu & Sun, till 2am Fri-Sat / for a much deserved pitstop. Refuelled, exit right – now comes 400m of retail desert, so cab it or trot on down to Commercial Rd. Turning right here takes you to gourmet Prahran Market with cooking school/kitchenware cavern The Essential Ingredient (see Activities), and bean-buff café Market Lane Coffee / 9804 7434 / Tue-Sun. Carrying on down Chapel, turn right at the clock tower into Greville St.; on the corner of Izett St. is Third Drawer Down / #155 / 9534 4088 / with witty, mod homewares, then Signed & Numbered at #153 / 9077 6468 / has locally-made prints by illustrators and street artists. Head back to Chapel; on the right is Chapel St. Bazaar at #217 / 9529 1727 / a jumble of vintage furny and faff. By now you must be famished, so cross over to crisp white David’s at 4 Cecil Pl. / 9529 5199 / for rustic Shanghainese, or go up and left into High St. to feast on phwoarsome pho at Hanoi Hannah at #180 / 9939 5181, then slalom over to The Smith at #213 (see Rest./Smart) for niche vino sips. Nice one, Sharon! If you’re still full of beans post sips, the Hawksburn itin is but a cab hop away.