Shoppers’ guide to Darlinghurst
Try these three outstanding retailers for wheels, books and looks. By Emma Joyce
SHIMADA CYCLEWORKS
Find new-age cycles and old-age charm in this basement bike store
Nestled underground beneath a garage, Shimada Cycleworks puts an elegant spin on the culture of cycling. Enter the small store via Sturt Street behind Oxford Street, and you’ll find new-age rides from independent bicycle company Tokyo Bike, with old-school charm courtesy one of Tokyo Bike’s former mechanics Koji Shimada.
Shimada runs the store, which opened up shortly after the specialist Tokyo Bike shop closed its location in the Paramount Building. He has more than 15 years’ experience as a bike mechanic, and for the past five he’s chosen to work with the Japanese brand of cycles, which have come to represent simple, chic design with their mono-coloured steel frames and quality leather seats.
Shimada says he likes the feel of Tokyo Bikes, and that they’re targeted towards urban commuters. He says, “It’s a simple bike with steel frame and steel tubes. It’s elegant, but practical. It’s for city riding.”
The shop itself echoes this minimalistic style. Classic and customisable Tokyo Bikes are lined in neat rows, available to buy from $500-$2,000. Concrete walls are painted white and modest plywood shelves house helmets, wire baskets, locks and bike pumps sourced from Japan and Europe.
Shimada Cycleworks lets you take a bike for a test ride – simply ask, there’s no deposit required. If you have a Tokyo Bike of your own, Shimada charges $40 for a check-up and general service. Additional costs may be charged for specific repairs and new parts if required. Shimada Cycleworks, Basement, 263 Oxford St, Darlinghurst 2010. 02 9357 5944. shimadacycleworks.com.au. Tue-Sun 10am-5pm.
NEUW DENIM
On the hunt for new jeans? Take a look inside this Art Deco-styled store to find laid-back looks that don’t subscribe to the fast-fashion trends
On the crossroads of Crown and Oxford Streets is a store that marries the unofficial uniform of Surry Hills and Darlinghurst: striped cotton tees, lived-in denim and hard-wearing leather boots. And like a good pair of jeans, the Neuw Denim store has become a dependable friend; it’s the place to go if you need to replenish your wardrobe staples – from a fresh pair of ‘mom’ jeans to a cosy beanie for winter – and it’s highly likely you’ll find what you were looking for.
As the name suggests, this shop sells denim – and lots of it. There are retro styles and skinny, high-rise fits; stonewashed jackets and deep navy boot-cut jeans. You’ll mostly find stock from Rollas and Neuw Denim, and if you’re not familiar with the range the staff are friendly and knowledgeable without being pushy. They practically live in the jeans themselves, so they can provide honest advice on sizing and fabrics. Plus, as the store is far from the hustle of CBD shopping, you can move at a more leisurely pace when it comes to selecting the right style.
But denim isn’t all that they sell here. It’s been open for around three years, so the store has built up a curated collection of items from a range of their favourites brands. Slip into lacy fabrics from New Zealand label Lonely Lingerie, pick up a pair of colourful socks from LA brand Richer Poorer, or walk out with new clogs from Aussie designed, Scandinavia-made shoe brand Funkis.
The store also sells a few choice gift items. Head to the back for a cherry-picked selection of vinyl from the Clash to Nirvana. There are soy wax candles from Glebe-based company Pigeon & Weasel, leather wallets and shoulder bags from Status Anxiety and sunnies from Pared Eyewear. Plus, gents can have a field day with grooming products by Uppercut and Triumph & Disaster.
You can take a bike for a test ride, no deposit required
Our tip is to take a closer look at the counter, where you’ll come across unusual, minimalistic jewellery from designer Holly Ryan; she creates stacking rings in silver with a certain edge. Plus, there’s a limited range of items from New York-based jewellery maker Miki Tanaka, like a dirty silver skull necklace that’ll put a statement on that indomitable striped tee and ripped denim combo. Neuw Denim, 84 Oxford St, Darlinghurst 2010. 03 9368 1998. neuwdenim.com. Mon-Wed & Sat 10.30am6pm; Thu, Fri 10.30am-7pm; Sun 10.30am-5.30pm.
BEAUTIFUL PAGES
Pick up some food for thought from this carefully curated print and gift store
Think print is dead? Take a look inside this Darlinghurst store and you’ll soon change your mind. It’s packed to the rafters with niche books and magazines – some that are familiar and some that are not – covering graphic design, fashion, food, architecture and lifestyle. There’s Monocle, the global affairs magazine founded by Tyler Brûlé, alongside quarterly food journal Lucky Peach, founded by Momofuku’s David Chang. There are newsstand faves Frankie and Smith Journal, as well as newbies giving them a run for their money, like Aussie title Womankind.
Beautiful Pages originally started as an online store in 2011; now the Oxford Street shop has grown to stock not only art and design-related paper products but also gifts and titbits that are like candy/crack to a graphic-design geek. There are neatly stacked mugs from Pantone Universe, obsessively arranged in a rainbow of colours. There are daily reminders to live your dreams in the form of inspirational posters by Holstee. And there are tongue-incheek hipster gifts, like a pizza cutter made in the shape of a fixie.
But it’s not just art and design lovers who can get their fix of fresh print at this shop. Botanists, illustrators, film lovers and anime nerds can take in a breath of newly pressed knowledge from indie reads like The Plant, Apartamento, Offscreen Magazine and Kinfolk. And typographers can go wild with smart and irreverent posters and stationery; there are vibrant city maps printed by Herb Lester, and there’s an extensive range of items from the School of Life – such as the popular Toolkit for Life, a box set of life advice books.
One of the best things about this store is that you can drop in for a late-night shop (they’re open till 9pm on Thursdays) or you can while away a Sunday afternoon lost in intelligent and humorous literature. Be sure to flick through the latest prints on the back shelf, or pick up an arthouse DVD on Ai Weiwei, Alice Neel or Hetti Perkins. But whatever you do, don’t leave empty handed. You’ll soon regret it; not every newsstand is this carefully curated or entertaining. Beautiful Pages, 114 Oxford St, Darlinghurst 2010. 02 9356 2331. www.beautifulpages.com.au. Mon-Wed & Fri 11am-7pm; Thu 11am-9pm; Sat 10am7pm; Sun noon-6pm.