RETAIL THERAPY
Lucie Blinco’s Zoo Emporium, Surry Hills
Just walking into the two-level shop will make you want to play dress up. Glitzy party or not, it stocks everything from shoes and clothes to accessories, especially if you’re geared up for a theme party.
All Buttons Great and Small, King Street
King Street is one of the quirkiest shopping strips in Sydney, lined with interesting stores and this one is the cherry on the cake. Packed with over 15,000 buttons—from Swarovski, diamond, natural material, plastic to metal. The staff can also help you pick the perfect buttons for your fabric. If that’s not enough buttoned-down fun, they also sell button cards, button jewellery and even seasonal button tins.
Tuchuzy, Bondi
The inner-east district of Bondi is best known for its sand and surf; step away from the water and you will discover streets, devoted to boutiques and brunches. This is where you turn up in your Sunday best to shop for the best. Fashion, accessories and all things quaint; this is the luxury outing for the whimsical of taste, who also hold a candle for sustainability (read hemp seed merino polo knits).
Eveleigh Works, Locomotive Street
Stop here for a knife-making or blacksmithing course and shop for some fun tees and tote bags at the same time. If that sounds like an odd-ball combination, this is the heritage quarter with a 130-yearold blacksmith shop right in the heart of Sydney. Get your hands dirty, learn the metal arts and add a footnote to the annals of history.
China Town
It’s hard to pull surprises when strolling along China Town: shops overflowing with Chinese spices, mementos and even medicines. Set up in 1920, it has transformed the location, vendors and produce—from dancing lions, to BluRays and music CD’s to pop culture toys and giftees.