retailers

Campbell Arcade, in the Degraves Street Subway, is a must when on the hunt for something special in Melbourne City. It is located below all the lovely alleyway stores & cafes in Degraves Street, and connects the fashion strip to Flinders Street Station.

Not long ago, I spent a long weekend in Melbourne with my mum & sister. While I didn't make it to all all the shopping strips I would have liked (as I had to be 'diplomatic'), I did get to visit many of my favourite boutiques in the city - and take some pics to share with you!

I hope you all had a wonderful break over the holidays! We took some time off over Christmas followed by a camping holiday at Depot Beach (near Bateman's Bay, NSW). As you can imagine, we've returned feeling much refreshed and a little over-excited once again about all things indie...

Guess who has launched a shiny new online store? The well-known & much loved Ruck Rover General Store! Ruck Rover began in 2006 when sisters Claire & Isabelle decided it was time to work for themselves doing what they wanted, playing any music they liked and buying everything they loved.

Well.. they've spent the last two years selling all those things they love, supporting small, independent designers from Australia and all over the world, and making quite a name for themselves in the process.

Outskirts Opulent tee (left) & Broken Eyes tee (right), AUD $69 each.

Ruck Rover General Store has offered the folk of Perth a truly unique shopping experience, and now they've made it a whole lot easier for the rest of us to join in... and look at what I found! The illustrations of Melbourne's Dylan Martorell are incredible, and featured on the Outskirts t-shirts pictured above and below.

Outskirts Fox tee (left, AUD $69) & Ruck Rover Hearts top (right, AUD $20)

My pick of the girls' fashion is the Ruck Rover summer lovin' top (above right), which just happens to be an absolute steal at the moment - reduced from AUD $88 to only $20! Plenty of love there...

Moe Moe earrings, L to R: Flight earrings, Ruck Rover Bird earrings, Tricycle earrings - AUD $29.95 each pair.

Moe Moe earrings are always a favourite, and if you're wondering about those birdies - YES, they are the Ruck Rover signature chirpers.

Sunday Morning Old Map and Plants exercise books, AUD $15 each.

More Dylan Martorell illustrations on these Sunday Morning exercise books containing graph paper pages. I really want some of these for myself, and at AUD $15, they definitely won't break the budget.

Pop over to www.ruckrover.com.au & choose your own favourites from Ruck Rover's selection of womens, mens & babies fashion and accessories, stationery and homewares. Or if you live in Perth, drop by in person to
Shop 4, 595 Beaufort St, Mt Lawley, WA, 6050.

Phone: (08) 9228 3502.

It's out!! We've been eagerly awaiting this years' edition of the Bob Boutique catalogue, and it arrived in my post office box just a couple of days ago... It is bursting with delight, but before I get too carried away though, I should make some introductions. For those of you who haven't heard, Bob Boutique is an independent boutique and gallery in the heart of Bendigo (near Melbourne). Owner & fellow artist/designer Sonia Brit first opened the doors to Bob Boutique in 2004. Located in the Hotel Shamrock building, the atmosphere is a mix of old world charm with the cute and kooky, quaint and quirky...

The adjoining gallery space showcases work by new labels and unique artists. Recent exhibitions have included animation cell prints by Melbourne artist Wendy Tyrer, ink & watercolour works by Bendigo artist Logan French, storybook inspired prints by London's Mandy Sutcliffe (AKA Belle and Boo)and hand printed works by Griffith artist Kristy Brown.

Currently showing are original works, badges, stationery and fashion from Sydney designer Akina's recent trip to Japan. The Akina exhibition closes on December 20, so if you're in Bendigo, be quick!

Next up at the Bob Boutique gallery will be yours truly! (I'm currently working on a selection of original paintings to accompany our series of Non-Fiction Family Portrait prints. I'll tell you more closer to the date!)

Bob Boutique has a large mailorder following, so each year Sonia puts together a tempting catalogue for the out-of-towners... Titled "Amazing adventures in the land of bob", the catalogue is packed full of products you'll LOVE. Around 80% of labels are Australian, including many favourites such as A Skulk of Foxes, Princess Tina, Stickmeon, Young Eve, Love, Drink Me Alice, Jewelree, Zeph and Millie, Mikiya, Button Tree, Mingus, Fable 15, Two Little Ducks, Akina, Dirt Child, Pocket Art, Alma B, Moe Moe, Twitch Toys & more...

I have a few spare copies of the Bob Boutique catalogue to post to the first three people who leave a comment on this post & I'll pop a couple of our Non-Fiction greeting cards in too :)

Visit the Bob Boutique web site & register as a member to be sent a copy of the catalogue, and be kept up to date with happenings in the land of bob!

Bob Boutique is located at:
17 Williamson Street, Bendigo, VIC, 3550.
Ph. 03 5444 3522
www.bob.net.au

Georgie Love has just been relaunched with a shiny new summer coat and plenty of handmade pleasures! We've been eagerly awaiting the "surprise relaunch" for a while now & it's so exciting to see the new site online. The cheery collage images, buttons & stitching details reflect the quirky handmade nature of Sally's product selection, and of course, there are plenty of pics of George bounding through the web site.

To celebrate the relaunch, Sally and George (her gingery mutt) have offered us a $50 voucher to give away to one lucky reader! Simply leave a comment telling us the name of a product(s) you love from www.georgielove.com - there are many crafty goodies to choose from - jewellery, accessories, clothing, artworks..., and the new site layout makes it even easier to choose! You can also check out all the artist profiles simply by clicking through their bios on the homepage - it's so lovely to know a little about the people who handmade the products...

I'll start the ball rolling by commenting on something I have my eye on, and I hope there will be many comments to follow! Competition closes at the end of Monday 17th November 2008 - in perfect time for a little Christmas shopping.

in.cube8r gallery opened its doors on Smith St, Fitzroy (Melbourne) last year and has gained quite a following - (in fact, I've read snippets & seen references in blogs all over). They've helped many emerging artists & designers introduce their products to the retail marketplace, and provided a great environment for more established labels to expand their product range, exposure & of course, their customer base.

All the products on display at in.cube8r gallery have been made by hand. Over 80 Melbourne artists & crafters are represented, which means there is a vast range of original clothing, accessories, jewellery, artworks & gifts. The gallery is based on the concept of a market or bazaar, but without the need to get up at 5am & wrestle with your trestle table. in.cube8r spaces (including glass cubes) are available from $20 per week and, best of all, there is no commission on sales.

Founder of this unique retail space is Isy Galey, who nurtured the dream to open a top-notch but friendly & approachable handmade gallery for over a decade. In July 2007, her dream was realised when the spaces between the fuchsia walls became filled with all sorts of handmade delights & the doors were opened to the public. Within 7 weeks of opening, in.cube8r spaces were booked out & there was already a waiting list!

I recognise the contents of this cube! This is the work of artist / illustrator Julie Knoblock who lives in West Gippsland, Victoria. Through her label, Tummyache, she produces bags, toys, necklaces, brooches, artworks & limited edition prints. I love the vibrant orange satchel at the back of this display & her illustrations look so sweet when turned into pendants.

There are too many people whose work is on display to list in this post, but the in.cube8r gallery web site features designer profiles so that you can learn a little about person who made your special find.
Visit www.incube8r.com/designerscube.html to see a sampling of the many & varied products available & the people who make them, and if you live in Melbourne (or are just visiting), make sure you drop by in.cube8r gallery at 321 Smith St, Fitzroy (t. 03 8415 0321).

I love shopping at Yoshi Jones in Newtown. The light-filled store is colourful & vibrant, bursting with great gifts to suit all occasions, and I know I'll always find gorgeous clothes that I love to wear... but apart from all those girlie things, I'm always impressed at the large selection of interesting menswear on the shelves. Yoshi Jones carries t-shirts aplenty, with screen prints guaranteed to please the boys. They also stock a unique collection of cotton shirts that are something else! They are designed & made in Australia by Yoshi Jones, using contemporary cotton fabrics sourced in Japan.

The striking patterns feature geometric shapes and colour palettes that work brilliantly. A couple of my favourite colour combinations include peach partnered with both warm & cool blue variants (as pictured at top) and orange, brown & aqua (as pictured below) both on a crisp white background. The various designs suit all tastes but mostly they are unique in a bland environment where the male shirt seems to be reserved for the conservative workplace.

The mens shirts are available in two different styles - fitted and a side vent style that can be worn with jeans, shorts or a skinny pant. (Perfect for all those summer celebrations!) There are both short sleeve & long sleeve options, and prices range from AUD $99 - $125. Pictured below is a detail from one of the shirts showing a more delicate design - both in its hand-drawn style and the mauve & eggplant colours - again on a crisp white background, punctuated by orange & blue highlights.

The fabric range is so eycatching it has appealed to men and women alike leading Yoshi to design a range of colourful shirts for us girls as well as the boys. This new range will be appearing instore throughout this month, so if you are in Sydney, be sure to check them out! The Yoshi Jones store is at 134 King St, Newtown (near the intersection of King St & Missendon Rd).

P.S. If you're a coffee lover, stop by Campos Coffee (a block down Missenden Rd) for the best coffee & beans ever!

dexhibition opened over the weekend at Panic Urban Streetwear & Counter Culture at 28 Johnston St, Fitzroy, Melbourne. On display is a collection of artworks that use the humble skate deck as a canvas. dexhibition features over 24 skateboard designs by both established & up and coming artists from Melbourne & Sydney including:

deb, pete @ devils ink, pierre lloga, luke ryan, pep, junior, deam, slap, kid zoom, omer, caleb, smc, phibs, trog, eaten rabbit, que, i like things, drew, six one, nicole, agoe, petite mort, max berry, ears.

Though I haven't visited the Panic store/gallery in person, they also look to have some interesting clothing & accessories including Melbourne label deliri'art & Sydney label My Genocide Clothing. Panic is dedicated to supporting emerging designers, musicians, film makers and artists by providing a space where these people can exhibit, create and perform. Somewhere to visit next time I'm in Melbourne!

Ku-türe is a new online store featuring one-off designer fashions, accessories & jewellery by a host of up & coming designers. Caroline Turner began Ku-türe as a fashion wholesale & PR agency based in Sydney. Her business aimed to give designers a voice in the very noisy fashion industry, and the Ku-türe online store was a natural progression. Each piece listed in the store is unique - not another one exists, so when you click on the "Own It!" button, you know you're purchasing something truly special. The talented lineup includes Ampersander, DavisEyes, Ghost & Lola, Homer & Plum, Psychoglam, Sandra Williams, Sassifras, She's Laughin, Tutu, and Jane Pollard - designer of the striking jewellery pieces pictured above.

Jane Pollard is a self-taught jeweller who has been making wearable objects for the past 12 years. Working with predominantly found objects, her jewellery incorporates a variety of interesting elements including 1920s - 1960s plastic, bakelite or glass buttons, buckles, glass beads, crystals and silk, velvet or vintage ribbons. She works from her Newtown studio in Sydney and regularly exhibits her work all around Australia. You'll find Jane Pollard jewellery for sale in gallery stores and high-end fashion outlets alike, and of course, online at Ku-türe!

The two Jane Pollard pieces pictured above are gorgeous examples of the current collection - bold, individual designs which speak for themselves. The Bracelet has been created from two tan buttons strung onto two strands of red Czech glass beads with a plastic button clasp. You can "own it" for AUD $90. The Lariat and Brooch are made from a vintage navy & white plastic buckle and vintage mother of pearl button, combined with red Czech glass beads for the lariat. A versatile piece, it can be worn as a short or long neckpiece, belt or bracelet. "Own it" for AUD $340... find it at www.ku-türe.com.

Pigeon Ground Records and Clothing is a gem in the back streets of Camperdown, Sydney. They stock an eclectic range of vintage, second hand and handmade clothing and accessories for guys & gals as well as a fabulous range of new & used records. Featured labels include Secret Squirrel, Meek and Mouthy, Scoops, Fuzz, Back to Bristol on this Plane, Hooked by Fern & Dapple-Grey.

Good news - these treasures are currently on sale, with almost nothing over AUD $40! The sale continues until early August (while stocks last) so hurry down & treat yourself to a bargain.