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| Grab the girls for a day on James Street |
“Shall we do EP first or S&B?” I asked my girlfriend as
we pulled up in the car.
“Oooh...tough one. Let’s start at Sass & Bide, grab a
coffee and then make our way up to Easton Pearson,” she replied. Deal!
My faithful shopping companion and I had arrived for a day
of retail therapy on James Street, Brisbane’s stylish oasis for Fashionistas,
Fashion Die-Hards and us, the Fashion Wannabes.
Located in Fortitude Valley on the north side of the CBD,
James Street is the Queensland capital’s equivalent to Sydney’s Oxford Street
and Chapel Street in Melbourne, and today it was our playground. Yippee!
As we entered the double-glass doors of Sass & Bide (Cnr James & Doggett St) we realised we might
need more than a coffee to keep us going, because our arms were full of goodies
and we’d only just started.
After deciding on a bright orange statement necklace
(her) and a stunning ruby red Tee (me) we picked up two espressos to go from Jamie’s (Cnr James & Robertson St) and
headed straight to James Lane (65
James Street), an enclave of boutiques alongside the main street.
Made up of FrockShop (the
online store’s first Australian retail space), Jules & Roc, Vanguard Design Boutique, Nat-Sui Shoes
and many others, James Lane is a
style hub in its own right. It’s also
home to Paul Hunt, a Brisbane couture
label gaining international attention for its bridal gowns.
Taking full advantage of the buzz of caffeine, we crossed the
road to try-on jeans in French Connection (50 James Street), embellished skirts at Easton Pearson (60 James Street) and amazing dresses in Kisses (50 James Street) - a much-loved
boutique dedicated to offering a range of gorgeous women’s fashion including
Collette Dinnigan, Paige and Josh Goot.
Remembering I had to pick up a birthday present for my Mum,
I turned back towards Libertine Parfumerie (181 Robertson Street), a Parisian inspired boutique for
world-class fragrances, while my fashion-savvy friend continued her way up
James Street to drool over the shoes in Gary Castles Sydney (73 James Street) and admire one-off samples in Leona Edmiston Vintage (60 James Street
entry via Arthur Street).
Apart from the international designers and leading
Australian labels (think Witchery, Mimco, Scanlon and Theodore, ksubi, Alexis
Dawn etc...) that make up the fashion landscape of James Street, the area
originally found success in the 90s as a place for well-to-do locals to
purchase luxury home wares and see independent films at the cinema.
Today, the shopping hub offers visitors a skilful mix of food providores, independent art galleries, spa retreats, award-winning restaurants, and of course, fabulous fashion. But it was a satisfying glass of Sauvignon-Blanc at Cru Bar & Cellar (22 James Street) that provided well deserved respite for two shopping-tragics at the end of a very fashionable day.
“So, same time next week for the other half of the street?” I asked. “Absolutely, I’ll drink to that!”
Today, the shopping hub offers visitors a skilful mix of food providores, independent art galleries, spa retreats, award-winning restaurants, and of course, fabulous fashion. But it was a satisfying glass of Sauvignon-Blanc at Cru Bar & Cellar (22 James Street) that provided well deserved respite for two shopping-tragics at the end of a very fashionable day.
“So, same time next week for the other half of the street?” I asked. “Absolutely, I’ll drink to that!”
Image provided by Tourism Queensland
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