Shopping in Paddington

Right in the middle of the action on Oxford Street, the Carl Kapp flagship store is the perfect place to pick up a glamorous frock. His beautifully structured pieces have a perfect mix of masculine and feminine elements. Over at Incu, Brian and Vincent Wu, aside from bringing London's Topshop to the Sydney streets, have long been giving ample rack space to great local up-and-comers like Lover, Something Else and TV. In need of accessories? Oxford St jewellery mecca Harlequin Market has a great mix of vintage pieces and fresh local labels. And South West Trader is one shopping stop you need to make for the most out-there local accessories around. An outfit is not complete without cool shades, so swing by George Skoufis Optometrist and pick up a pair of Colab, Chronicles of Never or Ksubi shades. Oh, and if you wear spectacles, this is the place for that too.  

Just off the main drag, the Kirrily Johnston flagship store is a beautifully ordered presentation of her natural, relaxed style. Expect bold prints in neutral colours and easy-to-wear draping. Dion Lee, a local fashion wunderkind, has been the darling of RAFW for the past two years, and we predict 2012 will be no different. Pick up his threads at the Lands End Store, which also stocks local fave Toni Maticevski. One of the standouts of the William Street shopping drag, Poepke stocks local greats two by Lyn and Tony, Trust Fun! and Rittenhouse. Add to this Ann Demeulemeester, Bernhard Willhelm and Dries Van Noten and you have an idea of what this boutique has to offer. Nearby, you’ll find The Corner Shop, the perfect introduction to Aussie greats Christopher Esber, Magdalena Velevska and swimwear label Anna & Boy.

A few doors down is one of the city’s best loved and fairly priced swimwear labels. Every season Tigerlily manages to put together one of the most solid swimwear ranges around. Those looking for even more of a wow on the sand should make their next stop Zimmermann. The swimwear designed by sisters Nicky and Simone Zimmermann is glamorous indeed. They use beautiful palettes and prints and sophisticated and simple lines. These pieces are so beautiful you won’t want to get them wet! Alternatively, C&M Swim is the spin-off swimwear line of local brother and sister design duo Camilla and Marc, and the classic shapes and simple colour palettes are just oh-so flattering. 

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