At first glance, you may not notice that the entire second floor of glittering retail wonderland Emporium Melbourne is filled entirely with Australian designers. Some – like Alannah Hill, Gorman and Jigsaw – are immediately recognisable, but it’s the breadth of emerging, edgier labels that truly earn the CBD precinct its ‘Melbourne’s fashion hub’ name.
Take Dion Lee, for example. It’s the first stand-alone in Melbourne from the enviably young Sydney designer, and it features the entire women’s clothing collection, including swimwear and undergarments.
The shop itself features a minimalist concrete-and-steel theme. Mirrored walls play with visual perception and add depth to a relatively small space. It’s the perfect setting for Lee’s collection of cutting-edge garments made using traditional tailoring techniques. Sharp jackets and skirts would add punch to a working woman’s wardrobe, and bold wrap-around fluoro orange cocktail dresses are stunning, but not for the faint-hearted.