Ishka: Acland Street

Melbourne's most prolific hippie haven always greets visitors with the intoxicating Nag Champa intense smell and a strong desire to wrap oneself in endless alpaca shawls. The narrow silk scarf-flanked entrance gives way to racks upon racks of silk dresses, boleros and embroidered tops, most of them made in India, Nepal and Thailand. Packed into the back room are large wooden cabinets and coffee tables, lit by the warm glow of craggy salt lamps.