Stylist Petta Chua grew up in Sydney’s western suburbs and made her name as a fashion editor on Vogue Australia and fashion director of GQ Australia.
Since finishing up at GQ, she’s worked with local fashion brands such as Camilla and Marc and Bianca Spender, and styled Zoë Foster-Blake and Hamish Blake for Tourism Australia’s recent Holiday Here This Year campaign. Here are Ms Chua’s picks of where to go to shop for fashion, design and homewares in her hometown.
Ms Chua suggests starting your shopping expedition in the heart of Sydney city. Westfield Sydney is a great first stop: the massive complex has stores such as the men’s and women’s Harrolds boutiques for luxury fashion (“amazing”, as Petta puts it) and homegrown Zimmermann, as well as a beautiful Aesop showroom that’s “always a great place to go and see”.
Beyond Westfield, there’s the Country Road flagship store over three levels, including homewares, on Pitt Street Mall; and the Kinokuniya bookstore and Incu men’s and women’s designer fashion stores in The Galeries, across the road from the Queen Victoria Building with its five levels of shopping. And then there’s the historic Strand Arcade for more local designer fashion.
On the fringe of the city centre in Surry Hills, Ms Chua recommends checking out the art for sale at exhibitions at China Heights Gallery & Studios on Foster Street. “And an absolute must-must-must for anyone looking to find great vintage is that little pocket of Surry Hills where Zoo Emporium, Storeroom Vintage, which is an Instagram/TikTok sensation, and C’s Flashback are,” she said.
Heading further east from central Sydney, Ms Chua has a plan for making the most of the incredible shopping in the streets of the neighbouring suburbs of Woollahra, Paddington and Darlinghurst.
“The Woollahra end of Paddington, all the way to Darlinghurst, is a really great trail to wander down to get a hit of international and Australian boutique luxury fashion and design,” she said. “Pitstops should include Parlour X, Dinosaur Designs on Oxford Street, and Pierre Winter Fine Jewels on William Street. Then head down towards The Intersection (where Glenmore Road meets Oxford Street), where there’s Bassike, Camilla and Marc and Scanlan Theodore among many others, then finish up on the Darlinghurst end of Oxford Street at MCM House and Jardan, which are great Australian designer-furniture places.”
Ms Chua recommends checking out Dinosaur Designs for quintessential Sydney souvenirs. “I can’t think of anything more Sydney than their salad bowls and servers: they’re so filled with colour and zest,” she said. “They’re joyful, have great unique designs and encourage you to eat well and live well.”
If you have time for a detour, head to nearby Edgecliff to browse the designer rugs at Cadrys on New South Head Road. “They have the most incredible collection of rugs – all the big Persian classics, but they’re also really big supporters of Australian textile workers and there’s some really amazing artists working with Cadrys, like Tammy Kanat.”
Or make your way further east to Bondi, to the Assembly Label store on Bondi Road, “for basics and perfect boyfriend-cut T-shirts”, and Albus Lumen’s Societé store, back from the beach on Glenayr Avenue, for elegant and relaxed women’s wear with a focus on breathability and sustainability.
In the inner-west shopping hub of Newtown, Ms Chua heads to her brother Kiren Chua’s Belly Bao restaurant on King Street for Taiwanese-inspired bao noodles or bao burgers, before grabbing a cake at Black Star Pastry, also on King Street. “Then it’s always great to head down to the Route 66 vintage store, which has found its new home on Enmore Road after moving from Darlinghurst,” she said.
Sydney’s sensational shopping precincts
From the bustling city centre to fashionable pockets across the harbourside suburbs and further west, you’ll find great shopping all over Sydney.
Sydney CBD
Serious shoppers are spoilt for choice in the heart of Sydney. Start at the pedestrian-only Pitt Street Mall, where you can head into the massive Westfield Sydney for level upon level of designer fashion. Also on Pitt Street Mall are the historic Strand Arcade, which is home to the boutiques of upmarket Australian fashion labels, and the MidCity arcade, where you’ll find youthful fashion. And one block away is the 1898 Queen Victoria Building and its five levels of fashion, jewellery and homewares stores (as well as a Haigh’s Chocolates store and a Koko Black kiosk on either end of the ground floor).
Surry Hills
You’ll need your walking shoes for this inner Sydney suburb, which has plenty of interesting stores tucked away in side streets. Start at Crown Street where it meets Devonshire Street, and browse for hard-to-find books and movies at Title Store. Then pop into Mud Australia, on the same block as Title Store, for Australian minimalist porcelain homewares. Further up Crown Street, Mrs Red & Sons has quirky gifts sourced from across south-east Asia, while Provider Store on nearby Riley Street has an exquisite collection of “slow-made Japanese homewares”.
Paddington
Come to this inner-eastern suburb between the city centre and Bondi to immerse yourself in local designer fashion, jewellery, homewares and furniture. On the section of Oxford Street around Paddington Reservoir Garden (a great little hidden garden that’s perfect for a break between shops) you’ll find expertly curated women’s fashion at Parlour X, while nearby William Street is lined with funky little boutiques., At the corner of Oxford Street and Glenmore Road, the Intersection is home to a cluster of top Australian designer labels.
Bondi
At Sydney’s most iconic beach suburb, you’ll want to explore the streets beyond the beachside promenade of Campbell Parade. On Gould Street, one block back from Campbell Parade, seek out Tuchuzy for women’s wear and accessories and New York label Saturdays NYC for minimalist casual men’s and women’s clothes. Snap up prints of Eugene Tan’s iconic images of Bondi and the New South Wales coast at Aquabumps gallery on Curlewis Street. Then grab a latte and browse the selection of books at Gertrude & Alice café and bookstore on Hall Street.
Mosman
The North Shore suburb of Mosman is home to a heady concentration of upmarket fashion and homewares. From the junction of Split Road, busy Military Road morphs into a more sedate shopping and lunching district. Check out ethical fashion at Assembly Label, pared-back wardrobe staples at Viktoria & Woods and elegant women’s designs at Lee Mathews. Then admire the beautiful museum-like interiors as well as cutting-edge jewellery at local label Sarah & Sebastian’s store.
Newtown
With its large student population courtesy of neighbouring Sydney University, the inner west’s Newtown has always had a colourful, eclectic edge. Follow bustling King Street from the university end of Newtown and you’ll find a mix of stores offering youthful designer fashion and quirky homewares alongside the ubiquitous Thai restaurants. Around Newtown’s train station there’s a concentration of vintage clothes stores, including Fabrique and Vintage at 313. From the station you can continue south along King Street to browse more secondhand fashion, antiques and vinyl records, or follow Enmore Road to check out the chic cafes and the curated finds at vintage store SWOP.
Parramatta
Sydney’s other major city centre is home to one of the country’s largest shopping malls. There are more than 400 specialty stores at Westfield Parramatta, including premium local fashion and accessories labels such as Bec & Bridge, Aje and Mimco, as well as David Jones and Myer department stores.