Kawaii Melbourne ^(-.-)^

I'm really into the whole cutesy Asian "kawaii" vibe - harajuku girls and the Tokyo fashion scene, so boy was I surprised to find a whole host of hidden Japanese-style stores littered throughout the alleyways of central Melbourne. My brother and I found several little boutiques stocking various Japanese looks. One shop on Elizabeth St called "Shibuya" has the most adorable ruffled minis and gorgeous accessories (think skull-themed jewellery) suitable for any aspiring gothic lolita. If punky-pretty is not your thing, then the funky shop "Two Percent" in the Mid City Complex, with it's huge range of Japanese streetwear may be more appealing. They have a lot of cool menswear as well as womenswear, to the relief of my brother. He got a really awesome jacket which no one else in NZ would have.
I was so excited when we discovered the "Aoi T-shirt Mart" on Exhbition St - this shop has hundreds of tees from XS to XL in a multitude of colours and styles with the coolest Japanese graphic art. We bought so many tees - my excuse is that they are the kind of thing that wears out!
Probably my favourite store that we found is "Yukie Clothing" on Little Lonsdale St. This shop stocks all the hip labels from Asia, including A Bathing Ape and Billionaire Boys Club. I bought the cutest 3/4 length red trackpants from Yukie. They even stock some local trendy Aussie designer labels such as Sass & Bide - you can't go wrong there! My brother also liked "Kinki Gerlinki" on Centre Place. This treasure trove stocks clothes for girls, guys and kids for quite good prices - all with an quirky Asian edge. Great for presents, especially if you have younger cousins like I do.
The last place we found that satified my inner Asian-style was "Pink Fashion" on Little Bourke St, the heart of Chinatown. The whole shop has a pink theme and there were cute things everywhere - total heaven. If you love Hello Kitty, this is the place for you! Most of the clothing and merchandise is imported from Hong Kong. The same crowd also own "Pink Steps", a shoe store in the giant mall, Melbourne Central.
So if you are looking to indulge in some eclectic Asian quirk, Melbourne is a great place to do so. There are many other great stores which stock cutesy Asian goods that I haven't mentioned - the fun is in hunting them down! And after shopping, it is always a great idea to go to one of Melbourne fantastic chocolate cafes - think Max Brenner or Koko Black...mmm delicious! I can't wait to go back to Melbourne!