48 Hours in Melbourne

I received an unexpected email from Cotton On last week inviting me to Melbourne to help open their newly re-vamped Chadstone Store. They asked if I could be there to do personal styling sessions with their customers. Although I'm not a professional stylist, I thought it sounded like such a fun idea that I was up for the challenge and more than happy to jump on a plane and head to Melbourne for the weekend. To all those who ARE personal stylists, I give give you a HUGE amount of credit. I had the best time doing it but it's not an easy job! Luckily the day was a huge success so thank you Cotton On for inviting me!

Although the temperature was 16 degrees, Melbourne treated us to perfect sunshine...

First things first when arriving in Melbourne... Food! On our first night Michael and I enjoyed the amazing platter (above) at Kazbar Cafe (481 Chapel Street). You can get a bucket of beers (4 beers of your choice) for $20 (Michael was content with this) while I relaxed soaking up the cool Melbourne vibe with glass of red wine. We also did the same thing the next night at the Greek Deli (583 Chapel Street) this time nibbling on melt-in-your-mouth grilled octopus marinated in red wine, oregano and lemon juice (below)...Soooo good!

So simple but SO good!

Our room at The Olsen Hotel in South Yarra - Absolutely divine!

THE OLSEN is situated in Chapel Street, South Yarra. Step through the front doors of the hotel and your right in the heart of one of the best shopping and eating districts of Melbourne. There's a mixture of Melbourne's best independent boutiques plus stores such as Sass & Bide, Witchery, Country Road and more. If your ideal day would be spent shopping and eating fantastic food, you'll find this area is a little piece of heaven.

Awww shucks! Feeling very important right about now!

We arrived at the newly refurbished Chadstone Shopping Centre which is actually now the biggest shopping centre in the Southern Hemisphere. Boasting over 530 fabulous stores, you'll find everything from international luxury labels such as Miu Miu, Chanel, Gucci and Prada, to all of your favourite Aussie chain stores. My destination for the day was the newly renovated Cotton On store so I didn't get a chance to explore the rest of the centre. I'm sure you could very easily spend all day there (or perhaps even 3) just to see everything!

The new Chadstone Cotton On is a super store showcasing not just Cotton On clothing, but a mixture of their other popular brands such as Rubi Shoes and Typo. There is a great vibe in store and so many fabulous products that you might not find in smaller stores. I spent at least half an hour looking at just the accessories!

My job description for the day was "personal stylist' and I was there to help customers create new looks for themselves... I had so much fun with customers like Rochelle (above),  a uni student who was totally open to anything I suggested and simply wanted me to create a whole new wardrobe and look for her.

Rochelle looking HOT!

The mood in Cotton On all day was pumping. There were so many people shopping up a storm to the live DJ and then shooting fun photos of themselves in the portable photo booth. It felt like one big party!

New Cotton On accessories - LOOOOVE!

Playing dress ups with the girls!

It was so good meeting people who read Mylookbook!

What a way to finish a great day... For those of you who are already WAY ahead of me, I felt like I'd just made the best discovery ever... MACARONS! I can't believe I hadn't tried them before now!

Hopefully I'll be seeing you again soon Melbourne! X