We’re not sure about you, but to us, a holiday just isn’t a holiday without splashing a little cash on items you don’t really need but HAVE to have. So if a holiday to you means lapping up the life of luxury with the full intention of recreating a scene out of ‘Confessions of a Shopaholic’, get that credit card ready, we’ve got some ground to cover.
Shopping is always best with a partner in crime, and in a new city, you’ll need some credible tips from fashionable friends or those in the know. Luckily, we caught up with Gold Coast fashion and lifestyle blogger Fiona Edwards Bassingthwaighte for a straightforward, no non-sense take on where to head once you land.
“As a busy mum of three I’m sharing more ways to be stylish as a woman while managing the hectic lives we live,” she says. “We can all be super stylish!”
And stylish we shall be.
Julio, get the stretch ‘cause we’re going uptown.
BUT FIRST – we need a plan of attack. Isn’t it always the way- when you CAN spend on clothes, you can’t seem to find any? Enter Fifideluxe.com. Fiona started the site as a personal style blog in 2013, featuring outfits she loved in combinations she pulled together. These days, Fiona says it offers comprehensive ideas and takes on current fashion trends. Tactical inspo –tick! On we go.
Straight up, let’s head to Janine Edward Boutique- a haven where all your Insta, Pinterest, glossy mag and blog inspo comes to life. Doesn’t the saying go, behind every great woman, there’s another great woman? Janine and Fiona are the mother-daughter shopping team of your dreams.
JANINE EDWARDS BOUTIQUE, MAIN BEACH
“This is our store at Main Beach. I love the mix of premium international fashion brands and local designers. It showcases a beautiful offering, season after season, and is a constant source of inspiration,” shared Fiona.
You can find Janine Edwards Boutique in Marina Mirage at Main Beach. If you ask us, you’re going to want to set aside some time to soak up the Main Beach area pre and post shop. Marina Mirage is set among the stunning Broadwater surrounded by yachts and a dedicated fashion house hotel. Yep, you’re in good fashion stead up here.
Nearby Southport is the original Gold Coast CBD. Boasting street savvy locals and coffee digs to wake up for, Southport is home to Ferry Road Market within the Brickworks centre.
FERRY RD MARKET, SOUTHPORT
“I go here for the great coffee, exquisite flowers and the best fresh produce available on the Gold Coast. The oysters are a highlight – they’re shucked right in front of you. Ferry Rd is one of my favourite places to spend a morning out to meet with friends and family,” Fiona advises.
And good call too, the flowers here are exquisite and there’s an art gallery, Gallery One, to fill in the time while you digest that delectable seafood.
The next place to find your fashion faves is a little further south in Broadbeach. If, like us, you had a few pinot grigios with your oysters, the G:Link tram is the go-to chauffeured means of transport.
PACIFIC FAIR, BROADBEACH
Got champagne taste and a healthy bank balance to boot? You could be in for some trouble. Our very own version of designer alley is home to more high-end labels than anywhere else in the country (Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Givenchy… do we need to continue the name dropping?).
“The new Pacific Fair Shopping Centre is a world-class retail experience which has put the Gold Coast on the fashion map. With so many major designers on offer, you can spend all day there browsing the stores and dining in one of the many wonderful restaurants,” said Fiona.
Not only is Pac Fair (as the locals call it) beautiful in its aesthetic, it also has plenty of functional spaces for you to chill out. Clear your mind and genuinely feel as though you’re in a resort as you lay on daybeds atop green turf, overlooking an outdoor stream beside a cocktail bar. I did not make this up.
While you’re chilling between gathering well-deserved gifts for yourself, scroll through Fiona’s insta feed, @fifideluxeblog with a sense of contented gratitude for our helpful Gold Coast stylista.
After Pac Fair, the next stop is – wait, aren’t your feet killing you already? Let’s not let the espresso martinis cloud our purchasing judgement. We’ll come back to you with more GC shopping wins in the next blog. If you can’t wait, check out more on where to shop here.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY
Destination Gold Coast acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we are situated, the Kombumerri families of the Yugambeh Language Region.
We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging, and recognise their continuing connections to the lands, waters and their extended communities throughout Southeast Queensland.