It’s been a while since I’ve had the chance to do some Melbourne exploring. Between moving and trips to Sydney, it was nice this past weekend to get back out and discover more of what’s fast becoming my favourite city in the world.

I’ve been seeing advertising for the Hollywood Costume exhibition at the ACMI for a while now, not to mention several people mentioning it to me. Ironically when I was living on Flinders Lane, it was a mere 100 metres to the ACMI, yet I never made it there!

So this morning I start early: partly to make the most of the day (I have a flight to Sydney at 4PM) but partly because my Friday night only consisted of a couple of episodes of Wentworth, some warm milk and straight to bed (oh lord what’s happening to me?). So I’m up involuntarily at the time of my week day alarm, around 7am. The exhibit doesn’t open until 10AM so after some brekky at home, I wander up to Toorak Road for a coffee at “The Drugstore” which is a quirky café on walk to South Yarra Station. It’s got that Melbourne-healthy vibe, serving brekky Quinoa (nuff said). I sit for a while and people watch before heading hopping on a train to Flinders Street Station.

Did I mention the trains come like every 5 seconds and it takes no more than 10 minutes to get to the city from South Yarra?!

Campfire at FedSquare

I’m still too early when I hit the city but ACMI is at Federation Square so I grab another coffee and wander around a bit, realising with surprise that I haven’t actually seem this touristy square properly til now.  Strangely I smell bushfire and notice a campfire blazing in the middle of the square – an art piece in recognition of the indigenous community. It’s a pretty freezing day and although the fire gives off little to no heat, just the smell is enough to warm me up.

Finally 10am arrives and I wander into the exhibit which is a showing of old and not so old costumes from Fight Club to Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

The standout for me (randomly) is Glenn Close’s skirt suits from her role as Cruella De Vil in 101 Dalmatians. Two suits are displayed side by side on mannequins.  The suit on the left is your classic Chanel Houndstooth skirt suit (think the David Jones pattern for anyone not familiar), clean lines and power shoulder pads.  If you know the movie you’ll know that initially Cruella de Vil’s character is relatively calm and sophisticated (albeit nasty), much like Amanda Priestley in the Devil Wears Prada.  To the right is the identical suit but its black detailing has been highlighted with black sequins, it’s shoulder pads have been altered to come to a point and turned upwards and what was a pearl necklace draping on the neckline is now glass-like shards of black plastic. It’s such a clever symbol of a character change which I’m sure I’d never noticed in the movie and I just love it.

Hollywood Costume at the ACMI

I pass by Rose from Titanic, Roxy from Chicago but I have to stop at Hepburn in her famous Breakfast at Tiffanys black dress (in my opinion nowhere near her best costume from the movie but hey!). She’s standing next to Marilyn Monroe circa Some Like it Hot and it’s their size and the idea that they actually wore those dresses in front of me that blows me away. In the same way it’s cool to see Brad, Leo & Russell’s real size and costumes and I feel like this has much more impact than something like Madam Tussauds.

I’m told when I first walk into the gallery that it will take me over an hour & a half to get through to the end if I intend to see it all (which i look forward to!) but I don’t see how anyone could spend more than 45 minutes there. I actually find myself peering into a fire escape because I assume I’ve missed some.  It’s a little disappointing but all in all it’s a nice way to spend the early morning.

I wander further up to the CBD and spend the next hour watching a band busking to a crowd of about 50 people outside Myer! They’re incredible for a band performing to strangers on the street and I happily buy their $10 CD and even snap a video with my phone. So maybe the exhibition only took half an hour but luckily, when in Melbourne it only has to be part of the story!

Woodlock Lemons