If you’ve lived in Canberra for a while, and are in any way fashion/art/cute-things inclined, chances are you’ve already come across (and become addicted to) Braddon boutique, itrip iskip.
Run by sisters Diana (Dee) and Ana Derek, the store has been in existence for about three years, and has quickly become somewhat of a Canberra fashion institution.
Stocking a range of labels, in both men’s and lady’s fashionwear and footwear, and decorated in a deliciously quirky, Alice-in-Wonderland-esque manner, the store is a haven for anyone seeking a cute outfit, a feast for the eyes, or simply a brief respite from the chilly weather in friendly surrounds.
We caught up with co-owner and fashion lover, Dee, for a chat about Canberra, clothes, and cold weather.
A fan of individual style, Dee’s favourite labels stocked in the shop are Melbourne based Lady, which is full of bright colours and fantastical floral prints, and Friends of Couture, with their cute, detailed knits. If it was up to her, half of the stock wouldn’t make it onto the shelves, having been snapped up for her own closet- luckily for us, she exercises some control! The store is filled with a wide range of styles, from simplistic knitted dresses to more detailed jackets and cardi’s.
Added to this is a warm, cosy interior, filled with teapots, plaster animals and a bright red piano. The store is so snug, in fact, that if itrip iskip were an animal, Dee said, it would definitely be a something along the lines of a squirrel, or a rabbit. Really, something cute, fluffy, and friendly.
When asked which fashion icon (past or present), she’d love to see in the store, Lou Doillon, French actress, model and fashionista immediately sprung to Dee’s mind. But even more so, she just likes to see some of the awesomely dressed Canberra locals (i.e. you guys!), who she finds totally inspiring. ‘Canberra fashion isn’t pretentious,’ she said. There are a range of unique styles developing in our humble nation’s capital.
There are no fashion don’t’s, in Dee’s eyes. Spots and stripes, denim on denim, anything bright and brave: if you can pull it off, go for it, she says. And in these colder months, scarves are an absolutely essential item, along with a cute beret.
Finally, we asked, in her professional opinion, has Canberra got style?
‘It’s getting there… no, we do!’ she laughed at our appalled expressions. ‘But it’s good not being the ‘stylish capital’!’
Who needs style when we’ve got character?
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Many thanks go to Zoya, who travelled to and fro itrip iskip many times to kindly write up this interview. Keep an eye out for our next store review, Felt!
