You’ll fall for Opera faster than a loose thread. The second-hand store stocks designer and vintage clothes from the ’70s to the early 2000s. When its two co-founders, Pip Lennon and Netta Talmi, moved in above the heritage-style shopfront, they didn’t expect to open their own vintage store beneath. With a little luck and a lot of combined experience in fashion, business and art, the duo made Opera a top place to shop quality and curated second-hand and vintage clothing in Melbourne. Their philosophy? Don’t take yourself too seriously.

The store is playful and fun (the wackier the window mannequins, the better). The stock comes from several stallholders, who each contribute their own aesthetics. The result is a wide range of designers and styles: you might find a punky skull T-shirt by French fashion designer Lucien Pellat-Finet next to hyper-feminine archival pieces from brands like Chloé and Miu Miu. Lennon and Talmi often stock pre-loved pieces by Rick Owens and Le Grand Bleu, and are particularly drawn to 2000s Japanese fashion – think brands like Roen and PPFM – that draws from the rock music culture of the time.

Whether you’re looking to invest in a designer archival item, hopping on the early-2000s train, or into vintage ’70s and ’80s fashion, you’ll find it all at this distinctive boutique.