All posts tagged: lifestyle

Yoga for a Good Cause

Yoga classes are often priced at $20 or more, but this Thursday I joined a wonderful yoga class, for little more than a couple of gold coins. After finishing work and jumping in a lift to the 15th floor of The Swanston Hotel, I hopped into position on a mat, looking out over the city of Melbourne while the sun was just beginning to set – what a view! Our teacher, Lucienne lead us through a series of (sometimes challenging) postures, breathing, stretches and meditation. I left feeling some soreness in my muscles but totally rejuvenated and knew I would be sure to sleep well that night. It was the absolute perfect way to end the workday and my gold coins went to Mission Australia and I even received a little gift bag filled with herbal teas, bath & body products and a free class pass at the nearby Kaya Health Club, in return for my donation. To find out more about events and news at The Swanston Hotel, Grand Mercure, sign up to their …

A Night at Lido Cinemas

Published by We Know Melbourne

Having missed the opportunity to catch Dope at MIFF earlier this month, we have been eagerly awaiting it’s general release in Melbourne cinemas and on Thursday our wait was over. Lido were doing a special screening of it and we jumped to buy tickets. You may have been to Lido cinemas back in the day if you’re from an older generation, but for us, and what it seems like the whole audience (there was definitely a generation Y thing happening), we never got to experience it in it’s full glory. Lido Cinemas’ history dates back over 100 years, to when it first opened in 1911, but it hasn’t been a cinema this whole time. Closing down in 1960 to became a dance school, and then a cabaret theatre, the cinema then became an unused building about a decade ago. Upon entering the building, you can still notice a lot of the old fixtures and setup, but it no longer is a dated cinema. Given a fresh new look with lots of bright green couches, lighting projections and an overall modern hipster feel. …

Top 6 tips for the perfect Hipster Christmas Party

Published by We Know Melbourne

Planning the perfect Christmas Party for a team full of hip, young thangs can be an very tricky business! Making sure you have the right mix of old school nostalgia, modern tech, and a room with beautiful designer decor will ensure you are on track for high fives rather than some serious eye-rolling action come silly season. Check out our Top 6 Tips for the perfect Hipster Christmas Party The Swanston Hotel Grand Mercure have everything you need for your office Christmas party. From the dazzling heights of the 15th floor in ON15, to the chic and stylish setting of Louden, all you need to do is call (03) 8662 1341 or email H3028-SB08@accor.comwith a brief and we will create a brilliant, bespoke event that will see you crowned the office Superstar of the silly season.

17 Minute Tram Stories

Published by We Know Melbourne

Did you know the average length of a tram ride in Melbourne is 17 minutes? Well, the folks at Yarra Trams knew this fact and decided to do something about it in conjunction with the Melbourne Writers Festival. The result is 17 minute Tram Stories, a series of new writing pieces, from writers that will be attending the Melbourne Writers Festival,which each take about 17 minutes to read. There’s a new story every week from July 24th to August 30th. The first week’s story by Michaela Maguire concerned the nature of time and our perceived lack of it in today’s modern society. It even referenced one of We Know Melbourne’s favourite science experiments; the 1927 “Pitch Test” by Professor Thomas Parnell. Professor Parnell spent nearly 50 years waiting to observe the falling of one of the elusive droplets from a beaker of pitch. The drops only fell about once every 15 years and somehow, despite his vigilance, Professor Parnell managed to miss the falling of every drop during his life. The experiment is still ongoing …

Melbourne Spring Fashion Week

Published by We Know Melbourne

Spring is coming which means Melbourne Spring Fashion Week, one of the most anticipated events of the year, is almost here. Presented by City of Melbourne, MSFW will showcase why Melbourne is known as one of the fashion capitals of the word. Highlights include: Adult sized ball pit – Ground Level Emporium Reimagine your child hood ball pit, step into it and create your very own fashion moment to keep to yourself or to share on social media. Shop the City – Melbourne CBD, 28 – 30 August Kicking off with Vogue Fashion’s Night Out on the Friday, this weekend long shopping experience will offer exclusive sales and discounts in key retail precincts. Designer Runways – Melbourne Town Hall 1-4 September Held over four evenings this series of one-off designer runways will showcase Australia’s best fashion designers and highlight key colours and styles with their spring and summer collections. Emerging Designer Market – 30 August Discover our city’s talented new fashion designers as you browse through their latest range of clothing, jewellery and accessories. Creative Bloggers Workshop …

A Grand Evening with Robyn Annear

Published by We Know Melbourne

On a typical, cool wet Melbourne winter evening in August, 42 literary buffs attended an exclusive, three course dinner at the Grand Hotel for a night of wine, fabulous food and an enthralling, intimate chat with author Robyn Annear. Partnering with The Wheeler Centre, this event was one of three to be hosted by the M Gallery Collection Hotel’s in Melbourne, the first, being held at The Lindrum in May, and the last to be held at The Como in September. The night kicked off in grand style, all guests greeted with their choice of champagne or the hotel’s signature drink – a John Batman Apple Martini, chosen for the hotel’s historical location significance, as it was originally the site of Melbourne’s founding father’s fruit orchard. The conversation flowed amongst guests as did the wine and before long, everyone had polished off their generous entrée, mains, and the main event kicked off. Interviewed beautifully by Wheeler Centre representative, Helen Withycombe, Robyn Annear was charming, entertaining and a perfectly eccentric. Guests found themselves listening to a …

The Finders Keepers

Published by We Know Melbourne

Melbourne’s favourite independent design and art market returns to the Royal Exhibition Building this weekend. Stretching over three days, there’ll be over 220 stalls of local Australian designers, with products ranging from ceramics and prints through to timber furniture and clothing. Along side the art and design stalls, there’ll be live music and mouthwatering food and drinks. Find out more here.

Melbourne International Film Festival

Published by We Know Melbourne

It’s time to start planning! The Melbourne International Film Festival is almost here. Back for it’s 64th year, the festival will run from 30 July until 16 August. Here are our top 5 films that we’re hanging out to see : 1) The Wolfpack (USA): “Six brothers live together in a cramped Manhattan apartment. Rarely permitted by their parents to leave their home, they live vicariously through films in their DVD collection, their seclusion channelled into activities such as recreations of scenes from Reservoir Dogs, The Dark Knight and The Nightmare Before Christmas and the construction of a Batman costume from cereal boxes. Director Crystal Moselle spent five years documenting the life of the Angulo brothers, including their first forays into the outside world, creating a unique coming-of-age documentary. Both a fly-on-the-wall record of a bizarre sociological phenomenon and a fascinating insight into the nature of creativity and control, The Wolfpack is a riveting experience.” 2) The Lobster (UK): “Winner of this year’s Cannes Jury Prize, the new film and English-language debut from the wonderfully idiosyncratic …

Circus Oz

Published by We Know Melbourne

@ Birrarung Marr, Fed Square Until July 12th Just in time for the school holidays, Melbourne’s perennial favourite circus arrives back in town for a limited season. Fresh from a tour of America and Canada the “But wait there’s more” Tour is now under the big top at Birrarung Marr. Read more here

Captains of Industry

Published by We Know Melbourne

If Melbourne is known for its laneways, hidden cafes and secret shopping, then Captains of Industryis the epitome of this. Walk down a cobbled lane-way off Little Bourke St, climb up a rickety wooden staircase, enter a large, sunny warehouse and there you are – yet another cool café to chill out in, and if in the mood, do a little shopping. But this is no ordinary café; you can get your hair-cut, have leather shoes custom made or a vintage suit tailored to your exact measurements. Sadly for the ladies, the ‘captains’ only cater for the gentlemen, but thankfully the café welcomes all. The café is a simple affair, with 1930s style décor. If you were to have a cup of tea and a biscuit with your grandpa, then this would be the place. They even serve their water in those metal camping cups – it makes you want to tell a story. They are open 9am to 5pm all week, and the menu changes daily. On one of my first visits, when I asked …