One of my favourite entries in Melbourne’s design market calendar is the twice-yearly Melbourne Design Market held in the unprepossessing carpark of Federation Square.  While some of the stalls remain the same every time, I still like to go because there’s always something new to see and buy.

Here are some of the stalls that caught my eye at this year’s pre-Christmas market.

The beautiful limited edition (only 250), cookbook designed by Shona Stark and Lily Tidhar, the duo behind the new Melbourne graphic design studio Wolfgang & Shlomo. The letterpress publication was hand printed at the Melbourne Museum of Printing and it includes twenty-four recipes from famed eateries in Melbourne (including Cumulus Inc, MoVida and Flower Drum) and three original etchings from Jon Campbell, Ned Culic and Tin & Ed. Even better, all the proceeds go to the Australian Aids Fund. A perfect marriage of art, food and good works.

Pippijoe’s cheerful original screenprinted textiles.

A dainty tea-and-saucer light installation by Gregory Bonasera. It reminded me of the Alice in Wonderland inspired cocktail night at Cafe Vue.

Make like the dapper Gentlemen of Bacongo with Truffaux’s selection of Panama hats (made in Sherbrooke), with style names like Hemingway, Kerouac, Boogie Nights and The Charmer. They also do bespoke fittings by appointment. In the photo you can also spot the Melbourne-made eco-friendly Buro Christmas tree from interdisciplinary design studio Buro North, also available for sale at the market.

Delicate ceramic wares from Ingrid Tufts.

Bone china Christmas decorations from homewares company Have You Met Miss Jones, stocked at uber-cool clothing stores, Fat. We bought an origami peace crane and a paper aeroplane, with other designs being a Pompon polar bear and reindeer ($16 each).

Design House Stockholm‘s block lamp, available from RG Madden. The pyramid of lamps is pretty spectacular, don’t you think?

Notemaker is an online stationery store and their stall was the site of the biggest shopping scrum at the market. That’s because the stock included Rhodia notebooks, Moleskine diaries and fabulous vinyl wall decals from Figurato, all at rock-bottom prices. I managed to grab a map of the world decal (with stickers for planes, palm trees and speech bubbles) for $15 – you can see me holding it aloft in the photo like a heavyweight prize fighter.

Pretty clutches and purses designed and made by Miranda Bourke from Only Midge.

To read all about the last Melbourne Design Market, click here.

• Melbourne Design Market, Federation Square carpark, Melbourne

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