What ‘makes sense’ depends a lot on where you live, and for Canberra, Hustle & Scout Twilight Fashion Markets made so much sense that it was almost taken for granted by everyone that it would be incredibly popular with Canberran folk. For one, this Canberra market brings together two of the things that Canberrans love best: indie fashion lables, and a hip evening hangout.

What Hustle & Scout has going for it that sets it so far apart from Canberra’s other beloved markets like Fash’n’Treasure Markets and Handmade Markets is its seamless integration of shopping and social scene. Held at Canberra’s coolest new development, the NewActon culture and cinema precinct, Hustle & Scout takes full advantage of NewActon Nishi building’s beautifully designed spaces, with stalls arranged in the downstairs lobby, bands and DJ’s set up on the wide stair case, and the bar conveniently located upstairs. As I’ve previously written of the first Hustle & Scout Market, this Canberra market is not a place to simply browse and move on. Inevitably, you are pulled into the awesome party atmosphere and you stay for hours.

April’s Hustle & Scout market looked to be the best one yet, possibly exceeding the attendnace of even its inaugeral launch, which, notorious of Canberra markets, usually attracts the best crowd. It can’t be just because of the media hype – of which there has consistently been a lot of from the get go – so I guess it must be because the word is spreading. Canberrans are known to consult widely with friends before deeming a restaurant/bar/show worthy of their prescious time. Some of the coolest things to do around town are always the ones you hear about from a friend of a friend. Hustle & Scout has clearly gained that word of mouth street cred. It’s something people would pop into conversation, like ‘you should check this out – no, I mean it, you should DEFINITELY check this out’.

Importantly, Hustle & Scout is also one of the best platforms for emerging local fashion brands to comercialise their designs. So it’s no wonder that FASHFEST, Canberra’s biggest annual fashion festival, has always collaborated closetly with the Canberra Market. This time, FASHFEST organised a food-fashion-fusion photoshoot (intrigued?) with Form Haircutters, Next Hair and Leighton Hutchinson Photography. Yes, I do mean bread crowns and fruit scewer head pieces! But More on that in my next article.

Check out Hustle & Scout’s website for more details about the market, and follow them on Facebook and Twitter to get all the latest new, including when the next market will be held!

Also, if you loved Hustle & Scout, then you’ll love FASHFEST, which will be held in about two weeks time from 30 April to 3 May! Buy your tickets while you still can!

Check out some of my snaps of the market and Canberra street style below!