Fashion Lounge Review

Review by Jess Mcdonald

I went to Fashion Lounge with very high expectations. I don’t know exactly what I was expecting (diamond encrusted chairs and a dfloor made of gold, perhaps?) but, often when you have high expectations you get let down.

I’m not saying that it isn’t a good club, but there’s a $20 entry fee ($15 on a guest list). There’s a long line to even see the bouncers, and you’ll most likely be turned away if you aren’t on a guest list. This meant I was pretty darn excited when I finally got the chance to head through the front door and into the exclusive world which I was led to believe laid behind it.

Fashion markets itself as stylish, classy and upmarket and this does come across to some degree in the decor, but I wouldn’t say that it’s a huge amount more sophisticated than your average club. The bar has a marble bench top, there are white leather couches, gold lighting and gold ropes which section off the function areas.

The venue starts to get busy around 11. The crowd ranges from 20s to mid 30s and everyone is well dressed – shirts, dark jeans and dress shoes on the fellas and cocktail dresses and heels on the ladies (the place is called fashion after all).

If you arrive at Fashion too late, however, you will be struggling to see anything other than the sea of people packed together on the top floor. It was ridiculously crowded, and apparently that’s the norm at fashion. So you can say goodbye to your personal space for the night and hello to the 5 people now invading it. And, lucky you met these people because if you get separated from your friends good luck trying to squeeze your way through the crowd to get back to them.

If you haven’t booked a function area at Fashion Lounge then your chances of getting a seat inside seem to be pretty low as most of the seating areas are sectioned off for functions and stay this way all night. However, if you head downstairs to the Smokers Area your chances of getting a seat are much better. The Smokers Area itself is nice and big so non-smokers can actually go outside to get some fresh air instead of getting a face full of cigarette smoke.

Drinks at fashion are a bit pricey. (I was paying nine dollars for a glass of wine.) But again, Fashion is supposed to be classier than your typical club and therefore drinks are going to be more expensive. However, if you’re keen to save money, they seem to have more specials on a Friday night. It’s also free entry before 9:30 on both Friday and Saturday nights.

My advice would be to go to Fashion without the high expectations I had. Fashion is a great place for a special occasion, a birthday or other function; it’s just not as fancy as I’d built it up to be in my mind. But in saying that, it’s probably not the best place for having a messy night out – especially if you’re on a budget.