Wizard of Oz

New York Times

Travel Summer 2009

1. Eva Galambos may be born-and-bred Aussie, but her tastes run more to Balenciaga than Billabong.  Parlour X, her Sydney store, is ground zero for women in search of special pieces.  "We like to sell 'keepers,'" she says. "And  we try to have something for everyone, whether you like sexy, sophisticated, bohemian or avant-garde. "

2. Parlour X is the exclusive Sydney retailer for many European and Japanese designers, including the Paris-based jeweler Ligia Dias, who has collaborated with Lanvin and Comme des Garcons. She made this neckpiece out of pearls and ribbon.

3. According to Galambos, the hottest new table in town is the star chef Neil Perry's Rockpool Bar & Grill.  "It's located in a beautiful 1930's building," Galambos says.  "The decor is very Gotham City - dark and sexy."

4. The shop owner would dress up Isabel Marant's lace dress with heels and statement jewelry, or wear it casually as a tunic over leggings.  "It's a very versatile piece and great for travelling."

5. Local creative types flock to Fratelli Paradiso for authentic Italian food.  "I always bump into fun, fab friends there," Galambos says.  "And I dream about the calamari."

6. For blue-chip midcentury furniture, art and objets, she turns to Terone Dearing, an antiques dealer and interior designer.  This rare 1940s bent-plywood armchair is by the New Zealand designer Garth Chester.

7. Galambos sends visiting friends to the Medusa Hotel, a groovy design hotel with "lively modern rooms."

8. She just renovated her home and has her eye on several items from Afghan Interiors, "an incredible shop run by a husband-and-wife team that sells rugs, furniture, textiles and jewelry." This Punjabi cabinet is $430.

9. For sunset cocktails, she heads to Icebergs Dining Room and Bar at Bondi Beach.  "Sipping a strawberry bellini while watching the surfers catch their last waves makes me realise I live in one of the most beautiful cities on the planet."

10. Galambos has a bit of a chandelier obsession.  She bought Parlour X's 1960s Italian glass one at Ken Neale Twentieth Century Moder Furniture, which is "full of brilliant finds."

11. Not only does Sydney's Museum of Contemporary Art present world-class exhibitions, it also commands a prime perch in the Rocks, a historic area near Circular Quay.  " They have one of the best collections of contemporary Austrlian and Aboriginal art in the world," Glambos says.  "I can lose myself inside for hours."

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