When exploring the city of Melbourne, walking down the hidden lanes and bright arcades, you’ll notice many unique stores and boutique shops. One particularly interesting space is located in the Cathedral Arcade on the 2nd floor, Buttonmania. Owned by local button collector Kate Boulton, the shop has over four million buttons. And while she claims not to have the biggest collection in the country as wholesale manufacturers can produce more, she is certainly the largest boutique button shop in Australia. The above is a 2,000+ year old toga pin.
I used to say ‘if I won tattslotto I would buy a button shop.’ I bought the first one in March 1995. I am still waiting for the Tattslotto.
The buttons come in all colors, shapes, sizes and styles, and simply seeing how many buttons can be kept by one person is fascinating. Her most notable button is one that is 2,000+ years old and was once used to pin togas in place (shown above). In her private collection, there are also some rare gems, like some 1956 Olympic games buttons and a purple paste diamente button from The Button Queen in London, whom she got to meet.
It all started in the 1980s, when Boulton owned her own dressmaking business, a large part of which entailed constantly searching for the right button to complete a garment.
“I used to say ‘if I won tattslotto I would buy a button shop,’ she laughs. “I bought the first one in March 1995. I am still waiting for the Tattslotto.”
“…they are working to filming schedules, and often have to be sent interstate. It is a good adrenaline rush, then to see the movie come out sometimes two to three years later. It gives you a different look when you sit down to see the finished film, and whether people realize all the trouble that goes into the fine details.
Today, Buttonmania is made up of a number of button-related businesses Boulton has purchased and combined over the last 18 years. Most of the buttons are from Europe, although she has many from other parts of the world, as well. And while Boulton loves being able to offer a wide array of high-quality buttons to her customers, she also enjoys collaborating with community members. In fact, a good proportion of her orders are from businesses, be it bridal boutiques, designers, dressmakers. Additionally, designers often send clients who need buttons for films. For example, many of the buttons for the movie “Australia” with Nicole Kidman feature Boulton’s buttons, specifically in the scene where she wears a ball gown. Some other movies you can view Boulton’s buttons include “Ghost Rider,” “Charlottes Web,” “Pacific” (the series) and “Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries” to name a few.
“You need to catch on real quick to their brief, as they are working to filming schedules, and often have to be sent interstate,” explains Boulton. “It is a good adrenaline rush, then to see the movie come out sometimes two to three years later. It gives you a different look when you sit down to see the finished film, and whether people realize all the trouble that goes into the fine details.”
So, what’s in store for the future of Buttonmania? Boulton simply hopes to continue to grow her collection and to help customers and clients with their buttoning needs. There is also the possibility of a button museum if the finances and logistics work out if her favor.
Jessica Festa is the editor of the travel sites Jessie on a Journey (http://jessieonajourney.com) and Epicure & Culture (http://epicureandculture.com). Along with blogging at We Blog The World, her byline has appeared in publications like Huffington Post, Gadling, Fodor’s, Travel + Escape, Matador, Viator, The Culture-Ist and many others. After getting her BA/MA in Communication from the State University of New York at Albany, she realized she wasn’t really to stop backpacking and made travel her full time job. Some of her most memorable experiences include studying abroad in Sydney, teaching English in Thailand, doing orphanage work in Ghana, hiking her way through South America and traveling solo through Europe. She has a passion for backpacking, adventure, hiking, wine and getting off the beaten path.
