Alannah Hill – both the lady and the label – needs no introduction. The designer is a walking billboard for her eponymous label which embodies all things feminine, romantic and youthful. Hill is never spotted in public without porcelain skin, immaculate lipstick and hair piled high. High heels are also mandatory. The urge to frock up becomes inescapable should you venture into any of her stores.

Hill has developed a cult-like following of coquettes who collect and discuss her pieces each season. The designs are a sartorial fountain of youth, repeatedly featuring florals, ruffles and lace. The famous Alannah Hill dancing girls and baby animals of her runway shows would not be out of place should they show up at any of her Secret Garden-style boutiques. At Alannah Hill stores every day is Valentine’s Day – an escape that is a world away from the mundane world the rest of us inhabit most of the time.