07-08-2025
‘Mecca of all Meccas' finally opens its front doors (sort of)
In thrilling news for make-up enthusiasts – Friday morning finally marks the public opening of Australian beauty retailer Mecca's behemoth Bourke Street store.
Well, sort of. The building's main facade (which has been boarded up and under construction since circa 2022) won't be finished until November. Guests attending the venue for a preview event on Wednesday had to enter through a far less glamorous entrance in Union Lane. Sheesh.
We hear there's a temporary Bourke Street access point now for Friday's opening. But expect tradespeople to be hanging about for a little bit longer. That's showbiz, baby.
Dubbed the 'Mecca of all Meccas', the 4000-square-metre, three-storey home of all things beauty has taken the spot of the old David Jones menswear store, in an area of Melbourne that's been begging for a facelift for quite some time.
In the words of Mecca founder Jo Horgan at a launch event on Wednesday, 'it's big … it's 60 times the first Toorak Road store'. And with its myriad heritage-listed components 'this building has not been easy,' Horgan added.
The new store includes hair care, nail care, a florist, acupuncture services and a cafe. There's even a resident naturopath and an ostentatiously titled perfume department (aka the 'Scentsorium').
CBD was especially interested to hear about the inclusion of a 'Mecca Newsroom'. Unfortunately, we didn't get a chance to visit this part of the building (too much to see, you see), but we like to imagine it is a whimsical place where young people from all over are taught the powers of good journalism.
Lord Mayor Nick Reece was seen heading into the store for a much sought-after private tour on Thursday afternoon, along with Deputy Mayor Roshena Campbell and members of their staff. And whispers on the shop floor told us Premier Jacinta Allan might even make an appearance any day now (that is, if she's not working from home at her place in Bendigo that day).
