London is one of the globe's leading fashion cities. We produce great designers, who produce great clothes and these clothes are worn by some damned pretty people. Yes, that's you. (Oh the flattery.)
In amongst the masses of high street brands it's not always easy to find the emporiums of designer labels, be they high end, couture or up and coming names. So we've helped out with our list of best shops for picking up your designer threads...
As if fashion weren’t enough for it, LNCC also excels with music, art and literature. The Dalston boutique is part boutique-part installation and you’ll find brands like Anne Demeulemeester, Lanvin, Rick Owens and Givenchy catering for both men and women.
Brought to London by Commes Des Garcons boss Rei Kawakubo, Dover Street Market offers six storeys of fashion and lifestyle luxury. Among the installations you’ll find labels like Comme Des Garcons, YSL, Supreme and Adam kimmel. Cutting edge fashion is what it does best.
No matter how fashion changes, Liberty remains up to date and in the know. Foisting its prints into the work of numerous designers, the Regent Street store is a true gem. Classic fashion and contemporary design sit side by side in the multistory mock Tudor boutique department store.
Classic cuts, well selected garments and contemporary tailoring come together to make a menswear shop with panache. Number 6 stocks everything from Barbour to nouveau Scandinavian design in the form of Norse Products et al. Always worth a look for the stylish male.
Kokon To Zai was the store that supported the likes of Gareth Pugh when he was creating twisted, grunge get-ups that might not have fitted in anywhere else. True to its past, the Greek Street boutique still offers some of the weirdest, most wonderful, abstract clothing out there.
So you want designer but you don’t want to pay top dollar for it – what to do? Simple, head to Future Vintage on Columbia Road and hunt through the garments that have been put back into play by fashion editors and the privileged few whose collections outgrow their wardrobes. Marni, YSL, McQueen and Chanel are all to be found in the Columbia Road shop.
Matches is a stalwart of the London designer scene and with stores in Marylebone, Notting Hill, Richmond and Wimbledon, isn’t short of a well-heeled location or two. The well-curated boutiques are filled with the cream of the international fashion world. Think Erdem, Givenchy, Balenciaga and Chloe.
Sefton is located on Islington’s Upper Street. Having launched its own eponymous label in 2010, the store displays its collection of knitwear, boots, coats and blazers. Alongside Sefton, men will also discover contemporary designers like Christopher Raeburn, Moncler, Baracuta, Sunspel and Norse Projects.
If you like your fashion with a story then Start is the pace to go. Co-owned by Brix Start, former guitarist in post-punk band The Fall, it is a riot of new labels and classic brands. Dresses, skirts, shoes, bags; you name it and Start will have it. The excellent selection of labels includes Acne, Cutler and Gross, Gloverall and Vivienne Westwood.
The Shoreditch menswear scene is lead by Present. Maybe that’s because it has a delightful little coffee counter in the front or maybe it’s the carefully considered stock aimed to appeal to the contemporary gentleman. It’s all in the mix whether it’s the classic overcoats in winter from Filson or Hawaiian shirts from Monitaly in summer.