Page 323 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - London

SHOPS AND M ARKE T S  321

contem porary designers, it still including Jasper Conran, designer labels, while Aimé
uses its patterned prints to make Matthew Williamson, Julien specializes in French clothes
blouses and stylish men’s shirts, Macdonald and Ben De Lisi, and homewares. A short walk
as well as scarves and ties. Floral to create cheaper collections away in a quiet residential street,
print dresses and feminine exclusive to the department celebrity favourite The Cross
blouses can be found at Laura store. Young designers often is a delightfully under stated
Ashley, although the store has start out with a stall on little shop, packed with women’s
intro duced more contem porary Portobello Road or Old fashion, cute children’s clothes
looks as well. Spitalfields Market (see p337), and toys, toiletries and unusual
both good sources of interesting accessories. The Dispensary
clothing. There are also a few in Kensington Park Road is
Modern Design and good designer sale shops: much loved by locals for its
Fashion Paul Smith Sale Shop is located Notting Hill style. Primrose
London designers are known in central London, while those Hill, Islington, Soho and the
for their eclectic, irreverent looking for Burberry bargains streets radiating off Seven
style. Grand dames Vivienne at its factory outlet will have Dials near Covent Garden are
Westwood and Zandra Rhodes to travel a bit further afield to also dotted with independent
have been on the scene since the East End. For those willing fashion shops. Diverse, in
the 1970s – the latter opened to travel further, Bicester Tufnell Park, caters for both
the Fashion and Textile Village is an excellent discount sexes with a great selection
Museum in southeast London shopping centre with mid- to of iconic labels and collections
in 2003. It features 3,000 of high-end stores. from new designers.
her own garments as well as
examples by other influential Boutiques Chain Stores and
fashion figures. Many British
designers of international London is home to an extensive Street Fashion
stature have their flagship variety of boutiques – hot new In Britain, cutting-edge styles are
stores in the capital, including shops crop up and, it must be no longer, as they once were,
Paul Smith and Stella said, close down with dizzying the exclusive preserve of the
McCartney, both of whom regularity. The mother of them rich. “High-street” stores have
showcase their collections all is Browns. Established in never been better, both in terms
in fabulous townhouses, and the 1970s, it occupies several of quality and design. Moreover,
the late Alexander McQueen, storefronts in South Molton the cheaper versions of all the
with an upscale showcase in Street and stocks a wide selec- latest styles appear in the shops,
Bond Street. Young home- tion of international labels. But almost as soon as they have
grown talent such as Alice the highest concentration of been sashayed down the
Temperley, whose feminine boutiques is in Notting Hill, near catwalk. Oasis and Topshop
frocks are beloved by the the intersection of Westbourne have both won celebrity fans
London party set, Eley Grove and Ledbury Road. for their up-to-the-minute,
Kishimoto, characterized by Because of the numerous young womenswear. The latter,
bold prints, and avant-garde cafés in the area, and the which proudly claims to be
design duo Boudicca, can be relaxed, affluent atmo sphere “the world’s largest fashion
found in the capital’s boutiques. away from the crowded West store”, is a com plete mine
Selfridges (see p317) also has End shopping districts, it’s an of inexpensive clothes and
an impressive selection of extremely pleasant place beautiful accessories; there is
emerging designers. Dover to browse. even an in-store “boutique”
Street Market, conceived by JW Beeton embodies quirky with the latest collections by
Comme des Garçons’ Rei British style, while Matches, hip designers, and a vintage
Kawakubo, revives the age-old which also has outposts in section as well.
tradition of the covered clothes Richmond and Wimbledon, The upmarket chains
market, but in a much more dominates Ledbury Road with Jigsaw, Karen Millen and
upmarket milieu. Its four three separate shops – one for Whistles are more expensive
minimalist floors show case both sexes, another just for with the emphasis on beautiful
a varied array of goods, from women, plus one specializing fabrics and shapes which,
glitzy shoes by king of the in frocks by Diane von while stylish, don’t slavishly
platform Terry de Havilland to Furstenberg. Like Browns in copy the catwalk. Jigsaw
cool art books and vintage and the West End, Matches stocks Junior, which is available in
contemporary designer clothes. international designer labels, larger branches, offers
If you want to take home a including Balenciaga, Fendi delectable mini versions of its
bit of British design, but can’t and Chloé, interspersed with designs for girls. Reiss and
afford the high prices, it’s worth a variety of British talent such Ted Baker are popular with
visiting Debenhams (see p317), as Giles Deacon, Bella Freud trend-conscious young men,
which has harnessed the talents and Jade Jagger. Question Air though they also have good
of numerous leading designers, and Feathers also stock women’s collections.

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