LONDON RETAIL

DEPARTMENT STORES 

HARRODS

Lots of history here but this iconic department store retains legend status for a reason, and it has had a big renaissance of late with super clever and engaging brand collaborations and in store activations that are a spectacle in themselves. . A huge breadth of brands represented, and comprehensive retail offering. The Food Hall is still the best in the world and worth a visit just to see alone. Side note - Great lunch/snack options if you are wandering around and don’t want a big sit-down lunch. Great takeaway options.

All the labels you love are here plus A really good vacation/resort edit also which features a lot of more affordable labels and a lot of Australian brands. Tick Tick.

If you are visiting at Christmas time, look out for the themed external façade in partnership with a luxury brand. A couple of years ago it was with Dior and the entire outside of the building was decorated in (faux but wow lifelike) gingerbread hoarding, which was next level. The best time of year to visit the store, their decorations and theming throughout the store is just amazing and a must see.

A fabulous and very glamorous Champagne bar on the ground floor – perfect for a mid-shop pitstop and refreshment. The entire experience is special.

PRADA CAFÉ

An experience to be had if you can get a booking, the space is the same mint green as the retail stores, black and white chequerboard floor, the cakes and petit fours all Prada themed. Entrance is down the side street. https://www.harrods.com/en-au/restaurants/prada-caffe

Harrods is also home to a Drybar which is a blow wave bar from the US, and I think it is the best. Def worth getting there for a blow wave mid trip, they are quick and consistently excellent. NEIGHBOURHOOD – 87-135 Brompton Rd, Knightsbridge

https://www.harrods.com | https://www.drybarshops.co.uk | https://www.harrods.com/en-gb/restaurants/prada-caffe

Other blow dry bar is Duck & Dry – few outlets dotted around London. Also good. | https://duckanddry.com/

HARVEY NICHOLS
Our Ab-Fab fave is still on the retail map with a strong mix of mid-range contemporary labels which will be a welcome relief to your AUD/GBP conversion crisis!

NEIGHBOURHOOD – 109-125 Brompton Rd, Knightsbridge | https://www.harveynichols.com

SLOANE STREET (not a department store, but you can over off the below from this location). From Harvey Nichols, walk up Sloane Street – all the major labels there – Bottega Venetta, Fendi, Chanel, Gucci, Anya Hindmarch etc. Walk up to the top and you will hit Sloane Square.

PAVILLION RD
Is just off Sloane Square, it is where the great coffee shop Bread Ahead is, and Ottolenghi is there too as well as Granger & Co (Bill Granger). Cute shops there too. Good area to stop for lunch. Book Granger & Co online for lunch, they have five locations around central London. I like the Pavilion Road one and the one in Marylebone High Street. https://grangerandco.com

LIBERTY
ON the corner of Carnaby and Regent Street, central to most areas you would be exploring and worth a visit just to see the building. The ground floor has the best cosmetics dept along with a really good bags and accessories floor.

NEIGHBOURHOOD – Regent Street/Carnaby Street. https://www.libertylondon.com
From here you can walk through SOHO – Myriad of streets with small stores and boutiques and cafes/restaurants. Lots to stumble upon here.
End Clothing– a really good streetwear store.   59 Broadwick Street Soho https://www.endclothing.com/au/stores/london

SELFRIDGES
For me it is Selfridges for the large-scale department store experience with ALL the brands, top end and mid-section. The accessories floor is particularly good, and they have a good array of mid-section brands in contemporary fashion, plus the usual high end label line up incl Miu Miu, Celine, Saint Laurent and Prada. They are the stockist of The Frankie Shop (also on the contemporary fashion floor) and have a good array of harder to find labels and the menswear dept is particularly good too. Great sneaker section, something for everyone here.

NEIGHBOURHOOD – 400 Oxford Street London, Mayfair https://www.selfridges.com
From Selfridges on Oxford Street, walk back down Oxford Street to the start of New Bond Street. Not as much at the top end but walk down and you will cross Brook Street where you will find BROWNSFASHION. This new Browns store and space was a standout retail experience, all the labels you want, Celine, Bottega, Chloe plus a host of new emerging designers and labels, a GREAT mix  (men’s and women’s) Make sure to ask them about shopping with the tax back discount, as you can no longer claim VAT when leaving the UK, so it’s a great incentive to buy that special piece there. An eclectic mix of old school Browns magic (from the Mrs B era) and new school staff, it was a total highlight for me.

BROWNS FASHION 39 Brook Street https://www.brownsfashion.com
The area round Mayfair includes New Bond Street, Old Bond Street, Bruton Street, Brook Street. Continue down New Bond Street and you can cut in and out of the Mayfair area. This is super luxe, lots of stunning houses, clubs, gated parks, restaurants etc. Super wealthy area! Fun to wander through.

MATCHES has a big retail store in a terrace house space at 5 Carlos Place in Mayfair (opposite the Connaught Hotel) Definitely worth a visit, the Loewe installation when I was there was just incredible. They change this regularly and it is like an evolving gallery space. Great customer service here too.

Matches Fashion – 5 Carlos Place Mayfair https://www.matchesfashion.com/au/5carlosplace

Directly next door is my all-time favourite jeweller, Jessica McCormack. Prepare to step into diamond dreamland heaven. Window shopping only for me!

Jessica McCormack – 7 Carlos Place Mayfair https://www.jessicamccormack.com

Across the road at 116 Mount Street is Goyard, Oscar de la Renta etc. Luxe little pocket of stores. https://www.goyard.com/uk_en/stores

(Lots of fancy private club restaurants in Mount Street, walking away from The Connaught Hotel and Goyard towards Audley Public House, right in the heart of Mayfair fun to see it all)

Continue back down to Bruton Street where you will find Veronica Beard, Isabel Marant, Zimmerman and Nanushka which also has a café in this strip.

Isabel Marant – 29 Bruton Street

Veronica Beard – 27 Bruton Street

Nanushka – 30 Bruton Street

Cut in and out and get back onto New Bond Street which connects back with Old Bond Street and all the major labels are there, LV, Chanel, Gucci, Stella McCartney (I really loved this store and her range), Bottega, Miu Miu etc etc.

Ralph Lauren’s new flagship store is at 1 New Bond Street (where New Bond and Old Bond meet up) right in the epicentre of it all – I would make a lunch reservation for some good people watching whilst shopping around here. You will eventually hit the end of Old Bond Street at Piccadilly and The Ritz is right there next to Green Park.