Although they are some of the most revered boutiques around, we feel that they are already mentioned in all city guides about London.
Instead, we want to show you the gems on the road less travelled, the highlights of our favourite boutiques in London. Our shopping expert Viola Sekularac of the exclusive Geneva boutique La Muse shares her insights.
Dover Street Market
Founded by visionary Rei Kawakubo [ Comme des Garcons ] this 3 story boutique has the feeling of a market store and has to be the first stop on our list.You will find sheer endless inspiration and new discoveries in every corner as designers are invited on a rotating basis to curate their own space representing their unique vision and designs.
Apart from Comme des Garcons, you will find the major international brands like Martin Margiela, Lanvin and Nina Ricchi next to the celebrated London designers Simone Rocha, Mary Katrantzou and Peter Pilotto.
Best of all when you get tired, you can always stop by at the Rose Bakery on the top floor where, in addition to a great lunch, you might also have a good chance to meet everybody from the London Fashion and Arts Industry.
John Rocha Boutique
Whilst you are in the area, we invite you to visit John Rocha’s stand alone boutique as it is a wonderful serene place. Rarely will you find another boutique that reflects in every essence the aesthetic and philosophy of a designer.
To view his work in these surroundings, where every little detail has been designed by John himself, feels like a privilege and is a truly inspiring experience.
Wolf & Badger
From a small shop in Ledbury Road to their new flag ship store in Dover Street, Wolf & Badger is a unisex boutique - for women and men - so nobody who supports independent fashion and accessory designers will be bored by the selection of stores who rent space in the boutique.
These include Jean -Pierre Braganza, Mark Fast and Bora Aksu as well as some quirky home wear items including tea cups by “We love Kaoru” and Stuart Richards’s Spider Candle Holder.
Late Night Chameleon Cafe
The latest venture by Dan Mitchell and Jon Skelton is in a less developed area of town but well worth the trip. There is no store front only a slide door that leads you to a basement with different rooms “Earth” , “ Warmth” and ‘Light” designed by Gary Card.We don‘t want to give too much away, but the best is to make an appointment through their website to visit the store which opens by appointment only.
This way, you will benefit from their expertise and have all the time in the world to discover their exquisite range of Music, Books and of course fashion and accessories once again for men [Sacai, Rick Owens, Yohji Yamamoto] and Women [Ann Demeulemeester, Haider Ackermann, Camilla Skovgaard, ]
The Shop at Bluebird
This lifestyle boutique took over a 900 m2 former art deco garage and offers a unique selection of designer clothing, accessories, skincare, books and music for both men and women in a warm and inviting atmosphere.Fashion is diverse and ranges from the international luxury brands such as Marni, Balenciaga and the Olsen Sister’s The Row to contemporary BA&SH and Willow. British designers, meanwhile, are represented by Paul Smith, Peter Pilotto and latest addition Victoria Beckham. Men have a choice between tailoring and urban wear by Paul Smith, Wolsey and Hentch Man.
If by any chance you feel tired after your shopping experience, you can either unwind in the spa and enjoy some of their exquisite Treatments by Institut Esthederm or shape your eye brows at Blink the Walk in Brow Bar.
Dark Room
A concept store / gallery that explores the connection between interior design and fashion accessories as objects of art.The black backdrop of the boutique allows the exquisite selection of hand-made unisex accessories and jewellery to take centre stage, from the latest accessories by Jonathan Saunders, to the sculptural body jewellery by Maria Francesca Pepe.
In addition Darkroom curates seasonal themes, allowing us to explore the artistic heritage of other countries and long forgotten artistic movements that are cleverly translated into accessible contemporary designs for your home.
Layers London
When you come to London you would like to see a place that fulfills your expectations of what London is all about, the road less travelled the new stars of tomorrow, which is what you will find here.The owners aim to find designers who have their unique signature and stay true to their concept. The emphasis in on fierce strong and architectural designs by the likes of Gareth Pugh, Mugler, Peachoo+ Krejberg and Thimister.
