interesting article!
here it is:
The loveliest buys on a capital list
Published: December 4 2004 02:00 | Last updated: December 4 2004 02:00
The diversity of shopping in London's many "villages" is savouredby most die-hard aficionados. And never before has the metropolis seen such a flurry of new openings, encompassing food, wine, fashion, jewellery, lifestyleand gifts. The choice is huge. From Notting Hill to Hoxton, Marylebone to Chelsea, London's shopping experience has exploded.
Nota Bene, the discerning travellers' address book, has produced a summary of favourite shops in its latest London issue of some of the finest offerings in three key areas - Brompton Cross, Chelsea and Belgravia, the smart, mainly residential enclave of SW London; Mayfair, the traditionally exclusive heart of the capital with its grand dame hotels, bespoke tailoring services and world-renowned jewellers; and Notting Hill, the once edgy but now gentrified W11 with its chic boutiques, atmospheric cafés and beautiful townhouses, equivalent to New York's West Village.
Brompton Cross, Chelsea, Belgravia
Joseph Ettedgui and Sir Terence Conran originally pioneered the area known as Brompton Cross, where Fulham Road meets Sloane Avenue. The Joseph flagship store is here and Conran's furniture, lifestyle and restaurant emporium occupies the former landmark Michelin building. The area has spread further west along Fulham Road, south on to Sloane Avenue and into the side streets of Draycott Avenue, Walton Street and even Ives Street. Hemisphere at 173 Fulham Road is a gallery for fine, mainly French, 1940s furniture. Papyrus, opposite at no 48, for bespoke stationery, hand made marbled papers and beautiful pens. Gordon Watson,afew doors along at number 50, has great 1940s and 1950s furniture, and retro jewellery. Closer to the Conran building, by the Ralph Lauren store, the tiny Parfums de Nicolai shop should be checked out.
On 117 Walton Street SW3, Farmacia Santa Maria Novella is a superb, old-fashioned Italian parfumier with classic packaging and products based on original formulas. At 168 the Monogrammed Linen Shop has beautiful quality, classic table and bed linens, and baby wear. Delectable children's clothes are to be found at Guys & Dolls, at number 172.
A little to the south-west on Chelsea Green - a charming residential enclave with a real village feel - at 8 Cale St, Real hairdressers sells its excellent range of natural ingredient hair products. This Works,afew doors up at 18 Cale Street, is Vogue Magazine's former health and beauty editor Kathy Phillips' boutique for natural face and body products. We love her beautiful gift travel bag. Around the corner at 39a Elystan Street, adjacent to the Tom Aikens restaurant, Dress Italian,a newly-opened jewel box of a shop resembles a perfumery but sells own-brand extra-virgin olive oils, sauces and pestos. Its black and white striped gift boxes are lovely. Elizabeth Street in Belgravia is home to Phillip Treacy, hatter extraordinaire, Woodhams for beautiful flowers (although we prefer the branch on Aldwych), fantasy costume jeweller Erikson Beamon and The Chocolate Society, which sells fine chocolate truffles. Henry Stokes, an old-fashioned villagey books and gifts store, has custom-printed stationery, occasion cards, small gifts and books.
Motcomb Street, with the smartest Waitrose in London at its heart, features the glamorous ladies shoe boutique Rickard Shah, and, round the corner on Kinnerton Street, at its northern end, near the Berkeley Hotel, Patricia Roberts specialises in hand knits, sweaters, gloves and hats and delightful baby accessories. On Cadogan Place, at its junction with Pont Street in the atmospheric Allegra Hicks boutique, you will find beautiful accessories, pillows for the home, scented candles and kaftans. Designer Liza Bruce at 9 Pont St has a mesmerising collection of kaftans and huge jewelled and mirrored pillows from India.
Mayfair
Mayfair represents quintessentialluxury shopping at its finest. Off Old Bond Street in Royal Arcade, perfumier Ormonde Jane offers six principal fragrances with corresponding candles. The Italian Corner, 16 Royal Arcade, has an exquisite selection of the smoothest writing paper, correspondence cards manufactured by Pineider (founded in Florence in 1774), and bespoke stationery.
On Burlington Gardens behind the Royal Academy, J M Weston is a must for beautifully crafted men's shoes and at Savile Row, Kilgour has a great selection of men's ready-to-wear suits, coats and accessories, while further along at the junction with Clifford Street, Richard James is best known for superb tailoring, wonderful, coloured suit linings, excellent shirts, scarves and cuff links.
Boutique 'B' at the Regent Street end of Conduit Street is the first port of call for many fashionistas looking for "cult" labels. Head back to Bond Street to check out the magnificent collaboration of Foster and Mlinaric at the stunning Asprey store, and stop off to buy a bunch of flowers at the Florabunda stall (on the corner of Clifford Street). Dover Street is not synonymous with fashion, but the recently opened six-floor destination store Dover Street Market at 17-18 Dover Street is for the diehard fashion aficionado. It could be described as an "anti-store". There is no shop front to speak of, no distinctive carrier bags, and clothes displayed in what resemble contemporary art installation sets.
Under the direction of Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons, other labels include: Lanvin, Alaia, Peachoo Krejberg and Anne Valerie Hash. The vintage concession is provided by Cameron Silver of Decades Vintage Couture in Los Angeles. We love the top floor café.
The beautiful new Brioni store on Bruton Street is housed in a magnificent Georgian town house. Further west at 43 Berkeley Square, jeweller Nathalie Hambro's appointment-only Secours Populaire sells her own line of clothing and accessories.
The Metal Gallery at 90 Mount Street near the Connaught Hotel has interesting contemporary designs by young, emerging and established artists in anything, as long as it's metal.
Notting Hill
Matchesat 60-64 Ledbury Road stocksa well-edited collection of designerlabels for men and women. Opposite, atBamford & Sons, an interesting new town and country men's lifestyle store has traditionally crafted casuals with cashmere sweaters, pea coats and leather flying jackets. George Bamford, a photographer, is responsible for the conceptual side, and his work features in the brochures and on their website. Fiona Knapp is a sumptuous boudoir-style jewellers at 178a Westbourne Grove (with an entrance on Ledbury Road) and is a must. Opposite, Venezuelan-born Titina Penzini who studied jewellery design in New York opened her first London store at number 52 on November 13. She sells exotic and colourful pieces at affordable prices. For designer glasses it has to be Michel Guillon at 61 Ledbury Road. Anna Bonas at 177 Westbourne Grove is new. It sells an interesting mix of diamante jewellery, belts and handbags in colourful appliquéd tweeds, mink interlaced with silk, pony skin, corded pochettes in embroidered silks and velvets.
For a glass of wine and many fine labels, Negozio Classica on the corner of Westbourne Grove and Portobello Road is a beautifully conceived wine store, the nearest Notting Hill has to an Italian Bacaro.
Tucked away in quiet Colville Mews off Ledbury Road, the charming studio and showroom of Alice Temperley displays her distinctive feminine collections. It feels like a private club. Philo Flowers, close by at 59 Chepstow Road, is a great flower boutique that opened this summer.
Further east on Kensington Park Road, Vessel is a real destination store and a must for exquisite glass and ceramics. For vintage watches visit Ric Saunders at Unit 1, 101 Portobello Road. You can find reasonably priced wristwatches from the early 20th century. The area further north on Westbourne Park Road has Ray Harris at number 73, whose interesting, one-off selection includes party dresses, coats, jackets and accessories. Carden Cunietti at number 81-83 has a range of homewares and antique treasures - lovely silk and cotton printed throws and pillows made from hand-crafted antique fabrics. Machiko Jinto at number 77 is for Japanese designers' 1950s- inspired vintage handbags and jewellery.
Notting Hill is great for vintage. Our favourites are Rellik on 6Golbourne Road and Appleby on 95 Westbourne Park Road for quality designer clothing and accessories.
Nota Bene Destination Review is available by subscription (10 issues a year and access to online facilities)
www.nbreview.com; tel: +44 870 240 4089
..I'll be starved and tired by dinnertime, because I plan on doing atleast 6 hours of shopping each day.
