Slice of the City
THE GOOD SHOPPER
Chic Marylebone
1. Matches Fashion
For years, fashion editors have shopped at cult website Matchesfashion.com, but there are five bricks and mortar stores around London too. The Marylebone High Street store showcases almost 400 established and emerging menswear and womenswear designers, with brands including everyone from A.P.C to Y3. Matches’ staff are particularly well-versed in the latest trends and can point you in the direction of up-and-coming designers you might not have heard of otherwise. Book a one-on-one appointment with them and emerge with the next season’s best looks.
Matches Fashion, 87 Marylebone High Street, London, W1G
Matchesfashion.com
2. KJ’s Laundry
Kate Allden and Jane Ellis are the KJ of KJ’s Laundry, a small boutique that sells niche, under the radar women’s brands. The pair set up shop in 2006 and KJ has become a firm fashion favourite, with everyone from Keira Knightley to Gwyneth Paltrow becoming patrons of the store. The summer edit includes blouses and shoes by Sesson, dresses by Samantha Sung and the KJ Laundry collection of classic, easy-to-wear staples.
KJ’s Laundry, 74 Marylebone Lane, London, W1U 2PW
Kjslaundry.com
3. Ortigia
Ortigia is the Sicilian version of Crabtree & Evelyn – both brands were founded by Sue Townsend – and it’s best known for its aromatic range of bath and body products that use natural Italian ingredients from small, independent producers. Less well-known are the brand’s beautiful silk and cashmere scarves, which are made in Como from some of the softest fabrics around and feature a signature leopard motif.
Ortigia, Duke of York Square, London, SW3 4LY
Ortigiasicilia.com
4. Mouki Mou
Maria Lemos named her Chiltern Street store, Mouki Mou, after her daughter, and it’s a shop that she’s created ‘for people who are confident about what they like.’ The boutique stocks lesser known women’s brands mainly from the US and Japan, alongside jewellery, beauty products and homewares, and is set out like a personal collection of Lemos’ discoveries from around the world. The interior design is also noteworthy – a series of gradually smaller rooms, showcasing some of the chicest tiles in Marylebone, it’s worth a trip just to see inside.
Mouki Mou, 29 Chiltern Street, London, W1U 7PL
Moukimou.com
5. Trunk Clothiers
Former financier turned style-icon Mats Klingberg founded Trunk Clothiers in 2010. Since then, the menswear boutique has set the benchmark for curated men’s style, with a razor sharp edit of the best brands from around the world. Many well-respected brands such as Beams+, Aspesi, Barena and J Crew made their London debut with Trunk, which is why so many of London’s fashion elite place their trust in Klingberg’s discerning taste. Further down the street Trunk Labs sells a selection of the finest luggage, accessories, fragrances and homewares – it’s well worth visiting both.
Trunk Clothiers, 8 Chiltern Street, London, W1U 7PU
Trunkclothiers.com
6. Sunspel
Sunspel introduced the boxer short to Britain in 1947, and to this day you’d struggle to find a better pair. The brand’s store on Chiltern Street is its fifth London outpost, stocking staples that demonstrate an ethos of Luxury Everyday Clothing. The Sea Island Cotton range is particularly good, and is made from some of the finest cotton in the world, which is grown and handpicked in the Caribbean, woven in Switzerland and handcrafted in Long Eaton. Plus, they look great too.
Sunspel, 13-15 Chiltern Street, London, W1U 7PU
Sunspel.com
