London Retail Guide: November
November in London brings a wealth of inspiration for those visiting the city this month. Highlights include an ethical fashion pop-up in Mayfair, a quiet tea sanctuary in Covent Garden, and a new asian-infused ice cream parlour that’s come all the way from the streets of Manila. Meanwhile, fashion exhibitions explore styles of the past, and the future of retail display.
Scroll down below to read our hand-picked guide on everything that you should be doing, seeing, eating and experiencing in the city this month.
To Shop
The Maiyet Collective: Putting positive social impact at the centre of the retail experience, NYC luxury ethical fashion label Maiyet’s new store takes residence at Mayfair’s new ethical members’ club The Conduit, which opened this summer. Operating as a pop-up, The Maiyet Collective is open for three days a month – from Thursday (members only) to Saturday. The space will stock up to 50 ethical British brands on rotation, such as denim brand M.i.H Jeans, accessories label Elvis & Kresse (which rescues and reforms raw materials), and Ishkar (which works with craftspeople in war zones). It also hosts an extensive programme of talks and workshops, aiming to bring together a community of like-minded individuals to discuss issues spanning politics, ethics and social entrepreneurship.
To Experience:
Teatulia: Covent Garden welcomes tea shop/library/cocktail bar Teatulia, where guests can enjoy organic blends of its own tea range (sourced from North Bangladesh) by day, and tea-infused cocktails by night. Visitors are encouraged to take some quiet time from the hustle and bustle of the area by choosing from its ‘Living Bookshelf’ – a monthly rotation of books curated by writers, actors and musicians, with the first selection chosen by US actress Tilda Swinton.The cosy, intimate space mixes art deco and mid-century elements such as a black terrazzo bar, floor-to-ceiling wooden bookshelves and geometric patterned carpets.
To relax:
Goop: Bound to appeal to all wellness enthusiasts, US actress Gwyneth Paltrow’s lifestyle brand and online content hub Goop has unveiled a pop-up in Notting Hill’s fashionable Westbourne Grove. Open until January 27 2019, the three-floor, California-inspired interior was designed by Londoner Fran Hickman, and features a selection of Goop-approved products. Homeware and accessories are displayed on chipboard shelves on the ground floor, while beauty, wellness and sexual health items are on the first, where the walls are coloured in gold. Sportswear sits in a deep blue basement setting, while a tree-lined walkway at the store entrance leads visitors to casualwear. ‘Activations’ scheduled for the duration of the pop-up include beauty treatments like facials.
To Eat:
Mamasons: You can never be too old for ice cream and this month, London’s Chinatown sees the arrival of Mamasons, purveyor of Filipino ‘dirty ice cream’ – a phrase used to describe ice cream sold on the streets of Manila, mainly made with ice and salt. The menu bypasses traditional ice-cream flavours in favour of Asian influences – think ube (earthy purple yam), black buko (coconut with activated charcoal from coconut shells) and matcha. There is also bilog – a warmed-up doughnut containing the ice-cream flavour of your choice.
To See:
Atelier E.B., Passer-By: The future of fashion display is the theme of this new exhibition at the Serpentine Sackler Gallery, created by Atelier E.B. – a collaborative fashion label by Scottish designer Beca Lipscombe and Brussels-based artist Lucy McKenzie. It explores everything from historical mannequins to changing body ideals and window dressing, and includes a miniature Tiffany & Co. display from 1950s New York. There are also newly commissioned works by contemporary artists spanning sculpture, photography and fashion, which explore connections between art and display. An on-site brand showroom is open on the weekends, allowing visitors to shop exhibited pieces and injecting retail into a gallery setting. It runs until January 6 2018.
West Carriage Drive, W2 2AR
Night and Day – 1930s Fashion & Photographs: The Fashion & Textile Museum presents
a new exhibition exploring the day and evening styles of the 1930s. It also features a photo
collection of the era’s celebrities who championed them, such as American actress Jean
Harlow and Italian fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli.On show are garments including long
evening dresses and the increasingly popular female trousers that marked the end of the
roaring 20s and the beginning of a more utilitarian wartime era – all displayed thematically
from nightclubs to suburban garden parties and domesticity. A coinciding showcase from
iconic British photographer Cecil Beaton, titled Thirty from the 30s: Fashion, Film and
Fantasy, is also worth visiting in the museum’s Small Gallery.
