The fashion pack are descending on London for the bi-annual London Fashion Week, but there are plenty of ways to experience the buzz of the capital’s fashion scene without obtaining an industry-only ticket. From London’s most fashionable bars to stores celebrating the city’s unparalleled shopping experiences and unique British brands, we round up the most stylish spots to spend London Fashion Week 2024. When is London Fashion Week 2024? London Fashion Week takes place this year between Thursday 12 to Tuesday 17 September 2024.
Where is London Fashion Week 2024? London Fashion Week has been held in many landmarks across the capital, from its long-standing position at Somerset House (which included catwalk shows and presentation spaces, as well as designer studios for emerging talents) to 180 The Strand and, of course, the somewhat infamous Brewer Street Carpark (less said on the latter, the better). However, with a jam-packed schedule, expect to see shows pop up across the capital, some sticking to the traditional catwalk formula and others aiming to turn heads for more intriguing arrangements. The most fashionable shops Make sure to stop by the landmark takeover at Harrods, where a pop-up featuring the NEWGEN Totes is supporting the British Fashion Council between Friday 15 and Tuesday 19 September.
Address: Harrods, 87-135 Brompton Road, London SW1X 7XL Website: harrods.com Rixo is eponymous with London's cool-girl aesthetic, and only more so since the opening of its flagship store on Chelsea's King's Road in early 2023. Pop in for vintage-inspired dresses with splashy colours before settling into the in-store coffee shop and cocktail bar from the team behind Smokey Kudu.
Address: 114-116, King's Road, London SW3 4TX Website: rixolondon.com Last year, Browns showcased an LFW edit of exciting British brands within an installation by artist Dawn Bendick. We're yet to hear what the shop has in store this year, but while you wait, why not book a personal shopping experience to invest in some key new-season pieces or dine at their in-house sustainable restaurant, Native? Address: Browns Brook Street, 39 Brook Street, W1K 4JE Website: brownsfashion.
com Selfridges always hosts some unmissable fashion pop-ups. In 2023, Jimmy Choo’s collaboration with the manga series Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon popped up in the accessories hall, while the store celebrated Loewe’s third collaboration with Japanese animation studio Studio Ghibli with a series of events and 3D renderings. Address: Selfridges, 400 Oxford Street, London W1A 1AB Website: selfridges.
com A number of stores across the capital participate in London Fashion Week’s City Wide celebration, with additional activations in Manchester and Newcastle. In addition to promotions and special offers in-store, events typically take place, including Q&A sessions and live music performances. Head to londonfashionweek.
co.uk/citywide-celebration for a list of events and stores participating. The most fashionable restaurants One of the city’s most beautiful places to dine , this new spot opened with roaring glitz and glamour at the beginning of 2023.
Restaurant entrepreneur Richard Caring, not known for his muted taste, spared no expense here (the interiors are rumoured to have cost upwards of £25 million). Giant Damien Hirst statues watch over you as you feast on platters of tagliolini truffle pasta and bucatini bolognese served by waiters draped in togas. Address: Bacchanalia, 1-3 Mount Street, London W1K 3NA Website: bacchanalia.
co.uk Maya Jama's recent 30th birthday bash gave Belvedere some mainstream attention – but the residents of this leafy London suburb may have wished it stayed under the radar. You'll find this hidden gem in a courtyard in the heart of Holland Park, where Lello Favuzzi whisks up impeccable Italian fare.
The thin-crust pizzas are a winner for al-fresco summer suppers, but indulgent seafood is the focus – from wild turbot steak in saffron sauce to starters of Bluefin tuna tartare. Address: Belvedere, Holland Park, Abbotsbury Road, London W8 6LU Website: belvedererestaurant.co.
uk With outposts in some of the world’s most lavish destinations ( Paris , Dubai , NYC – the list goes on), it’s no surprise Caviar Kaspia is a chic haunt during fashion season. A-listers, high-flyer influencers and anyone who’s anyone in the industry (think Beyoncé, Naomi Campbell and Tom Ford) gravitate here to be tastefully entertained by the old-world, aquamarine interiors and the infamous four-figure caviar-coated baked potatoes. Address: 1a Chesterfield Street, London W1J 5JF Website: caviarkaspialondon.
com Stop by the chic dining room of Maison Francois for a coffee or brunch – try the house granola with fresh berries. This spot is slightly further away from the main LFW hub, so you'll usually find a table. Its position off St James's makes it an excellent option for a city-central pit stop.
Do expect to rub shoulders with fellow fashion insiders with the same idea. Address: Maison Francois, 34 Duke Street St James's, St. James's, London SW1Y 6DF Website: maisonfrancois.
london Another hot table to book is Claridge's ArtSpace Cafe. Ideally located in Mayfair , not far from the Old Selfridges Hotel, it's perfect for a quick caffeine hit of a pastry. It's not as formal as the main hotel bar upstairs, so trainers and totes laden with invitations are more acceptable.
Address: Claridge's ArtSpace Café, Brook's Mews, London W1K 4HR Website: claridges.co.uk A classic but solid fashion week stalwart.
Chiltern Firehouse has long beckoned in-the-know foodies craving the reliable food of head chef Luke Hunns. Keep one eye on the lookout for anyone from Cara Delevinge, Kate Moss and Suki Waterhouse, and the other firmly on the lunch menu – dishes like vodka tomato pie pizza topped with wild oregano, roasted courgettes with Brunswick blue cheese, walnuts and hot honey and hand-rolled pappardelle with girlies and pecorino make for a suitably modish schedule break. Address: 1 Chiltern Street, London W1U 7PA Website: chilternfirehouse.
com Kettner’s has had many lives, but its latest iteration as the Soho branch of Clarence Tavern is a firm favourite among the fashion set. Book a table in the decadent dining room, adorned with floral chairs, low-lit lamps and ornately corniced ceilings, and grab a well-deserved coffee break mid-schedule. The food changes seasonally, but dishes centre around Mediterranean classics, from ox cheek croquettes and artichoke fritters to twice-baked cheese soufflé and slow-roast pork shoulder with wild garlic.
Address: 29 Romilly Street, London W1D 5AL Website: sohohouse.com Teetering on the 10th floor of The Standard Hotel in King’s Cross, this sultry, low-lit restaurant ticks all the right boxes. With views over the epic St Pancras Renaissance Hotel and beyond to the markets and high rises in Coal Drops Yard, this Mexican restaurant is where the in-the-know crowd heads after a day traipsing through the capital.
The fried potatoes with an aioli dip are to die for, as are the pork belly tacos and the fried hispi cabbage – all paired perfectly with a smoky mezcal margarita. Address : Decimo, 10th Floor, 10 Argyle Street, London WC1H 8EG Website : decimo.london Here’s another relatively new opening where the hype has yet to die down.
Max Rocha cut his teeth working in kitchens such as The River Cafe, St John Bread & Wine and Spring, but before he opened Café Cecilia – a sweet little canal-front spot – he was catering for fashion shoots and private events. Of course, that means everything from the interiors to the atmosphere to the minimal, uber-local menu is bang on trend. Address: Café Cecilia, 32 Andrews Road, London E8 4FX, United Kingdom Website: cafececilia.
com This 2021 opening quickly became one of the hardest tables to book in the city – and three years later, it’s showing no sign of losing its sparkle. The stripped-back 18th-century Grade II-listed building provides a scruffily gorgeous setting – it's so pretty we named it one of the most beautiful restaurants in London . Address: Sessions Arts Club, Old Sessions House, 24 Clerkenwell Green, London EC1R 0NA, UK Website: sessionsartsclub.
com The bars to know The Connaught has long been synonymous with a sense of timeless, quiet elegance, and Red Room is no exception. With its back-lit bars, sleek architecture and red-themed design, the bar is steeped in seductive, old-school romance. Stop by to sip on inventive cocktails and admire the work of some of the world’s best female artists – from Louise Bourgeois and Jenny Holzer to Trina McKillen and Tia-Thuy Nguyen.
Address: The Connaught, 16 Carlos Place, London W1K 2AL Website: the-connaught.co.uk Set behind London’s swankiest shopping street, Isabel is one of the capital’s most iconic places to dine.
Inside a building dating back to the early 20th century, lavish interiors set a distinct. precedent for the service and culinary offerings here. Amid a ceiling adorned with golden orbs, blue velvet banquettes and back-lit walls, expect innovative dishes from grilled octopus topped with avocado cream and drizzled with a gold kiwi vinaigrette to tuna tartare dotted with ponzu, wasabi and a squeeze of lime.
Address: Isabel, 26 Albemarle Street, London W1S 4HY Website: isabelw1.london Annabel’s is to London Fashion Week what Vivienne Westwood is to punk. Across the five-day frenzy, hoards of suited and booted mavens descend on the members' club , snapping selfies in front of the hedonistic interiors and easily recognisable bathroom mirrors.
It’s a firm fact that dining here will result in a celeb spot or two, so eagle-eyed influencers and media up-and-comers come ready to mingle and hit the dance floor to blow off some fashion-week steam. Address: Annabel's, 46 Berkeley Square, London W1J 5AT Website: annabels.co.
uk A stalwart in Mayfair ’s glittering set, think members' club vibe without the hauteur (albeit still with the prices). Walls are draped in thick swathes of silk, guests with sleek suits and swishing dresses sashay between tables and a jazz band performs right in the middle of the room. The Chinese-inspired menu offers a dim-sum platter that is beyond any you’ll have eaten before, and cocktails are whipped up in a gold-trimmed bar by tuxedo-clad mixologists.
Address: Park Chinois, 17 Berkeley Street, London W1J 8EA Website: parkchinois.com With its West End location, glitzy super-boutique status and fashion-conscious design, it’s unsurprising that The Londoner is a LFW hub and official sponsor . The hotel’s art curation includes original work from the likes of Tim Walker and Donovan Davis, as well as interior inspiration from Alexander McQueen's design.
Be sure to book into the glamorous rooftop lounge come sundown – 8 at The Londoner serves world-class Japanese cuisine in an izakaya-style setting, complete with views of Leicester Square. Address: 8 at The Londoner, 38 Leicester Square, London WC2H 7DX Website: thelondoner.com The Rivoli Bar at The Ritz London What could be more fitting for a Fashion Week tipple than The Ritz 's golden jewellery box of a bar? It's the closest many mere mortals will come to a ride on the legendary Orient Express , with interiors inspired by one of the train's carriages.
The intimate cocktail bar is a peaceful haven where some of the best bartenders in the game concoct some of the most impressive cocktails in town. Address: The Rivoli Bar, The Ritz, 150 Piccadilly, London W1J 9BR Website: theritzlondon.com The coolest cafés The little sibling of Le Comptoir Robuchon is a dream pitstop for anyone racing between shows – stocked with fresh pastries and hot sandwiches that lean into the French vibes of the place (big-shot Parisian chef Joël Robuchon founded the namesake restaurants) such as jambon-beurre or a truffle Croque.
Address: Le Deli Robuchon, 82 Piccadilly, London W1J 8JA, United Kingdom Website: ledelirobuchon.co.uk Brooklyn -born coffee house Blank Street only made its UK debut in the summer of 2022, but it has already taken its mint-sage colourway to some of London's coolest neighbourhoods, including Fitzrovia , Notting Hill, Marylebone, and Shoreditch (with more on the way).
For a nutty kick, go for a classic latte with pistachio milk. Address: 44 Charlotte Street, London W1T 2NR, United Kingdom Website: blankstreet.com Potentially London’s slickest bakery, Marchesi hails from another fashion mainstay, Milan , which has been feeding Italy’s chicest set since 1824.
These days, the brand is owned by Prada – who oversaw the opening of this outpost on Mayfair’s Mount Street a few years ago. Top tip: pick up a few chocolates for later while refuelling on Italian-style coffee. Address: 117 Mount Street, London W1K 3LA Website: pasticceriamarchesi.
com For world-acclaimed pâtissier Cédric Grolet's first venture out of France, the pastry chef chose one of London's most iconic hotels. This sophisticated spot offers Londoners flaky, buttery pastries, decadent desserts and creamy vanilla flans, a stone's throw from Hyde Park. If you're also heading to Paris Fashion Week, stop by his other two patisseries in Le Meurice and Opéra.
Address : Wilton Place, London SW1X 7RL Website : the-berkeley.co.uk New York City -born Aimé Leon Dore’s in-house café is as pared-back as the brand’s clothing drops.
Taking inspiration from its sister across the pond, the London outpost (in Soho , on Broadwick Street) is all nutty wood and tiled floors, marble table tops and gold accents. Order a Greek-inspired Freddo Cappuccino and take respite from Soho’s thrum. Address: Café Leon Dore, 32-34 Broadwick Street, London W1F 8JB Website: aimeleondore.
com This cute-as-a-button Japanese-French café has locations in the world’s most fashionable cities: Tokyo , Paris , New York. The London imagining is set in Pantechnicon, a Scandi-Japanese mash-up of a venue that’s home to more of our favourite London restaurants (including Sachi, which is well worth a pit-stop if you’re hungry). Address : Ground Floor, 19 Motcomb Street, Belgravia, SW1X 8LB Website: pantechnicon.
com The fashionista exhibition Supermodel and cultural icon Naomi Campbell is the focus of the V&A's latest exhibition. Naomi: In Fashion takes visitors through four decades of the model's career in clothes – with spectacular frocks by the likes of Thierry Mugler and Vivienne Westwood among them Address: V&A South Kensington, Cromwell Road, London SW7 2RL Website: vam.ac.
uk.
