(LONDON) Your indispensable guide to the style-set’s London Fashion Week secrets!
FORD’S LONDON TAKEOVER
Tom Ford shows on Monday, February 18th, cementing his love affair with London! Last year, he announced a flagship in Knightsbridge and shopped for a new mansion in Kensington. He’s told British papers that he wishes to send his son to school in London and to dress Princes William and Harry. Best places to spot him? Dining at Scott’s, No. 35, J. Sheekey, Mark’s Club, Harry’s Bar, or Cut at 45 Park Lane; getting a cocktail at the Fumoir at Claridge’s or walking his dogs in Grosvenor Square.
STAR POWER
Rihanna is set to launch her collection for British Retailer River Island at LFW…
INSIDE…Lucy Yeomans’ Little Black Book
Where are you most likely to be spotted grabbing a bite between LFW shows?
The Delaunay, Jeremy King’s, and Chris Corbin’s elegant Viennese-style brassiere, which opened last year opposite Somerset House.
Do you have a regular order?
On a good day the chopped chicken salad. On a bad day the Welsh Rarebit.
Which nightspots throw the most amusing after parties?
I’m unqualified to answer that these days. My 8-month-old daughter, Red, puts paid to all that. If pushed, I’d have to say Robin Birley’s new club Loulou’s. Where else in Mayfair has flashing palm trees on the dance floor?
What’s on your cultural radar now?
My boyfriend Jason Brooks’ show, “Ultraflesh” at Marlborough Contemporary on Albemarle Street. He’s a genius!
Best spots for LFW beauty emergencies?
Andreas Wylde at John Frieda (Aldford Street, W1) does the best blow dry in town. And I love Yvonne Martin (Yvonne Martin, Clarendon Terrace, W9) for her incredible youth-restoring facial massage.
ROYAL PICK
It’s been a banner year for Stella McCartney, who received the honor of an OBE from the Queen in January for her services to the fashion world. In 2012, Stella was chosen to design the British Olympic team uniforms with Adidas, and launched a lingerie collection called Stella as well as her children’s line Little Miss Stella.
MUST SHOP
Head over to Dover Street to check out the McQ and Acne boutiques.
MUST EAT
Kirsty Hathaway (an alum of British Vogue and Glamour) has launched JustOpenedLondon.com, a guide to the hautest spots in the British capital this very moment. Here are her top 5 picks for Fashion Week.
1) Coya: A Latin American gem in Mayfair, where the fashion set quaff Pisco Sours to escape the madness!
2) Opium Bar and Dim Sum: Located behind a secret door in Chinatown, this tasty, nostalgic spot oozes decadence.
3) Scotch Club: Stella McCartney and Kate Moss swear by this late night drinking den.
4) Worship Street Whistling Shop: A wonderful East London hideaway with a positively Dickensian ambiance.
5) Bar Américain at Brasserie Zedel: Another 2012 launch from those behind London’s infamous Wolseley and Delaunay, full to the brim with chicettes.
Glamour(UK)ama!
Glamour’s executive fashion & beauty editor Claudia Mahoney on her LFW obsessions.
Top lunch pit stop?
The Glamour team are not afraid of carbs. We often nip in somewhere like Bill’s for a burger and chips if we need serious sustenance.
Who throws the LFW parties?
Vivienne Westwood because she is so anarchic, Henry Holland (so full of joy), and Matches because they are so chic.
What do you always carry in your bag at the shows?
Painkillers to fight through the long hours in high heels, and Percy Pigs sweets from M&S to keep the sugar levels high enough to survive missing meals.
Not-to-be-missed nightspot of choice this week?
Dinner at The Colbert, which is the buzzy new restaurant on Sloane Square. Then perhaps a splurge on a night at Blakes, because it is the most romantic hotel in London.
Shows you always RSVP “Yes” to:
Jonathan Saunders, Christopher Kane, Burberry, Preen, and McQ. London really feels like it is an important city in the fashion calendar again.
Spots for LFW beauty emergencies?
Linda at Charles Worthington for colour and a cut. For quick mani/pedi emergencies pop over to Nails Inc. on South Molton Street.
Model du Jour: Cara Delevingne
“There are so many brilliant places to shoot fashion editorials in Britain. We just did a spread shot at Blenheim Palace, which was magnificent.”-Justine Picardie, EIC, Harper’s Bazaar