Originally published on Friday, 30th October 2009

A Nation of Shopkeepers

Personal Shopper has been on something of an extended sabbatical, since she unearthed a half price Balenciaga bag at Selfridges and took off to Tibet to try and figure out the real meaning of life, now that her only benchmark (luxury goods) had been somewhat devalued. Anyhow, she’s back (with karma in tow) to check out the latest shops making a splash on the London scene.

An.Other Magazine

Everyone’s favourite fashion tome has finally opened it’s virtual shop-front with a fabulous array of designer-led limited editions (in cahoots with Colette, ooh la la), specially commissioned or collaborative artist editions (including Jake and Dinos Chapman, Tom Friedman and Vera Lehndorff and Holger Trulzch), and wonderful coffee table books showcasing their extensive photographic archive. UJ hearts Peter Pilotto’s nature inspired, digi-print canvas shopper, Jake and Dinos Chapman’s dark Teddybear’s picnic, and Colette’s candle which smells like fresh magazine print and wet ink. Now there’s a real fetish.

An.Thropologie

Urban Outfitter’s grown up sister, Anthropologie, has finally set foot in London with its first European outpost. The gorgeously eclectic store does junk-shop chic on a grand scale, making everything from the décor to the product a piece of art. Tea bag hanging wall installations, a dress made of broken china, recycled chandeliers and an impressive vertical garden all serve to play up the amazing merchandise – which just happens to include a fantastic Eley Kishimoto capsule collection.

58 Regent Street, W1B 5SW

An.y Excuse

Oh Ok, so we could talk about the fact that Albam have finally launched their East End store in the Old Spitalfields Market Building, or we could wax lyrical about Milk’s concept boutique and webstore stacked full of designery, lifestyle goodies – but all we really want to discuss is dinosaurs. Giles Deacon’s dinosaur bags, to be precise. Impractical, yes. Verging on the ludicrous, sure. But damn if we aren’t loving a little metallic, shiny Flinstones action. Bring on S/S 2010.    

Albam - 111a Commercial Street, E1 6BG.

Milk - 118 1/2 Shoreditch High Street, E1 6JN