After landing back in Oz, our creative director Kristy shares her guide to exploring London in a few days. It is complete with her favourite stays and shopping destinations, as well as her go-to spots for the coolest vibes and inspiration! 

Where to Stay: The Ham Yard Hotel in central London's Soho 

The Ham Yard Hotel is one of the Firmdale Hotels' with interiors designed by award-winning designer Kit Kemp. It has its own bowling alley downstairs! We also love the Knightsbridge, another Firmdale Hotel. Both are filled with quirky, eclectic interiors. If you stay at a Firmdale Hotel, make sure you include breakfast - it's delicious! 

 Where to Shop

My favourite place to shop in Soho is Liberty London, a high-end fashion and homewares department store set in a heritage Tudor building. I love it for the architecture and their choice of displays, selection of brands and homewares. A favourite is the curated vintage section and their infamous, eclectic prints. We occasionally collaborate with Liberty Prints at FLANNEL, and they make for the most special pieces. 

From Liberty London, I walk to MATCHES FASHION Mayfair Townhouse. Again, their curation and styling is beautiful, eclectic and quirky but still refined. Near MATCHES is several other beautiful high-end stores, but MATCHES is my highlight. 

 An Afternoon at Chiltern Firehouse in Marylebone

Now is a good time to grab a black London cab and experience a ride in one. Head to the infamous Chiltern Firehouse in Marylebone. We didn't have a booking, but managed to get a spot at the bar for a quick snack and yummy cocktail. Food not my highlight here but great vibe and people watching. 

We then had a wander up and down the street of Chiltern Firehouse for a window shop; some super cool spots nearby. Walk towards Marylebone Lane to Ottolenghi Marylebone - a trendy, lauded cafe of delicious salads and treats like fruit tarts & cakes. Stay on Marylebone Lane for more window shopping. A special mention is Consigned Sealed Delivered, a vintage consignment store, if you are after a beautiful curation of pre-loved high end pieces.

Shoreditch: My Favourite Part! 

I always love visiting the markets in any city. The mix of people, food and textiles is always so inspirational to me. The Spitalfield Market in Shoreditch is great! A very hipster, cool and eclectic vibe. 

Start here. Grab your coffee first from Climpson & Sons, superb! Then we wandered over to the record store and markets. The fashion stalls were a feast for my eyes, such a wonderful mix of old and new, quirky and refined. I bought two kimonos from a Japanese store with the most beautiful colours in them.

And we cannot forget, the most amazing food stalls - so many delicious choices. From there, wander Brick Lane for vintage stores and people watching until you get to Redchurch Street. I love it here, a hive of stylish stores.

Finish at the hip Shoreditch House for lunch or dinner. 

Shoreditch is a must!

And that's all for London! Stay tuned for my next blog on Portugal... X