Vintage and antiques
Full of noise, colour and life, Brick Lane and its side streets are a fantastic destination for vintage clothes and quirky pieces for the home. Try the Backyard Market opposite Dray Walk for early 20th-century homeware and furniture, and the huge Beyond Retro on Cheshire Street for fashion one-offs (Tower Hamlets; vintage leather jackets from £30).
The shops located in the secure subterranean vaults on the eastern fringes of Holborn together make up the largest collection of silver under one roof in the world. The London silver vaults tend to specialise in different types of silverware – from cutlery sets to Edwardian picture frames and jewellery (53–64 Chancery Ln; silver napkin rings around £65, antique toast racks from around £240).
Alfies antique market, in northwest London, is an ex-department store in an Art Deco building, now dedicated to 20th-century furniture and rare ’20s to ’70s pieces. Lose an afternoon rambling through its four floors of sculptural lighting, vintage posters and evocative furniture. Take a breather in the fine rooftop café (13–25 Church St; closed Sun & Mon; 1950s advertising posters from around £30).
Boutiques and luxury
Showcasing Comme des Garçons, Alexander McQueen and Hussein Chalayan, among other designers, the Dover Street Market is the place to find high-end fashion. Four floors of clothing are artfully displayed around surprising architectural features such as a Portaloo-style dressing room (17–18 Dover St; printed T-shirts from £45).
You’ll feel like you’ve stepped into another era at Liberty, a mock- Tudor department store in Soho, established in 1875 and rebuilt in the ’20s. It’s best known for its printed fabrics, homewares and exotic rugs, but it also sells some of the best fashion and accessories in the world. A truly British sense of the eccentric reigns at this London icon (Regent St; Liberty art fabrics £21 per metre).
All number of suppliers can be found beneath the three glass domes of Design Centre Chelsea Harbour. Around 95 showrooms specialise in carpets, accessories, lighting and hardware. Shops include Original BTC, Besselink & Jones, Vaughan and Porta Romana. There’s also a café in the north dome (411 The North Chambers; Mon–Fri; Original BTC table lamps from £119).