LONDON FASHION WEEK
How to do LONDON FASHION WEEK in style.
By Ellie-Mae Hammond
With restrictions taking the lead over our lives for the past year and a half, it’s time now to celebrate the new normal, and what better way than to welcome this year’s London fashion week. Albeit, the format will be both digital and physical, London is set to welcome the world’s most flamboyant fashion lovers, and here at Absolutely we have put together a list of all the best places to pit-stop along your fashion week journey.
Whether it’s a drink, stay or dining experience you after during this week, our line-up will not leave you disappointed.
TO EAT:
RITA’S SOHO for a post-show catch up
A recently opened Rita’s Soho is the latest restaurant from the London Restaurant-scene royalty, Missy Flynn and Gabriel Pryce. Whilst they await a full restaurant launch in a few weeks, the terrace is open, situated in the heart of Soho, the Iconic Lexington Street. With the terrace being the perfect place to mix for a post-show catch up or a spot of networking, the menu consists of sublime small plates including jalapeno popper gildas, toasted corn and cheddar beignets with old bay, and Chingford courgette quesadillas. To accompany the small plates, Beverage Director Cameron has created a quintessential wine menu that offers all the bubbles, red, white and rose you will need to help you on your way to your next event.
49 Lexington St, Carnaby, London W1F 9AP
WHITCOMB’S AT THE LONDONER –recuperation between shows
The signature restaurant at the heart of the new ‘The Londoner Hotel’, will be opening its door this September, bringing a whole new meaning to the ‘all-day’ dining experience, situated in the heart of Leicester Square.
If it’s a taste for the finer things in life, Whitcomb’s a la carte menu will take your fancy, featuring a selection of plates made up of French classics as well as modern interpretations of much-loved dishes. Small plates include tuna tartare with confit egg yolk and Oscietra caviar; Whitcomb’s take on the classic escargots with white wine, garlic, and n’duja lemon butter; and Carpaccio de poisson, of yellowtail with Côte d’Azur lemon, olive oil and black sea salt. If you’re looking for something a little more substantial, larger dish on the a la carte includes fresh pastas, such as rigatoni au homard, with seared lobster and Scotch bonnet labneh crème; and agnolotti au fromage et beurre, with a rich cheese béchamel and crispy sage butter.
BERNERS TAVERN for an end of the day round up
Brought to you by Michelin-starred chef Jason Atherton, Berners Tavern, has become one of London’s most sought-after restaurant reservations. In an atmosphere that effortlessly blends with the historical charm of your surroundings, Atherton lends his culinary expertise to Berners Tavern offering an all-day dining experience with a menu of seasonal, contemporary British cuisine. There is also a private dining room above the restaurant can host special events for up to 14 guests.
TO STAY:
THE LONDONER – Slumber in style
By far one of the hottest hotel launches in London this year is confirmed to open its door to guests this September, just in time for the long-awaited London Fashion week. Marking the rebirth and rejuvenation of the Iconic Leicester Square, The Londoner enters as one of the world’s first super boutique hotels.
The Londoner is set to amaze both Londoners and the city’s international guests with a staggering 350 rooms, 16 storeys, six concept eateries, a unique members club-style private area, a wealth of meeting and event space, cinema and an entire floor dedicated to wellness. Designed in collaboration with world-renowned architectural designers Yabu Pushelberg, the opening of The Londoner marks a pivotal moment in the return and scale of global hospitality. A perfect match for anyone wanting to complete fashion week in style.
PAN PACIFIC – Welcoming wellbeing
The first European outpost from Pan Pacific Hotels Group, the hotel opened its door to quests at the beginning of September, located in Bishopsgate Plaza opposite Liverpool Street Station – a perfectly central destination for anyone not wanting to travel far for comfort. Close to the stylish area of Shoreditch and the Iconic Spitalfields Market, the hotel has an ingrained focus on wellness throughout, not only in terms of the facilities but also throughout the hotel design, from a whole floor dedicated to wellness (with a 18.5m infinity pool, a gong therapy room and one of the most technologically advanced hotel gyms), to botanical planting throughout the hotel with plants that have been carefully curated for their health benefits and meeting rooms with floor to ceiling windows to encourage productivity. If you’re looking for a little sanity in the whirlwind that is fashion week – Pan Pacific is your go-to.
TO-DO:
Drawing on Style, 16th – 26th September at Cromwell Place, South Kensington
Private View: 15th September, 6.30pm – 9pm
Do you have a spare few hours running between shows? Head down to South Kensignton, and visit the latest must-see exhibition. ‘Drawing on Style’ will celebrate rare and unseen fashion illustrations from post-war 1940s to the present day with a free exhibition coinciding with London Fashion Week at Cromwell Place; a new hub for the Arts in South Kensington. Presented by Gray M.C.A, the exhibition will showcase an assemblage of rare original works that adorned the pages of influential magazines and newspapers throughout the 20th century, capturing the iconic designs of the world’s fashion powerhouses. Exquisite illustrations by the likes of David Downton, Ali Mahdavi, Gladys Perint Palmer, Antonio Lopez, René Bouché, René Gruau and more will be on display.
Available to book HERE.
www.drawingonstyle.com @graymca
Fabrica X at The Mills Fabrica, Cottam House King’s Cross
Sustainbility will forever be at the heart of fashion week, therefore shop sustainably and consciously this LFW at Fabrica X; a new curated retail store and exhibition space filled with eco-fashion pioneers to empower customers to make design-led and responsible purchases. Visitors can enjoy immersive installations, including Unspun; the UK’s first 3D body scanning technology to create custom-fit denim that is exclusively available at this new space for London. https://www.themillsfabrica.com/, fabricax_london
