Where to Go, Eat, Shop for Spring 2025 London Fashion Week

What to See

“Olaolu Slawn, 1,000 Canvases,” Saatchi Yates Gallery

Known for his hyper-graphic art, which draws from graffiti culture and his Yoruba heritage, Olaolu Akeredolu-Ale, known as Slawn, is having his first major London exhibition at Saatchi Yates. Championed by Skepta and Virgil Abloh, a slew of new work from the Nigerian-born, London-based artist is on display, including 1,000 A4 canvases. Each priced at 1,000 pounds, or roughly $1,300, the works are available for purchase online, with Slawn’s signature satirical caricatures splashed across a rainbow of canvases.

“Yi Liu: Searching the Mountains,” Cob Gallery

In “Searching the Mountains,” there’s an eternal ethereal haze to artist Yi Liu’s paintings that allows them to transcend a sense of corporeality. Exploring her Chinese identity while living and painting in the West, Liu drew inspiration from the 17th-century Chinese painting “Searching the Mountains for Demons,” in which divine warriors hunt demonic creatures. Subverting her reference, the artist flipped the script: humans are portrayed as monsters, and demons as heroes.

“Company,” White Cube

“Company,” Donna Huddleston’s first solo exhibition at the White Cube Gallery, is a pastel-hued consideration of a theatrical cast of characters. Having favored watercolor and colored pencil, the striking series marks Huddleston’s return to acrylic. 

Where to Eat

Ambassadors Clubhouse

London-based restaurant group JKS Restaurants is known for fostering successful restaurants, their Michelin-star-studded repertoire including Berenjak, Flor and Hoppers. Ambassadors Clubhouse, a bar and restaurant serving up Punjabi cuisine, is the newest addition to their lineup. Lit in a perpetual honey-colored glow, try the barbecue butter chicken chops for an unforgettable meal.

The Dover

The Dover, aptly located on Dover Street, dishes up Italian fare with New York flair. Designed by Milanese designers Quincoces & Drago, heavy velvet drapery is juxtaposed by sleek wooden paneling and dining room tables are dressed in tablecloths and candles. With everything from mini hot dog appetizers to Tuscan minestrone on the menu, there’s something for everyone to nibble on. 

Gaia

Greek-Mediterranean cuisine is celebrated at Gaia. A light and airy oasis in the middle of bustling Piccadilly, Gaia specializes in cocktails made with fresh botanicals and an extensive caviar collection. The menu ranges from light bites to meals that might make you loosen your belt. 

Blank Street Coffee

Blank Street is undoubtably the coffee shop of the moment. Walk by any of the chain’s matcha green storefronts and witness a line out the door. The reason? Delectable coffee, pastries and sandwiches. Blank Street fanatics swear by the chain’s eclectic offerings, including the shaken brown sugar cold brew, iced strawberries and cream latte, and its autumn specials: a pumpkin spice latte and banana bread matcha.

Where to Stay

The Emory

The Emory is the latest luxury hotel offering from Maybourne, the operator of some of London’s most legendary hotels, including Claridge’s, The Connaught, and The Berkeley. Designed by the late high-tech architecture pioneer Richard Rogers, it is an ultra-modern, all-suite hotel with home-like, understated furnishings envisioned by some of today’s most celebrated interior designers. Rooms cost 1,620 pounds a night for a courtyard-looking junior suite and 8,700 pounds for a park-facing balcony one.

Mandarin Oriental Mayfair

A boutique-size set up by Hanover Square, Mandarin Oriental Mayfair is the first new-build hotel in the neighborhood in more than a decade. It aims to create a blend of art, fashion and culture that would be embraced by the local community, as well as its guests. It also offers a range of dining options, such as Akira Back, where for the first time in London guests will be able to enjoy the celebrity chef’s signature fusion dishes such as tuna pizza, wagyu tacos, and “hot mess” sushi rolls filled with sashimi poke, crab tempura, and spicy ponzu aioli.

Where to Treat Yourself

Alo Yoga

As London Fashion Week’s official wellness partner, Alo Yoga has set up a tranquil retreat in 180 Strand. For editors looking for a moment to breathe between New Gen shows, the space offers a selection of studio movement classes as well as complimentary wellness and beauty treatments.

Astrid & Miyu

Founded in 2012 by Connie Nam, Astrid and Miyu creates jewelry that is inspired by Nam’s South Korean heritage. Specializing in bejeweled ear stacks, delicate gold chains, and pieces bedecked in freshwater pearls, the label has just opened its newest flagship in Soho. In addition to buying glamorous accessories, shoppers can also get pierced, tattooed, or have a bracelet welded around their wrist.

Kichi Skin Studio at Hershesons

Facialist Natasha Clancy, whose A-list clientele includes Iris Law, Sienna Miller, and Emilia Clarke, has opened her Kichi Skin Studio at Hershesons. Located in the hair salon’s Belgravia location, all of the studio’s laser resurfacing facials are available to book for those in search of glass skin.

Marc Jacobs at Selfridges

Amid Grecian pillars and busts, Marc Jacobs has set up shop in Selfridges from now until Sunday. On display are the designer’s fall 2024 offerings: a cheeky zebra sequin minidress, studded denim, a shiny patent leather bag. A few pieces from Marc Jacobs’ recent collaboration with iconic artist Futura might even be up for grabs.