London, home of modern makers
The best outtakes from our girls trip to London with a focus on craft
Lunch at July, Afternoon Tea at Sketch, Burlesque at the Ned, Sunday Roast at Bistrotheque. Little did we know what trip was awaiting us, when Mjo, Megan and me, Isabelle, decided and drank to our girls trip to London for Mjo’s Birthday. We’ll do it as we do it best. While Mjo is reviewing the trip on Instagram (hello Social Media Manager) and writer and part-time tour guide Megan is doing a full written recap for Citizen Femme (thank you for letting us do this press trip), I will fill you in on the maker’s side of things.
A deep dive into craftsmanship: Liberty and Savile Row
Let’s dive right in. A place i go on every visit to London, no matter how long, is the Liberty department store in SOHO. A stunning building on its own, Liberty is always one of the first to host new talents and products from the UK and worldwide. Anything but new is their fabric department, originating in 1875. It’s a playground for everyone working with fashion or interior fabrics. Finest Tana Cotton Lawn, Softest Silk combined with eclectic prints interpreting and inspired by William Morris’ prints. The Strawberry Thief is my favourite! Not far away is Savile Row, a place to indulge even deeper into the history of sartorial tailoring. Find the finest menswear and now also womenswear tailoring in the UK or maybe even worldwide. Other’s Diagonally might be my Savile Row. Read more about the women making the cut here.
If you happen to be in London in May and Craftsmanship speaks to you; you should have a look at London Craft Week featuring the most amazing makers in a row of workshops and exhibitions.
Stumbled upon: Mac Culloch & Wallis
Nestled in Soho, I did indeed stumble upon Mac Culloch & Wallis, if it wasn’t for the girls to tell me to look up and straight into their window. Especially their selection of undyed wollen yarn drew my attention. Cotton Bouclé. super hairy alpaca - a lot of qualities that are very hard to source, even for a regular at the yarn fairs. Being around since 1902, they stock all the well and lesser known hand knitting yarn brands and even Haberdashery.
Never gets old: A Sunday’s walk through East London
Back in 2013 I was lucky enough to secure an internship with graphic savvy Mary Katrantzou in Islington, London. I had a just as lucky grab to land a tiny flat share in an old school house in the middle of Hackney in East London. In my direct neighborhood: Famous Brick Lane, still quiet Columbia Road Flower Market and one of my favourite streets, Broadway Market.
If you can, you should visit on a Sunday. Start off by listening to some vinyl at Rough Trade, getting your hands on a butter-heavy Croissant-and-butter-pudding at Brick Lane Market and travel back in time in original vintage stores such as Levisons sporting original vintage workwear, tailoring and knitwear.
Afterwards, we head to Columbia Road Flowermarket. Every Sunday, this yet so quite street turns into a busy in and outdoor flower market. Two stores I warmly recommend are STRAW and Colenimo. The latter is a specialist clothing design studio working with manufacturers all over the UK. Their collections consist of warm lambswool jackets, and Japanese inspired hand printed scarves to classic tailored trousers. STRAW once started selling wicker and crochet baskets and beautiful wavy ceramic pots. They’ve just come up with their to-die-for Baby Line made of gingham and print patterns.
If you want to head for a Sunday Roast, I warmly recommend Bistrotheque. Book in advance and enjoy modern interpreted but classic roast dishes tucked away in the hustle and bustle of Hackney.
You could now either head further east through Victoria Park for a walk or meander west along Regent’s Canal to make a stop at Broadway Market. This street leading up to London Field’s and its beloved Swimming Pool is brimming with market stalls and little cafes, artisan bakeries or specialty luncheon spots. You should definitely check out their local book stores and take some time off to sit in the park with a book and a scotch egg. But careful, I had an incident or two with dogs finishing my meal before I even started!
Knit Club Basket: Guernsey Sweater
Guernseys, Jereys, Arans - all different types of knit originating from the sweaters the fishermen in the british channel islands wore. The Guernsey sweater has a special off-shoulder pattern, adorned with purl and knit stitches and is recommended to be worn on both sides in every other day. I discovered one of the (quite sturdy) classic knits at the vintage store Levinsons but wanted to make my own. Find the original here. Or use this pattern to knit along with me during knit club. The perfect project to use some hand spun Southdown Babydoll wool!
Astonished by: Kate Jenkins Crochet
We went to London at the time of Frieze Art Fair, which highlights the city’s vast array of galleries. One of the artists showcased at the Air Contemporary Gallery, placed right next to Ham Yard Hotel, a piece of art in itself, was Kate Jenkins. Kate is a master of playful crochet, knitwear and embroidery. Her ‘Catch of the Day’ shows a vast array of colourful crochet fish, glittery mussels, and intricate shellfish that can be combined into your favourite seafood platter for the wall.
+1 The new old: Marylebone
Chiltern firehouse, Mouki Mou, Wallace Collection, Labour and Wait, Shreeji Newsagents
By way of exception, i’ll add a sixth point for this edition. A little guide to Marylebone. While I was an East London-Ultra for such a long time, I’ve come to rekindle with the west of London, its specialty stores and restaurants growing older during the past years (I heard that’s a thing!).
The Wallace Collection is a must, it’s for free and sends you back 300 years in time. Not only the collection, also the interior and setting is breathtaking!
Stores I always go to are Labour and Wait offering quality timeless household supplies, Mouki Mou with a perfect curation of soft knits and tailored garments and jewellery and - new to my party - Shreeji Newsagents. The smallest magazine store with the by far best wooden fixtures.
If you’re a sucker for good interiors and good manners just as I am, you should stop by Chiltern Firehouse. The little sister of Chateau Marmont in Hollywood knows how to persuade with a stunning bar and open court yard.
A very special thank you to Megan who organized the whole trip, there’s no words on how much work and research you put into this for us! I would also like to mention a special thank you to all the restaurants that put up with us and the Firmdale Hotels Group who hosted us as the queens that we are :-)
This was the most fun!! Let’s go back soon ❤️🩷🙋🏼♀️ Love, M.
Love it!!! <3