Shopping

Comfort Station

Comfort Station
Designer Amy Anderson has come a long way since selling stylish neckscarves from market stalls five years ago. Autumn/winter 2006/07 sees the introduction of playful jewellery ranges featuring silver spoons engraved with the plea ‘feed me’, and Victorian pictures of cakes (£54-£200). Unisex cuffs made of silk adorned with silver chains are popular, and make sure you check out the belts with walnut buckles.
Comfort Station, 22 Cheshire St, E2 6EH (020 7033 9099/www.comfortstation.co.uk) Liverpool St tube/rail. Open by appointment only daily 11am-6pm. Feature continues

Designworks
This hip Japanese brand is known for classic, understated clothing in a range of experimental fabrics. The quality of the clothes is extremely high, but some of the more fashion-forward items aren’t for the faint-hearted. Designworks is a perfect example of a concept store that works, with a carefully considered harmony between the interior, the staff and the products that appears effortless and inviting. Snooty British brands ought to take note.
Designworks, 42-44 Broadwick St, W1 (020 7434 1968/www.abahouse.co.jp) Oxford Circus tube. Open Mon-Fri 10.30am-7pm, Sat 11am-6pm.

Diverse
An N1 institution with two shops on Upper Street. The line-up at the women’s shop (number 294) includes Rick Owens, Chloé, Marc by Marc Jacobs and jeans by Tsubi and Notify. Emma Cook and Preen have also been thrown into the mix for the autumn/winter 2006/07 collection. A small but wisely chosen range of accessories, including pieces by Chloé and Marc by Marc Jacobs shoes, finishes off the selection. The men’s shop (number 286) also stocks both established and younger labels. Upstairs is more fashion-oriented. A good selection of Day Birger et Mikkelsen and Margaret Howell sits alongside denim labels for the skinny-limbed, like Nudie and Cheap Monday.
Diverse, 294 Upper St, N1 (020 7359 8877/www.diverseclothing.com) Angel tube. Open Mon-Wed, Fri, Sat 10.30am-6.30pm, Thur 10.30am-7.30pm, Sun 12.30-6pm.

Doors by Jas MB
Best for men’s accessories
Jas Sehmbi stocks a variety of clothing and accessories labels in his classy shop off Carnaby Street, but the highlights are his own-design luxury leather bags, which have an edge, despite being crafted from super-soft Italian leather. Brass frames, shoe-nuts and knuckledusters adorn the bags, which come in various permutations from eccentric doctors’ shapes to spherical creations as well as more functional designs. Prices range from £150 to £600. On the clothing front are styles by Acne Jeans for both sexes.
Doors by Jas MB, 8 Ganton St, W1 (020 7494 2288/www.doorsbyjasmb.com) Oxford Circus tube. Open Mon-Sat
11am-7pm, Sun 1-5pm.

Dover Street Market
Comme des Garçons designer Rei Kawakubo’s groundbreaking six-storey space combines the edgy energy of London’s indoor markets with rarefied labels. High-profile concessions here include Alaïa, Lanvin and, new for autumn/winter 2006/07, Anne Demeulemeester. For his latest collection for Lanvin, Alber Elbaz has created a witty installation featuring a hotel bed scattered with assorted detritus and accessories. All 14 of the Comme collections are here, while other highlights include Didier Ludot’s perfect little black dresses.
Dover Street Market, 17-18 Dover St, W1 (020 7518 0680/www.doverstreetmarket.com) Green Park tube. Open Mon-Sat 11am-6pm, Thur until 7pm.