Shopping

The Jacksons, W2

Hub
Hub’s charming brace of boutiques quietly dominates the Stoke Newington fashion scene, with a wide range of interesting labels. The original shop at number 49 is the smarter, and pricier, of the two and caters for both sexes. Alongside clothes by the likes of Spanish label Hoss, Acne and John Smedley are co-owner Beth Graham’s simple but striking designs ; the winter 2006/07 collection features Liberty fabrics, tailored wool skirts and jackets (from £80). The branch across the road (number 88) stocks more casual womenswear like Australian dance-inspired label Body (skirts, £85) and Finnish brand Nanso.
Hub, 49 Stoke Newington Church St, N16 (020 7254 4494) 73 bus. Open Mon-Sat 10.30am-6.30pm, Sun 12noon-5pm. Feature continues

The Jacksons
Best for original accessories
A Notting Hill fixture since 1998, selling scarves, shoes, bags and hats for shoppers in search of standout accessories. Cowskin bags, brightened up with beaded handles, are something of a signature piece. The beads are made by Kenyan Masai and the colour combinations can be customised. A less expensive choice is a deep suede tote with studded handles (£150). For autumn/winter 2006/07, there’s also a glamorous range of shoes. The Marilyn is a high-heeled Mary Jane style with a 1920s feel (£135). The Grace, a suede peeptoe, comes in a choice of heel heights and an elegantly muted palette.
The Jacksons, 5 All Saints Rd, W11 (020 7792 8336/www.thejacksons.co.uk) Notting Hill Gate tube. Open Mon-Fri 10am-6pm,Sat 11am-6.30pm.

Jezebell
Best for shabby-chic ladieswear
Owned by Joanna Berryman (wife of Coldplay’s Guy) and Kate Brindley, Jezebell sells clothes that tend to be grown-up with idiosyncratic elements – the oversized shirt-dresses and chiffon smocks designed by menswear-trained Richard Nicoll, for example, or demurely sexy blouses, dresses and pencil skirts by New York label Lyell. Complementing the elegant clothes are showstopping accessories – shoes by hot British designers Rupert Sanderson and Georgina Goodman, cobwebby scarves and shawls by posh male duo Rodnik and adaptable multi-chain necklaces by New York-designed Bang Bang (which caught the eye of that other Coldplay wife, Gwyneth Paltrow).
Jezebell, 59 Blandford St, W1 (020 7935 7109/www.jezebell.co.uk) Baker St or Bond St tube. Open Mon 11am-6.30pm, Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat 10.30am-6.30pm, Thur 10.30am-7pm, Sun 12noon-5pm.

JW Beeton
JW Beeton’s quirky charm appeals to a wide cross-section of shoppers. Owner Debbie Potts’s strategy is to buy small quantities of several European labels. The selection is constantly changing, but for autumn/winter 2006/07, there’s Rützou from Denmark, Stella Forest from Paris and cool casuals by Transit from Italy. Keep an eye out too for childrenswear by Fake London in 2006/07 – JW Beeton is one of the few stockists of the exciting new range. Potts is currently focusing most of her attention on womenswear, but there are also some menswear items for sale.
JW Beeton, 48-50 Ledbury Rd, W11 (020 7229 8874) Notting Hill Gate tube. Open Mon-Fri 10.30am-6pm, Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 12noon-5pm.