Shopping

Koh Samui, WC2

KJ’s Laundry
The latest addition to Marylebone Lane’s mini style enclave, this unintimidating, understated boutique is a good bet for highly wearable clothes with an edge. Fashion and beauty insiders Jane Ellis and Kate Allden have worked hard to d dsource lines you won’t see all over town – they also man the shopfloor. Exclusives include Australian Lee Mathews’ feminine, handmade slip dresses, tailoring by his compatriot Carl, and Japanese knitwear designer Hiromi Tsuyoshi’s intriguing, drapey buttonless cardigans, which can be worn in two different ways. There are also some interesting finds by talent closer to home: Osman Yousefzada’s clean-lined minimalist tailoring and East by East West, designed by a Korean-born Londoner; the 1940s-influenced dresses and coats have an elegant oriental simplicity. While the clothes here aren’t exactly cheap, nothing costs more than £350. Great beauty buys include delicious vegan skincare from San Francisco’s Fresh Body Market.
KJ’s Laundry, 74 Marylebone Lane, W1(020 7486 7855/www.kjslaundry.com) Bond St tube. Open Mon-Wed, Fri, Sat 10am-7pm, Thur 10am-8pm, Sun 11am-5pm. Feature continues

Koh Samui
Alongside an eclectic mix of heavyweight labels like Missoni, Marc Jacobs and Chloé are hand-picked vintage finds sourced from collectors’ fairs around the world. While securing the must-haves of the season, like autumn/winter 2006/07’s Chloé puffball dress or Marc Jacobs’ clutch, buyer Paul Sexton prides himself on an ability to root out new and exciting designers. These include cute Japanese label Tsumori Chisato, and innovative knitted T-shirts from British label Gafé. The shop is one of the few stockists of Lou Lou and Law – the collaboration between Ann-Louise Roswald and illustrator Natasha (sister of Jude) Law – expect a range of sweet illustrated tops
in slinky cuts.
Koh Samui. 65-67 Monmouth St, WC2 (020 7240 4280/www.kohsamui.co.uk) Covent Garden tube. Open Mon-Wed, Fri, Sat 10.30am-6.30pm, Thur 10.30am-7pm, Sun 12noon-5.30pm.

Kokon To Zai
This is the place to come if you want to stand out from the crowd. The shop’s creative director, Marjan Pejoski, was responsible for Bjork’s famous swan dress – which should give you an idea of the style. The rails are dominated by Pejoski’s designs, which take in the weird and wonderful (lime green leopard-print jeans, £155) as well as the wearable (vest top with skull motif, £95). The shop’s own label, KTZ, is young, colourful and casual, and features lots of quirky prints (graphic T-shirts, £45). There’s also clothing by a changing selection of young graduate designers, plus special pieces made exclusively for the store.Kokon To Zai, 57 Greek St, W1 (020 7434 1316/www.kokontozai.co.uk) Leicester Square or Tottenham Court Rd tube. Open Mon-Sat 11am-7.30pm, Sun 12noon-6pm.

Labour of Love
Best for frocks and frills
Designer-owner Francesca Forcolini brings together a beguiling blend of fashion in this fun-to-browse boutique. Forcolini’s own Labour of Love label achieves a classic style with a twist – characteristic pieces include a tweed shirt suit with cheeky frills on the derrière, knitwear with built-in bustiers and a full-length, silk-lined wool gabardine mac (prices range from £85 to around £350). Other temptations on offer include Baum und Pferdgarten’s silk polka-dot dresses and bell-sleeved coats, Louise Amstrup’s tailored separates, and cashmere sweaters from Tse Say (£90-£200). On the accessories front there are metallic handbags by Miss Budd (£45-£120), Lowie’s charming hand-knitted capes, gloves and berets (£50-£100), and shoes by Buddhahood, Eley Kishimoto and Odd and Even.
Labour of Love, 193 Upper St, N1 (020 7354 9333/www.labour-of-love.co.uk) Highbury & Islington tube/rail. Open Mon-Wed, Fri, Sat 11am-6.30pm, Thur 11am-7pm, Sun 12noon-5.30pm.