The shop formerly known as Digitaria, and formerly located on Berwick Street, is having their third bite of the Soho retail apple with this store on Brewer Street. Soho's edgier outfitters have struggled of late and the area has seen the lamentable disappearance of some of our favourites. So it's good to see Stavros Karelis taking the gamble. Machine-A is now one of London's most must-visit independent boutiques for those who know their fashion – one of the few places you can find urban luxury labels sucha as Christopher Raeburn and Matthew Williams.
If you're not in the market for a superb studded and monogrammed rucksack by MCM (practical but pricey at around £1200) then you can bag a pair of supercool printed Rfa Simons socks, or a Nicopanda baseball cap. There is also a definite upgrade of customer service – the store may stock the capital's hippest labels, but the staffers manning the tills on our visit were chatty and witty, and didn't roll their eyes when we asked to see their most affordable stuff.