Shops without the Shopping One Year On

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This is how much of a timid shopper I am.  That I only seem to venture to the Mayfair enclave of shops when it's Easter Monday and they're closed.  Ok, so I have been to Mount Street in between last year and now, but taking a gander on a Bank Holiday does mean I don't get security guards chasing me away and shoppers looking at me like I'm a freak.  Of late, Mount Street has had a few more additions that has me wondering why this particular bit of Mayfair is so attractive?  Connections wise, it's not particularly near any tube station ad has a sparse amount of people traffic.  Or perhaps it's the flow of the right people traffic that makes this tucked away bit of Mayfair a coup.  And the charming mass of red brick available…

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Newest addition to the Mount Street block is Lanvin which has a great black gated entrance.  Alber Elbaz has filled his windows with a mix of Ladies, Queens, Princesses and Miss Lanvins, all sashed up with their S/S 09 leopard print dresses with babies, pugs and tea to accompany them. 

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Goyard is opening up soon and the French-style pre-opening luggage storefront box somehow looks strangely out of place on the street… // Wunderkind is a relative newcomer too…I peeked in and spied skincare…had no idea they even did that. 

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Christian Louboutin next door had a colourful sculptural installation going on.  However, having spent an hour being engrossed by Louboutin's surreal website, I'm now thinking the store is tame in comparison (have ya checked out the Star Wars-esque bio roll and the cheesy photo album?)

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Latest latest addition is the new Marc by Marc Jacobs store which is strictly speaking on South Audley Street but only a stone's throw away from big sister Marc Jacobs store.  Once again, they've raided a slew of London florists to make this mahussive stretched Union Jack flag out of roses. 

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Then finally, another recent opening is further down on South Audley Street is the new Rick Owens store which like his Paris store features a sculpture of himself, this one slightly creepier than the other…

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23 comments

  1. OMG…I was looking at the pics thinking: “Oh, how nice!” “Oh, how funny!” and stuff like that till I saw the last pic, and remained totally speechless: “Oh, how… how…” Still don’t know what to say! 😉

  3. Rick Owens sculpt is certainly eye-catching. Also, really like the Lanvin window display. I’m off to check out Louboutin’s web site. Cheers. xo

  9. I went there last October when I was in London looking for the Jenny Packham store. And it’s “new store” adverts were all over the magazines, and I go to mount st……….it wasn’t open yet. Was pissed off.
    The Louboutin shop there is unreal.
    ooh and I haven’t seen the Rick Owens and Lanvin boutiques yet! I will….in June!
    xx-LJ from SOS!

  10. pugs and babies haha i would never said those might be lanvin window, i’d love to see all those roses in person though. i wonder if they crafted the display throughout the middle of the night, and how long it took

  11. the mayfair enclave is the perfect area for high end new luxe brands…. no people, no tube, no plastic bags!:) and these are the brands that risk a bit more – the windows are just fab!
    we’re just waiting for your “inside shop” review.
    and Susie i bet no security guard would chase you. tho ive got the same timid problem with high end stores. i always feel someone is looking at me in a strange way!

  13. Ewww. Who would want to put a sculpture (and a BEHEADED one at that) of oneself in one’s store? Creeepy.

  14. Amazing window displays…
    It sometimes seems like a better idea to just go through the windows as I feel this odd feeling entering a boutique and seeing those snotty sales assistants look down on you because you’re somewhat a deviation from their client demographics. It’s not fun to be followed by malicious eyes but you can get back and poke them out— kidding. haha

  15. i’ve been seeing pugs in window displays a lot these days. makes me wanna get one.
    anw. i’m mortified by christian louboutin’s website. isn’t it tooo tacky?
    yikes.

  16. I’ve never really understood the Mount Street hype either.. I guess it’s still luxury (Mayfair), but less obvious than Bond Street. Balenciaga is another fairly recent addition to Mount Street too..

  17. i think u can divide luxury in two different sections: the old luxury labels with a very traditional background and then the new hype luxury. this is happening in every major city. luxury brands with a new twist…. something like that.

  18. I’ve had mixed experiences at the Mount St. stores – you’ll get a lot of snooty SA’s, but there will always be at least one nice one who makes the effort. I don’t really care either way – I’m the customer after all.
    In any case, it’s interesting to see that the Lanvin windows in London are basically the same as in Paris. I had posted some of those on my blog and they included pugs, babies and various ‘royalty’ mannequins as well. Oh, and the Louboutin website has always disturbed me somewhat. But I think he’s way more eccentric than most people think…
    Thanks for posting – great pics!

  19. You are so lucky to live near all of these exciting stores. I appreciate you sharing them with people like myself who rarely get to such places.

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