London's Carnaby Street was the epicentre of fashion during the Swinging Sixties, first dominated by espresso-toting mods in fitted suits, later by the multi-coloured, "anything goes" fashion style of hippies, all immortalised in the street dancing scene in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery.
The area's popularity, even 40 years on from its heyday, has meant nearby and equally trendy Newburgh and Ganton streets have combined to create a convenient E-shaped shopping zone.
Levi's concept store Cinch (5 Newburgh Street, tel: 44 20 7287 4941) has regularly changing art exhibitions as a background to its premium, vintage and red-label denim. For those brave enough, vintage cherry-red fitted cheerleading pants at GBP115 will make a statement. The adidas store (6 Newburgh Street, tel: 44 20 7734 9976) is so cool it doesn't bother with a name, just an address. Check out the limited-edition, Run DMC-inspired necklace (GBP175), featuring a Superstar trainer about the size of a computer mouse.
London's only branch of Japanese trainer brand Onitsuka Tiger (15 Newburgh Street, tel: 44 20 7734 4221) is popular with the club crowd. Onitsuka shot to fame when Uma Thurman's character in Kill Bill sported a pair of yellow custom-made, retro-style Tigers. They’re quite expensive but I couldn’t resist buying one!
Jess James (3 Newburgh Street, tel: 44 20 7437 7001) stocks about 20 contemporary jewellers, including Stephen Webster, Guess? and Jess James' own line. Best purchases, at GBP105 each, are James' silver- and gold-plated necklaces made using a unique printing technique to produce highly realistic ice-cream cone, butterfly and lip motifs.
G.room (46 Carnaby Street, 020 7734 5994, www.theg-room.com) is every guy's fantasy store. It sells everything a bloke needs, including spa products, cool T-shirts, trainers and surfboards. Items include "I am not an American" T-shirts (GBP32) and limited-edition, individually numbered gold Gola trainers (GBP100).
Madonna and other celebrities buy their perfumes at Scent Systems (11 Newburgh Street, tel: 44 20 7434 1166), where they can custom-blend personalised scents. Behave (2 Ganton Street, tel: 44 20 7439 1322) is a street-fashion paradise, stocking stylish Yanuk and Buddhist Punk denim. House 33 (33 Marshall Street, tel: 44 20 7287 5252) is a monument to Japanese fashion, featuring a host of brands usually only found in Tokyo. 55DSL (10a Newburgh Street, tel: 44 20 7439 1300) resembles a New York loft, complete with shower room and specialist surf- and skatewear.
The Lee concept store (13 Carnaby Street, tel: 44 20 7434 0732) stocks difficult-to-source vintage denim. Female teens should visit French fashion store Be You (29 Fouberts Place, tel: 44 20 7287 6611), for a range of rainbow-bright fashion wear, then head to Doors (8 Ganton Street, tel: 44 20 7494 2288) for imported Japanese leather hold-alls. Footwear fans should include a visit to Puma (52 Carnaby Street, tel: 44 20 7439 0221) and Vans (47 Carnaby Street, tel: 44 20 7287 9235) for street-style and practical sports shoes. American Apparel (3 Carnaby Street, tel: 44 20 7734 4477) stocks Los Angeles-manufactured cotton separates in colourful shades.
End your spree at Carnaby Street's oldest store, Merc (10 Carnaby Street, tel: 44 20 7439 7750), which opened its doors in 1967. Stocking mainly menswear and a few unisex items, Merc's design philosophy has its roots in colourful, 1980s-style sportswear tops and fitted bomber jackets.
