A close look inside Karl Lagerfeld's new London flagship store

Just over a week ago, on my 26th birthday to be precise, I stopped by the newly opened Karl Lagerfeld store in London to see what the Kaiser had done for the latest outpost of his empire. As you would expect, black and white reign over the space with the odd shimmer of gold and silver. Every single angle and display is polished and designed for a store that couldn't have got any closer to the spirit of the designer.
Lagerfeld's SS14 namesake collection shares the space with a capsule collection especially designed for the London shop – an anglified version of the designer's staple wardrobe. Accessories, books and Legerfeld paraphernalia all come together as a sort of commercial shrine to the most iconic fashion wunderkind of our generation.
As well as browsing in the usual fashion customers are able to flick through the latest collections on the collection of iPads spread around the store making it very easy to find what you are looking for. The highlight of the store, however, has to be interactive service you find in the changing rooms, where you can immortalise your outfit changes in Lagerfeld-branded selfies taken with a wall-incrusted iPad. You are then able to share it across your social media – "hey Bobby, should I buy this?" – or email it to yourself for review later.
I indulged in the art of modern self-portraiture wearing some of my favourite pieces from the SS14 collection, which you can buy already in store and online at a price that will actually surprise you.

Dolce & Gabbana presents their SS14 Tailoring collection during their new Store Opening in London

Before I even mention the clothes, I must say how incredibly stunning, elegant and serene the new Dolce & Gabbana space on New Bond Street is. The furniture and decoration bring together traditional English elements, mostly linked to tailoring, and an Italian flavour that has the designer's last names written all over.
The store opening on Saturday evening marked the kick off of the latest edition of London Collections: Men so it was interesting that an Italian brand was the protagonist. Funnily enough, everything from the space to the collection and the atmosphere felt like a perfectly balanced mixture between Sicily and London.
The models wearing the SS14 tailoring collection had been prepped and groomed at Claridge's, from where they marched down Brook Street and onto New Bond Street inside the shop. The whole idea made me think of those old beautiful salon shows like Chanel or Christian Dior used to do at their ateliers. They were intimate and special and so was this.
The collection also had a fantastic combination of a southern Italian and an English point of view. Three-button double-chested blazers reminded me of the Mods and three-piece suits with micro checks or polka dots made you think of understated British elegance. But with a few injections of dark but bolder prints and patchwork and the always modern fit that Dolce & Gabbana is known for these British influences became their own.
As it could be expected, the event also brought out a lot of familiar faces – Kylie Minogue, Jeremy Irvine, the LC:M ambassador David Gandy, Sir Paul Smith and Oliver Cheshire and Thom Evans, who also participated on the catwalk.

The new store, which also includes a stunning barber shop, is going to be my new hairdresser's address so you can expect plenty of Instagram pictures from my monthly visits.

Courtesy of Dolce & Gabbana

Jimmy Choo celebrates the Opening of their first Menswear Store in London

Last night I attended the Jimmy Choo store opening at 35 Dover Street. The new space devoted exclusively to menswear is an eclectic perfection of 60's furniture and a mixture of textures – animal prints, velvet, marbles – that transports you to an exotic yet very chic world where all you want to do is buy glitter slippers, croc sneakers and camo bags where you can also have a drink.
The event itself was also pretty remarkable. The crowd was great and the music – provided by Richie Culver – and the drinks – provided by Sipsmith were spot-on. The vibe was excellent and everyone looked like they were having a great time (which is not the norm at these events).
If you're making weekend plans already make sure to fit a visit to Jimmy Choo in. I personally suggest brunch at Automat, which is next door, and a cheeky drink afterwards while trying out the most amazing shoes.

Yours truly in very good company at the event

Luke Ross and Jenny Lau from Harvey Nichols and Nick Carvell from GQ

My new favourite drink: The gin Old Fashioned by Sipsmith

Courtesy of Jimmy Choo

Burberry opens its first menswear store on London's Brompton Road

Little over a month after opening their biggest and most stunning flagship store on London's Regent Street Burberry continues to raise the bar with their new menswear-only store. The new space takes over the great corner of Brompton Road and Knightsbridge that the brand was already occupying only now it has been fully redone inside following the Regent St model.
Today sees not only the opening of the store but the launch of the new Burberry Tailoring service, which offers a wider selection of suits made to measure and delivered within 48 hours. Pretty amazing. Amongst the choice you will find three main silhouettes – slim, modern and classic – and over 40 choices of fabric that will see addition every season.
Also in-keeping with the Burberry idiosyncrasy the brand has over 50 speakers and 100 screens installed around the store so that us sartorial guys get to experience the great world of Burberry.
You can pay them a visit at 16-18 Brompton Road and maybe even enjoy a spot of tailoring shopping. It's not only these guys that get to look sharp now.

Courtesy of Burberry