The Gatekeepers of London Fashion Dish On What’s Cool
Graphic by Alexander Hernandez Gonzalez
Images by Austin Kim
In London's trendy Soho neighborhood, wannabe influencers in new Adidas sneakers and pedestrians in avant-garde Comme des Garçons ensembles roam around the cobblestone streets and high-fashion shops. Flagship stores for brands like JW Anderson, Stussy and Marc Jacobs' Heaven attract long lines of customers itching to spend $30 on Supreme underwear.
The gatekeepers and arbiters of style: the sales associates. They dress head to toe in their respective brands and give the general population judge-y side-eye. These fashion facilitators share their opinions about what's in this spring and summer and what should be left behind.
Machine-A (13 Brewer St.) is a multi-brand boutique carrying everything from the freakiest Rick Owens to the ultra-contemporary Diesel by Glenn Martens.
Unlike emerging brands, higher-end designers ignore seasonal trends, said sales associate Kandace Ling. Ling said she sees a rise in color, pointing to dusty pinks and fuchsias on the rack of Rick Owens clothes. Diesel's maximalist prints and distressed denim have taken off, but understated minimalism from Lemaire and Jil Sander continues to be in demand, Ling said.
"Lemaire and Rick Owens are very popular among the Chinese international students," Ling said. "We sell out of these brands every season once we have them in the store."
Our Legacy (1 Silver Place) is a Swedish brand focused on elevated essentials for men and women. Sales associate Timothy D'Cruz looked the part in a chic faded vintage T-shirt and worn-in blue jeans. Our Legacy caters to menswear heads who are too underground for the Gap and speak about their clothes like art revolutions. ("I prefer more eternal movements as opposed to newer things," D'Cruz said.)
D'Cruz emphasized the importance of building a long-lasting wardrobe that withstands seasonal turnovers. His favorite items: a thick Italian leather jacket ($1,800), classic brown Camion boots ($600) and well-washed jeans ($450).
"You can buy them, and they will always be in style. They will fit into any wardrobe," D'Cruz said
Heaven by Marc Jacobs (10 Brewer St.) swings to the opposite side of the pendulum, capturing the hyper-popular aesthetic of teenagers who reminisce about a pre-9/11 world. Heaven is Marc Jacobs' diffusion line that makes graphic tops, miniskirts and platform boots with a Y2K flare popular among the internet-obsessed.
Store manager Becky Costello said the pieces featuring prints by the late graphic designer Frank Kozik were especially popular this season. She also pointed out a $75 yellow off-the-shoulder tank top that sold out almost immediately because up-and-coming British designer Mimi Wade cosigned it.
"(The Mimi Wade top) was the first campaign imagery we released for the season," Costello said. "We have people who come in and show their phone images asking for it."
The top is sold out online, and only a medium size remained on the rack in the Soho store. (You'll have to fly across the world to get it.)
END Clothing (59 Broadwick St.) sells streetwear and the newest sneaker releases, profiting from hype culture and brand collaborations. Sales associate Bosun Balogun said the Mihara Yasuhiro sneakers, which look like melted Converse, Maison Margiela's German army trainers and Rick Owens' luxury high tops are the three most popular shoes in the store.
END also featured a wall stocked floor to ceiling with Adidas Sambas and Gazelles, though sales associate Natasha Gerhard had doubts about their increasing trendiness.
"Adidas used to release one every few months, and now it's almost three a month," Gerhard said. "They've flooded the market."
Gerhard prefers a more understated look over the logo-heavy brands like Fear of God, which are popular in Soho. This season she wants to wear brands like Loewe and Auralee that are less attention-seeking.
"I just want a clean aesthetic," Gerhard said.
As the weather warms up, take the advice from the sales associates in one of the world's most fashionable neighborhoods. But if it seems like no cohesive trend defines this season, it's because there isn't – so far at least. Across Soho, you could find TikTok stars in logo-heavy pieces and fashion nerds in minimalist, deep-cut choices. The sun is coming out – it's time to wear what makes you feel good.