Browns

Browns opened on South Molton Street in Mayfair in 1970, the UK's first multi-brand luxury boutique, and it's been shaping how London shops for designer fashion ever since. Joan and Sidney Burstein built it on an eye for what was coming next: they brought Calvin Klein to Britain, opened the country's first dedicated Comme des Garçons boutique, and bought John Galliano's entire graduate collection straight out of Central Saint Martins to dress the windows.

That instinct for new talent still runs through the edit, alongside the established houses that built the shop's reputation. Expect Alexander McQueen and Alaïa sitting next to newer names like 16Arlington, AMBUSH and Alessandra Rich, with tailoring as much a strength as directional designer pieces.