London It Girls: Discover the city’s hippest hotspots through 3 of its most stylish dwellers

Date January 24, 2014

In a city of cool, who but It girls would you trust to take you out on the town? There are none more qualified about the city’s hot spots than those whose lifestyles command an appreciation for all things cultural and hip. Hole in the wall restaurants, effortlessly cool shops, and quirky hideaways are as just as much apart of London’s identity as are its unmistakable skyline and historic landmarks. No other city mashes highbrow lineage and youthful energy quite as well as London can —-a fact all of our It girls have readily picked up on. Weekends at country estates, high tea, and local foodie outposts top the lists of London must-dos.

While Prince Harry’s short-lived, yet much loved, beard didn’t quite make the cut on our It girls’ lists of favourite things about London, it will always have a spot in our hearts.

Read on for your complete It girl’s guide to enjoying the good life in jolly ol’ London

Caroline Issa

Canadian born Tank editor Caroline Issa stands out on the street style rotation with her signature sense of preppy elegance. Never one to overdo it, she can often be spotted outside fashion week in an understated coat, kitten heels and something J.Crew.

What do you like best about living in London?
I love the melting pot of creative and business people in this city. I love the shopping, I love the museums and galleries. I love the markets, I love the buildings, I love the bus…I could go on.

What’s your favourite London restaurant?
Too many to mention here: Duck Soup, Yauatcha, Defune and Royal China!

What part of the city do you live in and why?
I live in Lisson Grove/Maida Vale, which is a true mish-mash of British culture. It’s fast, buzzy, central and exciting

What’s your favourite place to do tea?
The Wolseley or The Connaught Hotel

What’s your favourite store in London, fashion or otherwise?
Mouki on Chiltern Street. Great selection of beautiful things.

Sophia Webster

This quirky cobbler has one of the hottest accessory collections out there right now, which is not limited to flamingo printed heels, thought bubble purses and multi-coloured rubber sandals.

What’s your favourite restaurant in London?
Probably Shrimpy’s in King’s Cross. They do an amazing soft shell crab burger and really great cocktails.

What would you do if you had a day off?
I would hang out with my family, my finance and his son and we’d go for a ride in Epping Forest—we’d take our bikes and go there on the paths.

What’s your London tradition?
M.Manze for pie and mash. My granddad used to go there. You have pie, mash and then liquor, which is like the sauce you have with it and it’s green. It’s made from the potato water and parsley and then you add loads of vinegar to it. There’s about three in London. There’s one in Peckham, Tower Hill, and Sutton. Yeah, it’s definitely a traditional London thing to do.

What do you like about the area you live in?
I am near Walthamstow Village and it’s quite far out of London. It’s really quiet—you don’t really feel like you’re in London, but it’s only twenty minutes into the centre. It’s quite arty and there are really nice restaurants. It’s just a nice place to hang out and have brunch.

Where do you shop?
I shop in Matches and Browns. Start is a really cool store in Shoreditch—it’s just around the corner from my studio

Leith Clark

This A-list stylist and former editor of Lula Magazine might just be single-handedly responsible for the doe-eyed sixties comeback as of late. Her penchant for pretty has made its way onto the cover of Harper’s Bazaar UK, where she currently acts as style director at large and into ads for Chanel, Stella McCartney, Nina Ricci and Warby Parker. Most recently, she started a new magazine, Violet, which launches this season.

What were your first thoughts about London, and does living there still live up to those thoughts?
“Walk on the left stand on the right” is the sign on the tube in London. There is a choice here. I had just moved from New York City where I didn’t feel there was the choice (you had to keep moving there). Now, I feel differently and I can find solace in most cities. But at that time, that difference to me was huge. London taught me how I think about cities properly.

What do you like best about living in London?
The village feel to it. There are hundreds of little villages inside London.

Where are you hanging out on weekends in London?
Broadway Market, Bistrotheque, Columbia Road Flower Market, the Pavilion Cafe at Victoria Park, the Barbican, Queen Anne’s Rose Garden, Primrose Hill, or often we leave and spend weekends in the countryside at my husbands family home in Cambridgeshire or at a landmark trust property or a stately home (Ston Easton Park is one we like a lot). I need a lot of the countryside (trees specifically) to feel happy. I think maybe that’s part of being Canadian.

What’s your favourite London restaurant?
The Wolseley, Bob Bob Ricard, Bistrotheque, Roka.

What’s your favourite store in London, fashion or otherwise?
Matches, Orla Kiely on Monmouth street, Miu Miu on Bond Street, Valentino on Sloane street. Liberty for home things. Soane for dreamy (crazy expensive) home things I can’t actually afford. The spa at Bluebird for beauty things or massage, facials, etc.