The King's Road, has launched many a brilliant career including those of 60's fashion icon
Mary Quant and the original punk queen
Vivienne Westwood.
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| Mary Quant 1963 |
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| Vivienne Westwood 1977 |
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| Granny Takes a Trip store circa 1960 |
Located in upmarket Chelsea, The King's Road covers just over 3kms from Sloane Square to Waterford Road and has long been recognised as London's mecca for the bohemian and style trailblazers.
Back in the 90's I lived just off The King's Road, in a fabulously stylish flat owned by
Minnie Driver's mother Gaynor Churchward (uber style queen) who lived in the flat upstairs. Gaynor was an interior designer and her store
Sussex House was on the ground floor and was a treasure trove of fabrics, cushions, curtains and trimmings.
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| Minnie Driver (image via abc.net.au) |
I not only lived in the area but I worked here for a while too and spent most of my lunch hours wandering through all the beautiful stores I'd never seen in Australia. Shopping here on a Saturday was an unbelievable experience and we frequented
My Old Dutch,
Henry J Beans,
Chutney Mary and
The Chelsea Bun, not exactly Michelin star establishments but they all fell within the backpacking budget constraints and kept us fed and watered for well over a year.
It's where I first discovered the mind blowingly gorgeous world of
Designers Guild, the visionary
Habitat 'shopping as entertainment' concept brought to life by Terence Conran in 1964 and I was even present at the opening of
Heal's Chelsea store.
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| design revolutionary Sir Terence Conran (image via mydeco) |
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| Designer's Guild colour heaven |
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part of Designers Guild shopfront
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Other fabulous stores along the famous stretch are
Anthropologie,
The White Company,
Cath Kidston and newcomer to the area
Oka who recently launched their flagship store.
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| Anthropologie (image via Grey Lemon) |
Want to take a your own little swan down one of my favourite streets? Head here
The Kings Road for a virtual 'street sensation' of one of the most wonderful high street shopping experiences in the world.
There is so much brilliance to discover at The King's Road and it will always hold a special place in my heart. If you have never been, it's a must! If you have been, share your stories...
Keren
xx
