The Christmas lights in Covent Garden are on, thanks to Kylie Minogue and Charlotte Tilbury. Whilst I spotted the largest silver reindeer ever seen, so what of the Garden, the first piazza in England? A market destination since the 17th century, red light district in the 19th century; what does this neighbourhood of London offer the handbag shopper, among its pubs and street performers?
It’s best to divide Covent Garden into three areas so you can make a handbag shop quick and easy:
- The piazza – not the covered stone building in its centre. You will find the handbag shops in the area surrounding the square and on adjacent King Street
- Long Acre – and its parallel and adjacent road Floral Street, linking Leicester Square to Covent Garden
- Seven Dials – the seven streets that link Soho to Covent Garden, at its centre, the sundial monument
What’s in the piazza?
Head to the piazza to find Mulberry and Lulu Guinness or find Burberry on adjacent King Street. Here are some of the lovely bags spotted:
Long Acre and Floral Street
Long Acre offers up your high street stores and well known retail brands. For interesting bags, I spotted the following in Cos, Russell & Bromley, & Other Stories and Jack Wills.
To get to Floral Street, take a right at Aspinals of London, pass Kate Spade and you will find the usual handbag suspects such as Radley, Ted Baker and Paul Smith. My favourite bag from these brands has to be the resurrected and original print from Paul Smith
When back on Long Acre, go past M&S, towards Zara, but turn off left down Neal Street to enter the world of Seven Dials. You will pass Mango before entering the many streets that make up the Dials. Here you will find one of the most trusted shops for laptop bags, Knomo; Orla Kiely with her instantly recognisable prints, Club Monaco for TL 180 bags, The Cambridge Satchel Company and straight from Italy, Il Bisonté.
If you head down to Covent Garden on Thursday 16 November, expect many of the shops to be offering a discount; 15 to 20% off to kick start their Christmas Shopping Festival. Thank you very much, that will do nicely!
Happy shopping in London!
Credit: Header photo from Ben Sutherland on Flickr
Bagwhispers 