If a stranger to London in pursuit of serious, stylish and surprising retail therapy asked you where they should spend their only free day without being glued to a Google map, send them shopping in South Kensington. Whichever direction they walked in, would result in happiness! Here’s our selection of the best shops to visit in South Ken.

The Conran Shop 

The Conran Shop was a trailblazer when it took up residence in 1985 in a building originally designed as the headquarters for the Michelin tyre company.

To consider taking on a building that required most of its iconic features to be recovered and reinstated having been removed for safety during World War II was one thing, but to consider such a building as a retail space was visionary, and places The Conran Shop firmly in the number one position as the first concept store in the world, and will not disappoint you today.

You will find design classics Hans Wegner, Eames, and Saarinen alongside designers like Magnus Long and Russell Pinch who have collaborated with this iconic retailer because they can faithfully manufacture their designs and showcase them like no other.

You could actually spend your entire day here and furnish every room, especially as you can refuel at the Oyster Bar for a coffee at dawn or an Oyster at dusk, but you would be advised to keep moving and continue shopping in South Kensington so you don’t miss a thing!

Daylesford Organic 

An organic farm in South Kensington, Daylesford Organic has been sharing organic produce grown and reared on its Gloucestershire estate since opening its doors in London. Founded by visionary Carole Bamford who, as an early adopter of organic principles and sustainability, Daylesford is renowned for pioneering work in sustainable practice.

You can shop for fresh food or your store cupboard, and you will find it hard to resist a bench seat in the window crafted from wood from the Daylesford Estate or a coffee or a botanical cocktail.

Don’t leave before heading down the spiral staircase to a delectable range of unique tableware and linens, made exclusively for Daylesford by artisans who are as passionate about sustainability as Carole. 

Pro tip: Invest in one of their gorgeous bags or baskets to transport all your goodies while you continue shopping in South Kensington.

Bamford Wellness Spa

In need of some holistic healing? Turn the corner and step into the oasis of calm that is Bamford Wellness Spa. Another brainchild of Carole Bamford, her principles of organic sustainability extend to a range of exquisite clothes from cashmere knitwear, to linen and yoga wear all made by artisans in natural fibres.

Carole is an energetic promoter of natural organic beauty products and you will find gentle plant-based body washes and lotions rich in collagen-protecting antioxidants, to cleanse and revitalise both body and mind, and if time was not so short classes are available for yoga, pilates, sound healing and meditation classes for private and group sessions.

Worn

If sustainability is on your mind the aptly named Worn is for you! Founders Lily Fortescue and Bella Buchanan have been at the heart of the fashion industry for over 10 years. Lily launched the sustainable everyday underwear label Cheekfrills to over 500 stores worldwide, whilst  Bella’s expertise lies in marketing and sustainability, and so their skill-sets and their desire to reshape the future of fashion, meant they were a perfect match.

It was their strong desire to re-shape the future of fashion that fueled their vision, and the store boasts previously waitlisted items from recent seasons and access to the best pre-loved items from the most highly coveted wardrobes.

Worn are on a mission to shift the perception of secondhand using curation and experience, both of which are immediately evident with clothes from brands that go from Acne Studios to  Zimmerman.

Shopping at Worn is the most sustainable shopping in South Kensington you can do as what you want already exists.

Society Limonata

Turning into Walton Street from Hans Road you could easily think that you were in one of London’s most beautiful residential streets as it is lined with Georgian white stucco-fronted buildings that would be most people's idea of a dream Pied a Terre. 

Referred to in the ’90s as London's original luxury village, it is rather apt that it is again home to a very special breed of retailers whose customers enjoy shopping in intimate surroundings.

The Limonata is key, and the fact that production remains in the place the brand was born is central to their ethos. Whether you want to dress your bed, your table, your bathroom, or yourself you are going to face an agonising decision when it comes to colour, as there is no bad choice.

Andrew Martin

Andrew Martin provides an eclectic anchor that occupies no less than three shops on Walton Street and the founder Martin Waller’s distinctive style is evident, every which way you turn. Furniture, textiles, lighting and a paint collection that conjures up the spirit of African plains or a Venetian Palazzo. 

Taking up residence in 1987 he was an early adopter of the ‘original luxury village’. At the forefront of global design, championing the best interior designers and shining a light on hidden cultures - and you will, quite literally, find an elephant in the room. Just to be clear a beautifully carved celebration of the magnificent creature, not the real thing!

Mira Mataki 

Mira Mataki is another of the must-visit shops in South Kensignton and will quite literally stop you in your tracks with colour and a frenzy of fun that is intended to make you feel like you are on permanent vacation. Rainbow knitwear and classically bespoke tailoring with emoji patches and hand-painted leather jackets reflect its founder, Mira Mikati’s ultra-upbeat outlook on life.

Laurence Coste

By now you’ll probably have very little room in your shopping but don’t bid farewell to South Kensington until you have slipped into jeweller Laurence Coste where you will find semi-precious stones fashioned into exquisite rings, earrings and necklaces.

If you need an excuse to plan a return visit, order something from the bespoke collection and you will have the perfect excuse to come back collect and do it all again.

South Kensington is a rare destination that gives you iconic brands in iconic spaces, and intimate boutiques in a village atmosphere.

By Alison Hill