Start London (Part of FarFetch boutique network), 42-44 Rivington Street, City of London EC2A 3BN

Right, I will now embark on a mini quest with the objective of sussing out cool shops/boutiques in London; if I can’t get my rear lumps to a gym this Olympics of a year then I might as well power-jog (or bus it, whatever) to places where I can actively practice the art of wallet-ry restraint and tone my forearm with the beast that bears the name of Canon.

Where else than START London to commence on such majestic quest? On my pre-Christmas visit I buckled for this little Charles Anastase polkadot number and decided it wouldn’t hurt to try it on, for what good is restraint when there is no direct challenge, non? I stepped out onto the dressing room landing to scrutinize myself in the mirror – the too-tight sleeves embossing polkadot craters on my arms (think it was two sizes smaller, come to think of it) –  clearly not a pretty sight as the shop advisers all scurried away to attend to a very un-straight shoes-display. As I was twirling, drunk with denial, the mirror suddenly wedged open and Mr Philip Start clambered out from what apparently was a stock room, and for a second I saw myself as a dapper man in an especially well-tailored suit (hello, Mr Start) and peed a little. Guess that was my own special inaugural starter pistol for the quest, so to speak.

Above: Lucy Hutchings SS10, Scarves – Athena Procopiou
Below: Dresses by Obakki SS10, Mesh bag by OROTON, Dress by Tina Kalivas

Above & Left: Shoes by Beau Coops
Below: Stolen Girlfriends Club SS10

Menswear by Omar Kashoura

We Are Handsome Swimwear

Hello lovelies! I may have been Missing In Action but I haven’t been Missing In Adventure, I have a lot up my sleeve and some down my throat, latter non-refundable though – can’t beat power digestion… but brace yourselves, there’s lots to come thisaway! My West London era is slowly coming to a close and I’ve been busy looking for twigs and grass for a new nest up in North London, hopefully the likes of Angel or Dalston, we’ll see where the Big Man takes me next.

Always love visiting Robbers and Pfeffmeister (Robinson Pfeffer) – the showroom is newly stocked with droolworthy SS’11 pieces already, but between you and me, I visit to watch Kyle & Andrea and kick eachother’s legs under the table and make your mom jokes over soy milk teas and Minties. They have this massive sense of humour and easygoingness that generates enough energy to power the entire showroom (and Hussein Chalayan’s studio next door), and there’s no question why the company’s a hit amongst London’s hippest. Other than that I’d like to have them as my older brother and sister – not denying of course that I may end up hanging head down from a tree at some point, but the hand-me-down wardrobe will be le schweeet.