A Shopping Guide to London's Soho

Carnaby Street is at the heart of Soho
Carnaby Street is at the heart of Soho | © Juan Jimenez / Alamy Stock Photo
Georgina Wilson-Powell

From independent womenswear boutiques to vintage emporiums and the best places to buy beauty products, consider this the only guide you’ll need to go shopping in London’s Soho.

Womenswear

Alex Eagle

Shop

Alex Eagle
© Scott Ideas

Fashion designer, curator and creative director Alex Eagle champions the idea of fashion being about more than just clothing, and her first London store stocks a multitude of elegant brands spanning clothing, furniture and photography as well as its own womenswear collection. The style is simple, uses luxurious fabrics and keeps detailing to a minimum, and every piece on display is an ode to timeless design.

MACHINE-A

Shop

MACHINE-A is Soho’s coolest concept store and it masters the established and emerging brand balance perfectly, stocking collections by Maison Margiela and Gosha Rubchinskiy as well as lesser-known names. It’s positioned on Berwick Street, among some of the area’s quirkiest cafés and vintage-record shops, and makes for an inspirational browse.

Oxygen Boutique

Shop

Designer womenswear boutique Oxygen aims to stock items that other multi-brand stores don’t, sourcing its fashion picks from American, Australian, British and European labels like J Brand, Ganni and Giuseppe Zanotti. The space is intimate and the service is personal.

Menswear

END.

Shop, Store

END.
© END.

Newcastle-based luxury menswear retailer END. opened its first London store in Soho in 2018. The two-storey space feels bright, modern and well curated and it features oversized digital screens so that customers can experience the full range of brands and collections on offer. Expect contemporary labels with a slight streetwear influence: Acne Studios, Common Projects and Champion set the tone.

Albam

Store

Albam, Henrietta Street
© Albam Clothing
Albam’s focus is primarily on clothing construction and there’s a utilitarian aesthetic to each collection. Expect understated, easy-to-wear pieces in experimental fabrics; corduroy, pony hair and fleece all feature in winter and knitwear is often woven with silk. The Soho store is one of two London boutiques, and is painted bright yellow on the outside and decorated with a vintage bicycle in the window.

Oliver Spencer

Store

Oliver Spencer started his fashion career selling clothes on Portobello Road Market before launching his label in 2002. The Berwick Street store in Soho is one of four stand-alone London boutiques and it presents a strong curation of tailored and everyday designs. Artisanship is at the core of the brand and Spencer works with British and Italian mills to ensure premium quality.

Universal Works

Store

The success of Universal Works on Lamb’s Conduit Street led to the opening of an additional space on Berwick Street in 2013. The location, loved for its retro music stores, authentic English pubs and independent retailers, suits the store’s approach to menswear perfectly: oversized checks, tactile fabrics, chunky silhouettes and a premium approach combine to create effortless cool. Each season it works with a different brand or creative to create a capsule collection.

Vintage

Dukes Cupboard

Shop

The vintage sportswear emporium that is Duke’s Cupboard is based on Soho’s thriving Berwick Street and is surrounded by equally unique boutiques, music stores and coffee bars. It launched in 2012 when founders Milo Harley and Ned Membery first combined their designer brand picks – from limited edition Stone Island to Dolce & Gabbana – and moved from a market stall to today’s bricks-and-mortar location.

Beyond Retro

Shop

Beyond Retro
© Victoria Simpson / REX / Shutterstock
There are three Beyond Retro vintage clothing stores in London and while Soho’s offering is smaller than its easterly counterparts, there’s still a huge range of ever-changing men’s and women’s product. Customers can try before they buy, a luxury not always offered in vintage boutiques, and the loud music in the store suits the area, which is just as famous for its musical heritage as its fashion flair.

Reign Vintage

Shop

What sets Reign Vintage apart from the other second-hand clothing stores in London is that its owners source their stock from Europe, specifically Austria, Germany and Italy. They pride themselves in finding premium quality, so expect a few designer labels among the rails, which are added to daily.

Footwear

Onitsuka Tiger London

Shop

Onitsuka Tiger Shop
© Martin Lee / REX / Shutterstock

There’s a story behind the sneaker brand ASICS, and it starts in 1949 when Kihachiro Onitsuka created the first variation of the basketball shoe in Japan. Now, his label Onitsuka Tiger still crafts original models as well as updated versions and works on something new each season with artists and brands. The store, which sits on Newburgh Street in London’s Soho, has minimal, bright interiors and a soothing atmosphere that mimics the label’s quietly confident approach.

Red Wing

Shop

Red Wing was founded in 1905 as a provider of workers’ shoes. It retains its flair for sturdy leather boots to this day and has transformed the look into something of a style statement. Durability is at the brand’s core and many styles are unisex, displayed on industrial steel cabinets in its charismatic Soho store.

Axel Arigato

Shop, Store

Loved for its clean-cut leather and suede designs, Swedish streetwear brand Axel Arigato puts a smart spin on sneaker style. The Soho store, which opened in 2018, is designed with exposed-stone walls, floor-to-ceiling mirrors and minimal other interior touches, leaving full focus on the product.

PUMA

Store

Puma Store, Carnaby Street, London, England, UK
© Fotomatador. / Alamy Stock Photo
PUMA is deserving of its spot on prolific Carnaby Street, and while it’s not a niche boutique like many of its neighbours, the store houses a careful selection of its most fashion-focussed designs.

Supreme

Shop, Store

Supreme is a New York brand with a shop in Londons Soho
© Tobias Steinert / Shutterstock
New York based skate wear brand Supreme stocks classic and current designs and celebrates ongoing collaborations with high-fashion names like Louis Vuitton. There’s a photo collage by Ari Marcopoulos on the wall and a sculptural installation by skateboarder and artist Mark Gonzales.

TOMS

Shop

TOMS launched as a footwear brand with a unique and meaningful concept – to donate new shoes to a child in need with every pair sold. Today, the programme has expanded alongside its product offering (which now includes other accessories) and offers support for safer birthing, access to clean water and restoring sight to those who need it. The store in Soho stocks items from each category and also has an ethically sourced coffee bar in-house.

Dr. Martens, London

Shop

Dr. Martens AirWair shop in Covent Garden, Central London
© UrbanImages / Alamy Stock Photo

Dr. Marten’s Soho store backs onto the restaurant and dining hub that is Kingly Court, but inside you’ll find a calm atmosphere and a small but perfectly formed edit of men’s, women’s and children’s footwear as well as some additional clothing. For a wider range of options, head to the three-storey Oxford Street store – it’s part shoe shop, part museum of vintage music memorabilia.

Beauty

Pixi Beauty

Shop

Pixi Beauty champions a natural look. Its founder, Petra Strand, aims to develop products that make women “look like themselves, only better”. The flagship store sits just off Carnaby Street and has a subtle approach to skincare and make-up in comparison to the neighbouring make-up boutiques (MAC Cosmetics, Too Faced and benefit) that have opened in recent years. Behind its doors you’ll find a clean, open space that celebrates its hero toners, serums and nourishing sprays.

Too Faced

Shop

Cult US beauty brand Too Faced opened its first European store in Soho, joining benefit and MAC Cosmetics on Carnaby Street. Fans of the brand will discover in-store exclusives as well as their favourite products, and enjoy the photogenic, social media-friendly interiors – a Union Jack wall and a dedicated hashtag encourage picture time.

Benefit Carnaby Street

Beauty Salon, Shop

Benefit store in Carnaby Street, London
© By Alan Kean

Beauty brand benefit is mostly stocked in department stores and online, but its stand-alone flagship space on Carnaby Street is the best place to get expert advice, a choice of the entire beauty range and a real feel for the brand. Spray tanning, blow-drys and waxing are available on-site and the store plays host to lively brand events each season.

Liberty London

Shop, Store, Historical Landmark

Liberty London
© Liberty

No Soho shopping list would be complete without historic fashion and lifestyle department store Liberty London. Its beauty hall is particularly impressive, stocking a range of brands at various price points, make-up sessions with beauticians in-store and treatment rooms by reputable London names such as Skin Laundry.

Our debut short film, The Soul of Soho, explores neighborhoods separated by oceans, history and culture but united by craft community and change. Neighborhoods bound by one name: Soho. Intimate portraits of city living in the Sohos of London, New York and Hong Kong reveal rich stories of the people who bring life to these iconic neighborhoods. Explore Soho here.
Looking for somewhere to stay nearby? Book one of the best hotels in the area – close to the central hub of Piccadilly Circus – now through Culture Trip.

landscape with balloons floating in the air

KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?

Connect with like-minded people on our premium trips curated by local insiders and with care for the world

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.

Winter Sale Offers on Our Trips

Incredible Savings

X
Edit article