London Fashion Week 2019: Nine fun ways to celebrate across the city

Because London is fashion.

With designers the talk of the town, we've put together a list of places to learn a little more about London's style scene.

From the King's Road to Harrods – and some rather divine Chelsea charity shops that even Anna Wintour would approve of – here are nine places where you'll definitely find the London look.

The King's Road & Sloane Street

This is arguably where London earned its fashion stripes. Shimmy down these streets and you'll discover why London is such a global fashion hotspot. On first glance, its inclusion into the phrase "London, Paris, New York" is quite obvious: London is different, it's innovative and as Vivienne Westwood once famously said: "There's nowhere else like London. Nothing at all. Anywhere". What does this mean for fashion on a global scale? Well, the scene here is creative and down right risqué.

During the 1960s, both the King's Road and Sloane Street became a symbol of Mod and protest culture, which inspired booted and fair-haired fashion revolutions. Clothes (oh, hello mini-skirt) helped women protest against the establishment and men designed attire to express both female and male sexuality. In short, the area was a centre for counterculture, but sadly, gentrification means it's lost its cool.

Still, at least it's retained its reputation for being one of London's most shoppable streets and there are bits here and there that maintain a little of the old spirit: glare into, say, the pristine glass windows of Westwood on Sloane Street, and there are still glimpses of protest fashion, and this is precisely why this area of London is so important to the historical global fashion stage.

New & Old Bond Street

This street's history is nothing short of fascinating. Officially, the street doesn't exist at all: the southern section is known as Old Bond Street, which after a junction becomes New Bond Street with Burlington Gardens. It's all very confusing, but nevertheless deserves one of the top spots on any London fashion pilgrimage. Synonymous with luxury, the half-mile throughfare is where some of the most prestigious brands and fashion powerhouses have made their London home.

Behind the street's glorious facades, you'll find eminent auctioneers Sotheby's, fashion from the likes of Prada, Gucci, Ralph Lauren, Chanel, Valentino, Alexander McQueen and Dior, as well as the jeweller salons of Harry Winston, Tiffany, Graff and Cartier. Many of them hold regular exhibitions, where you can gawp at iconic portraits of stars draped in some of the most important frocks in the fashion canon – a great thing, especially when you're splashing the cash.

Nearby, you'll find other luxury retailers competing for your attention in the Burlington Arcade. If you're a chap in search of a suit, Saville Row and Jermyn Street are nothing short of historically fabulous and are just a short 10 minute walk away.

V&A

Fashion and museums – not a typical mix, one might think, but for fashionistas across the globe, the Victoria & Albert Museum boasts an impressive permanent fashion collection that's simply too glitzy to miss. Throughout the mammoth building, you'll find well preserved remnants of the fashion world. From Christian Dior to Coco Chanel, Vivienne Westwood to John Galliano and Cristobal Balenciaga, icons far and wide are displayed in numerous free and paid for exhibitions every year.

Coffee table books

Nothing screams fashion like a good glossy coffee table book. From the pages of Vogue to Harpers and W, one of the best places to get your hands on one is Assouline on the Piccadilly. The place is more than just a shop: it's an institution which London's fashion freaks descend on to rustle through the pages of the old and new Conde Nast cover girls.

Inside, visitors will find a vast selection of international titles – not all limited to fashion – and plenty of cool print gigs you've likely never heard of. The little coffee shop is also gorgeous to a T.

Fashion college talks

If you're at fashion school, this should be a no brainer, but for novices, fashion colleges across London host a plethora of talks, workshops and exhibitions that are designed to educate, inform and enlighten. The University of the Arts London and Central Saint Martins are some of the best.

Spend an afternoon in a luxe department store

London's department stores are just as much tourist attractions as they are shopping destinations. You could easily spend a whole day in Knightsbridge exploring Harrods and Harvey Nichols and an hour or two on the Piccadilly in Fortnum & Mason, purveyor of royal bits and bobs for centuries. Liberty just off Regent Street is a must for all things floral print and Selfridges & Co is your one way ticket to luxury and high street fashion. All of the aforementioned house some stonkingly good food halls and restaurants, too. When you're tired, or worse, poor, sit back and relax whilst you stare blankly at beautiful things and beautiful people.

A vintage shop tour of London

Anyone up on their trend game knows that London has a soft spot for all things vintage. There are a number of independent and private tours you can book yourself onto to learn more about the city's fashion history. If you fancy going it alone, check out Beyond Retro and Absolute Vintage on Brick Lane, Camden's Rokit, Annie's in Angel and the One of a Kind Fashion Archive, a Portobello Road based pocket-sized shop that looks like it's been modelled on a collectible 1950s Parisian larder. It's very chic.

A market

Fashion at a market?! You'd be very surprised, darling. Street markets are a mecca for cheap second hand clothes and accessories. Go to the right vintage market and there's usually a chance to nab a designer brand for next to nothing. If you're on a tight budget, everywhere from Brick Lane to Portobello Road and Old Spitalfields and Camden markets are a good place to start.

Charity shops

If you ever find yourself in a swanky London neighbourhood, say Chelsea or Marylebone, go and rummage through a charity shop. The reason? The fashion divas of the area regular donate their unwanted labels, that's why. One of the most popular is the British Red Cross in Chelsea. The glorious little place shares a street with the only Manolo Blahnik shack in west London, and it's a prime spot for Chelsea residents to offload last season's must-have wardrobe. Unsurprisingly, the shop bills itself as one of London's best designer charity shops.

Go in, and you'll see fine pieces from Jaeger to Max Mara, Vivienne Westwood and maybe a little bit of Burberry packing out the rails. For years, only an exclusive club of Londoners were in on this secret, so much so that the charity shops that line the streets of Marylebone, Bloomsbury and Richmond caught on and hiked up their prices. Remember divas, it's for charity after all.