Burberry and McQueen Open Menswear Stores in London
There are two exciting new openings for the stylish men about town this week. Today, Burberry has opened its long-awaited standalone menswear boutique in Knightsbridge. You’ll remember reading about all the techie additions in the label’s Regent Street Store: the Brompton Road offering is no different with more than 100 screens and 50 speakers creating the audio-visual wow factor in store. As well as the technology, this shop stocks Burberry’s largest selection of tailoring in the UK. And if you’re after something really special, you can indulge in their fantastic new tailoring service. There’s a choice of three fits (slim, modern and classic) and more than 40 seasonal fabrics: make your choice and a suit can be measured, tailored and delivered in just 48 hours. The Burberry Menswear store follows hot on the heels of the new Alexander McQueen menswear store on Savile Row. For the first time in the label’s history, this shop stocks the full menswear collection in one place, from ready-to-wear suiting to accessories. Look out for the funky design features – skulls, claws and military chic in the shop – and don’t miss the bespoke area downstairs when it opens next year. London lads now have no excuse for looking anything less than super-smart.

The Best A Mo Can Get, 1-30 Nov
Just in time for Movember, The Best a Mo Can Get Barbers is opening at 10 Newburgh Street in Carnaby this week. The barber will be open seven days a week throughout the month of Movember, offering free ‘tache touch-ups for chaps taking part in the charity moustache-growing month. The pop-up shop is styled on a 1940s club, with a traditional barber upstairs, and a bar decked out with leather seating, poker, backgammon, dominoes and chess sets, plus ping pong and pool downstairs. There’s live entertainment planned throughout the month, including gigs, DJ sets, whiskey tastings and cocktail nights. Visit Facebook.com/GilletteUK for the latest updates.

Harrods Christmas Parade, 3 Nov
Finally for this week, are you ready for Christmas in London? Harrods certainly is, with its famous annual Christmas parade taking place this Saturday. The streets of Knightsbridge will be filled with Father Christmas and his amazing helpers; this year’s theme is Disney, so look out for your favourite Disney Friends plus giant teddy bears, street dancers, and real reindeer taking part. The parade starts at 8am, and will weave down Brompton Road before culminating in the opening of the famous Harrods store at 9am. Don’t miss it!

Westfield Stratford Attracts a Record 47m Shoppers in its First Year

East London shopping centre Westfield Stratford City has marked its first birthday with record-breaking stats. The 1.9m square-foot shopping centre welcomed 47 million visitors in its opening year; one million within the first seven days of being open! Since then, the shopping centre has attracted around 800,000 shoppers each week. Westfield Stratford was also boosted during the Olympic and Paralympic Games, as the centre was the gateway to the Olympic Park, meaning visits hit 8.5 million during London 2012. So, the Stratford shopping centre has a lot to celebrate. Between 21 and 23 September, there’ll be a whole host of fun events including circus-themed parties, free live entertainment, offers and prize giveaways. Look out for free cupcakes, cake pops, balloons and popcorn, as well as mime artists, magicians and jugglers. Happy 1st Birthday, Westfield Stratford!

Two New Designer Flagship Stores for London’s West End: Burberry and McQ

As London Fashion Week comes to a close, London is left with the legacy of two incredible new flagship stores. Burberry World opened late last week, in a beautiful 1820s building on Regent Street: the largest Burberry store in the world. The store aims to recreate all the elements found on the brand’s online shopping outlet. There are 500 speakers and 100 screens throughout the store, showing original films created in-house at Burberry. Some of the clothes are specially tagged: when you take them into a changing room or near certain screens, you’ll be shown catwalk footage or details about how the product was made. I can’t wait to try this out!

Over on Dover Street, the long-awaited McQ London flagship opened on Friday. The three-storey boutique features Alexander McQueen’s secondary, more affordable label, as well as some of the most spectacular designs from the brand’s former fashion shows. “We want to create a story and a home for McQ and the flagship on Dover Street is an extension of this world,” said Sarah Burton, creative director for the Alexander McQueen brand (and designer of Kate Middleton’s wedding dress, you’ll remember). “The store will offer special catwalk pieces alongside ready-to-wear collections in a rich and immersive McQ environment.” According to Vogue, that means fancy shag pile carpets, suede-walled changing rooms and velvet chairs creating an intimate boudoir feel for the shop.

Meet The Very Hungry Caterpillar at Waterstone’s Piccadilly

 Finally, one for the kids: on Saturday, you can meet The Very Hungry Caterpillar at Waterstone’s Piccadilly. Between 11.30am and 3.30pm, there’ll be fun activities and story time in the bookstore. The Caterpillar himself will be making appearances every hour, and you can even help Waterstone’s make their very own Hungry Caterpillar in store. Call 0207 851 2400 to find out more.