Taste of Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen at John Lewis
Fans of Jamie Oliver are in for a treat at John Lewis this week. To celebrate the launch of the new and exclusive Jme and Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen product ranges, the Oxford Street store is offering a unique Fifteen dining experience with a menu specifically created by Jamie and his apprentice chefs. To book a table, visit the Bistro or call 020 3073 0626.
25-28 Sep

Book Signings: Kaffe Fassett at Liberty and Jessie J at Waterstones
Artist, designer, and author Kaffe Fassett will be signing not one but three of his best-selling books and reading extracts from “Knitting with the Colour Guys” at Liberty on Wednesday evening this week. More details here. And on Thursday, Jessie J will be signing copies of her autobiography Nice To Meet You at Waterstone’s Piccadilly from 5.30pm. Call Waterstones on 0207 851 2491 for more details.

Harvest Festival Artisan Market at Fortnum & Mason

Fortnum & Mason are celebrating the best of the season with an Artisan Market this weekend. You can meet and learn from F&M’s chutney suppliers in the demonstration kitchen, taste the very best of Fortnum’s savoury preserves and jams, and sample refreshing cordials made from the juiciest fruit in Norfolk’s hedgerows. It’ll also be the time for F&M’s honey harvest, so you can go up to the roof and see the Fortnum & Mason bees hard at work.
28-29 Sep, 11am-5pm

Celebrate Cheaney at Selfridges

Selfridges are helping Northamptonshire heritage brand Cheaney celebrate 125 years of quality English craftsmanship this week. From 29 September to 7 October, there’ll be a special Cheaney space in the Men’s Shoes department, where you can see in-store demonstrations showing the intricacies of how a Cheaney shoe is made. What’s more, receive a complimentary refurbishment voucher worth £90 with any pair of shoes purchased.
29 Sep-7 Oct

London’s best stores and shopping districts are taking part in Fashion’s Night Out on Thursday 6 September: a celebration of shopping that runs all over the world. If you’re into shopping, you don’t want to miss this! Here are some of London’s highlights:

Seven Dials
Seven Dials will be celebrating Fashion’s Night Out with complimentary drinks, makeovers and special offers across many of Seven Dials’ beauty salons, fashion and lifestyle stores and restaurants. Seven Dials is a really lovely area for shopping in London, so make sure you take advantage of the freebies on offer.

John Lewis Oxford Street
Top London department store John Lewis Oxford Street is also joining in with Fashion’s Night Out. John Lewis is displaying the exclusive new Somerset by Alice Temperley collection in a live catwalk show between 6 and 9pm. There’ll be a DJ in store creating the perfect fashion party atmosphere, while you can enjoy delicious Charbonnel & Walker chocolates and a complimentary drink. And the John Lewis Beauty hall will be full to the brim with this season’s key products, ready to create wonderful new looks. I can’t think of a better excuse for an early evening make-over before heading out into London’s West End!

Liberty
At Liberty, you’ll have the chance to meet Jonathan Saunders who’ll be in store running a photobooth where you can get involved in #showusyoursaunders: pose in your finest Jonathan Saunders wares for a photo with the man himself. In addition, Roksanda Ilincic will be signing exclusive hand-drawn sketches of her AW collection for you, and working with her muse and model Jade Parfitt. Jade will be on hand to model Roksanda’s designs and advise you on your purchases. Head up to the Shoe Lounge on the first floor where there’ll be a Victorian Fun Fare-styled photobooth where you can pose for photos in funky masks and accessories. If you’re a scarf fan, don’t miss the Liberty scarf styling team on the ground floor, who’ll be demonstrating a myriad of ways to wear your finest Liberty scarves. On the same floor, you can visit hair colourist Josh Wood and his team, who’ll be taking over the Liberty beauty hall. Finally, Cointreau has created a special cocktail menu to celebrate FNO, exclusively for Liberty shoppers, which you can sample in the Cointreau satellite cocktail bar on the first floor.

UGG Australia Piccadilly
Take a trip to NYC via the UGG store on Piccadilly on Fashion’s Night Out. For one night only, UGG will channel Manhattan with NYC-inspired treats for customers on the night. All shoppers on the night will receive an exclusive UGG Australia shopper with any purchase to carry their goodies home, while a DJ will spin iconic New York-themed songs to get shoppers in the Empire State of Mind; and the apple-flavoured cocktails will also give you a real “taste” of the Big Apple! Finally, there’ll be a classic yellow New York cab parked outside the store, where shoppers can enter hourly competitions to win all of the UGG goodies stowed in its “trunk”. Simply pick a car key from the basket in-store and if your key fits the lock, then the “booty” is yours!

Watch this space for more info on Fashion’s Night Out. Or you can follow them on facebook or on twitter with the #FNO hashtag

Victoria’s Secret New Bond Street Store Launch: 29 Aug

Sample Sale: 30 Aug-2 Sep
Starting on Thursday, there’s a four-day sample sale of men’s designer shoes, clothes and accessories at the Old Truman Brewery on Hanbury Street, E1. For just £1 admission, you could pick up bargains like Ralph Lauren polo shirts from £60; Ted Baker shirts from £35 and True Religion T-shirts for £29 (RRP £79.) Head along from 1-8pm on Thursday, 1-7pm on Friday, 12-7pm on Saturday and 12-5pm on Sunday to get your hands on some great new clothes for autumn. Visit www.secretsamplesale.co.uk for more information.

Book Signings: 6 Sep
I’ve got two exciting book signings for your diaries, happening next week.

On Thursday 6 September, actress and author Emma Thompson will be in Selfridges signing copies of her new book, The Further Tale of Peter Rabbit. Emma’s book is the 24th tale in the existing collection of Peter Rabbit stories. It is the first time that Frederick Warne has published an additional title to the series which Beatrix Potter wrote between 1902 and 1930. In The Further Tale of Peter Rabbit, Peter’s adventures take him beyond the boundaries of Mr McGregor’s garden all the way to Scotland, where he meets the gentle giant Finlay McBurney, a distant Scottish relative. Emma will be signing copies of the book between 5 and 6pm on 6 September.

On the same day over at Waterstones Piccadilly, you can meet the Fifty Shades of Grey author E L James. From 6.30pm, the writer will be signing copies of the bestselling novels Fifty Shades of Grey, Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed.

In both cases, make sure you arrive early to avoid disappointment. Details about the Selfridges signing are all clearly laid out here. You’ve been warned!

My Perfect West End Day
If you’re feeling lucky, why not enter one of West End London’s fantastic new competitions?

Between today and 3 September, you can with the Perfect Iconic West End Day, as part of West End London’s new Perfect West End Day campaign. This prize includes a VIP shopping day for two at Liberty, dinner for two at the National Portrait Gallery, tickets to see One Man Two Guvnors at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, and a night’s stay at The Langham Hotel. There’ll be more competitions coming in the next few weeks – I particularly like the sound of the Perfect Family West End Day, which includes a VIP experience at M&Ms World, dinner at the Rainforest Café, a private shopping spree at the Disney Store and four tickets to see Stomp and meet the cast. Check out www.westendlondon.com to find out more.

House of Fraser launches Mary Portas Handbags
Top London department store House of Fraser has a new collaboration with retail guru Mary Portas – this time in the accessories department. Championing “fashion for grown-ups”, Portas’ line now contains a range of six bags designed by Portas and named after music genres. The bags include large shoppers, clutch bags and shoulder bags in a variety of colours, and range from £39 to £189 in price. “My new collection is geared towards modern living and has a bag for every possible occasion life can throw at you,” said Portas.

Jo Malone London Fragrance Discovery Evening
Join Jo Malone London at Selfridges on Oxford Street this Friday (17 August) for a special evening celebrating the timeless classic fragrance, Lime Basil & Mandarin. Called “a daring departure in fragrance” it’s peppery basil and aromatic white thyme is said to be “an unexpected twist to the scent of limes on a Caribbean breeze.” If that whets your nasal appetite, hit Selfridges between 5pm and 9pm on Friday for complimentary champagne and sweet treats, inspired by the fragrance. Call 0870 192 5242 to book your appointment.

Meet Richard Weston at Liberty
Head to Liberty on Thursday (16 August) this week, and you’ll be able to meet Professor Richard Weston, the mastermind behind some of Liberty’s most popular scarves. Weston’s much-anticipated AW12 collection has arrived in store; and the man himself will be meeting fans from 1pm to 6pm in the Scarf Hall. This is a great opportunity to come face to face with the man Lauren Laverne calls “an academic even cooler than Brian Cox.”