The World on Regent Street Festival

Shopping hub Regent Street is becoming a traffic-free zone this Sunday (12 May) to make way for fabulous global-themed festival The World on Regent Street. Shoppers can expect dazzling entertainment from across the globe, including Chinese drumming, tango lessons from Argentina, and carnival-style dancing and music from Trinidad and Tobago. Don’t miss it!

Clerkenwell Vintage Fashion Fair

Vintage fashion lovers should hotfoot it to the Clerkenwell Vintage Fashion Fair this Sunday (12 May). As well as homing 50 stalls that will be stashed with collectables from big-wig fashion houses such as Dior, Westwood and Yves Saint Laurent, you’ll also find a vintage manicurist and an alterations expert. Refuel at the tea room where you can feast on Victoria sponge or gooseberry tart, served up on fine vintage china.

New Baby’s Clothes Shop

New to Shoreditch’s fashionable pop-up mall Boxpark is hip kid’s clothing outfit Monster’s Baby, which is known for its humorous baby attire. Pop along on Family Day on Sunday 19 May for doodling competitions and an appearance by street artist Ronzo who will be showcasing his Jonny Fu toys.

Craft Fair

Pick up one-off gifts at reasonable prices at the E17 Designers Market on the evening of Friday 17 May. Expect ceramics, vintage-inspired clothing, hand-made cards, bags, frames, jewellery, cakes and loads more.

The Sound Tracks Festival on the East London Line

Enjoy a day of great music throughout East London during the Sound Tracks Festival. Not only will a great variety of bands be playing at venues such as Dalston Roof Park, The Geffrye Museum and the Brunel Museum, but you can also listen to live music on the East London Line as you travel between venues. Wristbands, which allow entry to all the festival venues, are £15. 11 May

The Richmond May Fair

Head to the pretty green at Richmond for a traditional May Fair, which features craft stalls, a vintage carousel and all-day entertainment. Don’t miss the crowning of the Richmond May Queen, or the dancing around the Maypole! Entry is free. 11 May

The Marriott London Sevens at Twickenham Stadium

Combine rugby and fancy dress at the Marriott London Sevens, which is known for its carnival atmosphere. Not only can you watch a series of exciting short matches throughout the weekend, but there’s also live entertainment and competitions galore. This year’s fancy dress theme is ‘safari’, so dig out your adventure gear and animal costumes! Tickets are £25. 11-12 May

The World on Regent Street

Regent Street will be pedestrianised for this free one-day festival, which features entertainment and activities from around the globe. Visitors can enjoy Argentine tango lessons, Trinidadian steel band music, Chinese drumming and much more. All of the street’s shops will also be open – perfect for some retail therapy. 12 May

The London Burlesque Festival

Be dazzled at the glitzy London Burlesque Festival, a ten day extravaganza of burlesque and cabaret that takes throughout London. At this international festival, which is the largest of its kind in the world, you can see everything from the best of home-grown talent to the biggest stars of ‘boylesque’. Event times and ticket prices vary – see the festival website for full details. 10-19 May

More London events

High-street favourite H&M has re-launched its Oxford Street store. Boasting 3,750sqm of fashion spread across six floors, shoppers can expect a flashy shoe lounge, a chill-out area with swanky seats and a whopping 80 fitting rooms. Does that mean no more queueing for the changing room? We hope so! Super stylish and international blogger Susie Lau of Style Bubble has styled the windows of the store, selecting her favourite pieces from the collection.

Also open this month is Phase Eight‘s new concept store in boutique shopping hub St Christopher’s Place, off Oxford Street. Famous for their fabulous occasion-wear, the store is beautifully decked out with vintage-inspired furnishings. As well as being chock-full of clothes, shoes and accessories, there’s also a bridal space offering bespoke stylist advice to brides-to-be.

Shoppers can now connect with shops, restaurants, cafes and bars on London’s iconic Regent Street thanks to its new online community. The social media hub – named 24/7 – can be accessed through the website regentstreetonline.com. More than 100 Regent Street brands are connected to the hub, including Liberty London, Whole Foods Market, Superdry and Ted Baker. Any mentions of the area on social networking sites, such as Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram, will appear on the hub.

Finally, here’s a date for the diary for any label lovers out there. Designer fashion recycling event BuyMyWardrobe is taking over the Kensington Roof Gardens with bargains aplenty on Saturday 27 April. Shoppers will get the opportunity to raid the wardrobes of more than 30 stylish women with designer goodies including the likes of Stella McCartney, Mulberry and Christian Louboutin. You can enjoy a sneaky peak into the wardrobes of some of the UK’s top fashion bloggers, including Ella Catliffe of La Petite Anglaise and Monica Welburn of The Elgin Avenue. Fashionistas can also expect complimentary eyebrow threading, express makeovers, a live DJ, designer goodie bags, indulgent treats and lashings of champagne. Cheers!

Love is in the air in London’s shops and markets in the lead-up to Valentine’s Day on 14 February. If you want to find the perfect gift for your loved-one, London has a whirl of Valentine’s shopping events to tickle your fancy.

The spruced-up William Morris Gallery is hosting the E17 Designers Valentine’s Day Special this Saturday (9 Feb), where 20 artists will be selling their hand-crafted items, including prints and precious gems, corsages and customised cufflinks. Expect wandering minstrels, love poetry and choir singing. Entry £2. Children under 16 free.

In East London’s hip Shoreditch, pop-up mall Boxpark is hosting romantic events aplenty, including macaroon-making classes (from now until 13 Feb) and love-inspired nail designs by Boom Nails (14-17 Feb). Boutique lingerie brand Playful Promises will be offering 20% off its sexy stock, from lingerie sets to risqué satin corsets (14-17 Feb).

Carnaby Street is spreading the love this V-Day with shed-loads of inspirational gift ideas.

Head to the Marshmallow Apothecary pop-up (9-23 Feb) in Kingly Court to be prescribed a bespoke box of marshmallows. Lovers can feast on aphrodisiac flavours including ginger and chilli, which can be taken away or enjoyed in the café with a hot chocolate or cocktail. For handmade gifts, visit Kingly Court for the Craft Jam Fair and Market this Saturday (9 Feb, 12-7pm), which offers everything from cards and accessories to homeware and artisan food.

Sutra Kitchen vegetarian cooking school and deli is hosting a Valentine’s Day cooking experience for couples. Get steamy in the kitchen under the guidance of head chef Jay Morjaria and then enjoy your creations, including wild mushroom and thyme risotto. The class is £25 and includes a glass of bubbly. Email info@sutrakitchen.co.uk to book.

Put a smile on your Valentine’s face by popping into the newly re-vamped British perfume house Penhaligons, in Regent Street. The brainchild of UK designer Christopher Jenner, the plush emporium is all wood panelling, padded walls, onion dome chandeliers and ceiling roses inspired by Westminster Cathedral. Don’t leave without taking a sniff of signature scent Blenheim Bouquet, which was created in 1902 and worn by Winston Churchill and Oscar Wilde.

London Turns On Its Christmas Lights
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Central London! This is the big week for London’s Christmas lights. Following Harrods’ Christmas Parade last week, look out for festive twinkles coming to Oxford Street, Regent Street, Carnaby, Covent Garden, Westfield, and Greenwich Market to name but a few. From now until Christmas, shopping in London after dark will be a real treat as all the main shopping areas show off their finest festive trimmings. Enjoy!

Superga Opens in Carnaby
Italian shoe brand Superga has opened its second London store. Superga’s trademark vulcanized rubber soles can now be browsed and bought at 13 Newburgh Street in Carnaby. The brand was born back in 1911 Turin under the stewardship of Walter Martiny. After the war Superga reopened with a new mission to bring high-quality footwear to the people of Italy. Look out for the 2750, the so-called “People’s Shoe of Italy”. British Superstar Rita Ora is the face of their Spring/Summer 2013 campaign; if you can’t wait til then, pop into the new Carnaby store for fantastic shoes galore.

Lucy in Disguise Launches The Drama Parlour
On Thursday there’s a new hair studio opening inside Lucy in Disguise in Lexington Street. Billed as a one-stop shop and salon, tucked away in the eclectic comfort of the vintage boutique, you can have your hair tamed, teased and whipped into shape by Victoria Saunders, with her individual, one-to-one service. Working alongside her will be Sarah Hill, a fantastic hairdresser, if you are bored with your barnet or frustrated with your fringe, the Hair Mistress and team are here to revamp and revitalize your look! There will also be a “Menu of Make-up looks” inspired by styles from the 1920s to the 1960s for you to choose from, created by make-up artist Holy Silius. Click here to find out more.

Keith Brymer Jones in Seven Dials
Another week; another fab Seven Dials pop-up shop. This time, British ceramicist Keith Brymer Jones is showcasing his full collection of beautiful, useable and practical objects at 15 Shorts Gardens. I really like his Word Collection: classic typewriter font stamped objects, with honest descriptors like “coffee” or “bowl”, and more quirky statements like “don’t panic” and “overworked and underpaid”. Look out, too, for the Punk range, where famous rock quotes are cleverly re-worded (“Sex, Mugs and Rock ‘n’ Roll”), and printed on safety-pin pierced mugs. As well as plates and mugs, the pop-up stocks baby gifts, pet bowls, kitchen items like aprons and jugs. There’s also the first home fragrance collection from the brand including soaps, scent diffusers and candles. Keith Brymer Jones is in Seven Dials until 27 November.

Carl Warner at Westfield Stratford City
If you’re shopping at Westfield Stratford this weekend, don’t miss your chance to check out some free food art while you’re there. Food artist and photographer Carl Warner will be at Westfield Stratford City from today until Sunday 11 November. Carl will also be making an appearance, showing how he puts his work together in a series of demonstrations from Friday to Sunday, between 1pm-5pm each day in the Great Eastern Market on the Lower Ground Floor.

 Click here for more images and info.

The chillier mornings and shorter evenings have nudged me into tights and coats this week: it’s clear summer is on the way out in London.

But here’s a great video bringing you the best memories of this incredible “Summer Like No Other”, a series of amazing events organised by the Mayor of London.

Do you have a favourite memory from this summer? Let us know in the comments below.

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.

The countdown is on to the London 2012 Paralympic Games, with just hours to go before the Opening Ceremony…

The Paralympic Flame has visited some of London’s most famous attractions on its relay route today, including Big Ben, London Zoo,Lord’s Cricket Ground and Abbey Road - and it’s not over yet! The flame is now travelling east, en route to Stratford.

The Paralympic Relay is running later than planned, but you can keep track of its progress here. The new schedule means it is due to arrive in Greenwich just before 6pm, and at Waltham Forest at 8.49pm.

Have you seen the torch today? Tell us about your experiences in the comments below.

Team GB Volleyball player Shauna Mullin headaed to London’s West End yesterday to celebrate her role in the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Shauna did a bit of shopping on Regent Street before meeting up with some friends for something to eat and then heading to see comedy rock musical Rock of Ages at the Shaftesbury Theatre.

Sounds like a perfect day out to me!

Read our interview with Rock of Ages star Shayne Ward, or book tickets to see the show here.

Regent Street has really got into the Royal Wedding spirit, with an inspiring display of 125 giant union flags.

If you haven’t seen them yet, check out this gorgeous video from Regent Street TV. The flags’ll be there until Monday (2 May).

The gigantic flags run all the way along Regent Street, from Piccadilly Circus in the south to beyond Oxford Circus to the BBC’s Broadcasting House in the north.

We think it’s a pretty stunning way to celebrate the Royal Wedding, and makes one of the world’s most famous historical shopping streets look even more beautiful.