Simon Carter Menswear and Accessories is a British business, which continues to break boundaries. From humble beginnings, selling pewter brooches up and down the Kings Road to today’s Flagship stores in London and Toronto, his recently opened store in Johannesburg, plus iconic stockists; including Liberty, Harvey Nichols, Fenwick, Fortnum and Mason and international stockists such as David Jones in Australia and NK in Stockholm. Simon’s collections continue to buck the economic trend whilst spearheading fashions that appeal to the British taste for inventive, understated chic.
We caught up with Simon for the latest in our ‘My London’ interview series.
Favourite place for brunch:
I’m a South London boy so I keep it local. My favourite is ‘On The Hoof’ in Sydenham. It’s a former optician’s and they’ve decorated the walls with old spectacle frames. The food is excellent.
Best coffee in London:
Well I’m biased as my other business is a high end cake shop so I have to say Dalhousie in Crystal Palace!
Favourite gallery or museum:
The Wallace Collection. It’s rather more on the radar now but used to be a hidden secret. An opulent house containing a formidable collection of 18th century decorative art.
Tell us a secret:
I played croquet for England a few years ago.
Favourite place to shop:
The North Laines in Brighton. It’s a strange mix of fiercely independent and slightly eccentric shops. There’s a great indoors retro centre called Snooper’s Paradise wherein I always find something.
Favourite place to find inspiration:
Travel. It relaxes and broadens the mind.
Best London destination for a date:
Kitty Fisher’s in Shepherd Market. It’s intimate, in the heart of Mayfair, with excellent modern food from Oliver Milburn. Hard to get into but book well ahead.
Favourite park:
Regent’s Park. The sheer variety of vistas and if you finally run out of ideas, there’s always the zoo.
Favourite food market: Crystal Palace weekend market. It’s small, with only around 20 stalls, but high quality with fish, meat veg and cooked produce too.
Your sanctuary in the city:
The quiet streets in Chelsea off the King’s Road. There are some very small and modest lanes that afford a quiet space to look at great buildings away from the bustle.
What inspires you?
Beauty.
This season I’m loving:
My Simon Carter short sleeved linen shirts. A splash of colour on a hot day.
