Bermondsey Street: Things to do and see

Where LAP (London Art Portfolio) is situated we’re very lucky to have a very creative and popular area surrounding our little corner of Tower Bridge full of pubs, bars, cafes and quirky little shops. Here are a list of some places to maybe check out during your time here.

If you’ve got some money to spare or need some inspiration for some product design/fashion illustration then head over to ‘Lovely and British’. This cool little chop is full of quirky jewellery, clothes, bags and also furniture, lamp shades and other nick nacks for homes or accessories. This shop houses many local designers, makers and artists from within the area plus also more independent designers further out of London. Their collections of products include much of ‘Steve Harkin’ (www.stevenharkin.com world renown leather worker) leather bags plus bespoke jewellery by the likes of ‘Lily Gardener’ (www.lilygardner.com) and ‘Tors’ (www.torstextileart.com), so the range in this shop is very broad. Among the clothing and jewellery there is also textile designer ‘Lorna Syson’ (www.lornasyson.co.uk) who designs wallpaper, cushions, lamp shades, furniture and also sells her fabric by the meter. It is worth a look if you’re into textile design for sure.

www.lovelyandbritishlondon.co.uk

(Igloo Flowers Bermondsey Street)

Another quirky place to visit is ‘Igloo flowers’ which is a coo little florist with an added surprise… It sells ALOT of wine. This is the flagship store of 6 shops and their design studio (where they create floral arrangements for weddings, corporate events, etc.) so it is really interesting and maybe inspirational for fashion illustrators for ideas on shape and colour swatches. The staff are attentive and nice so they won’t object to questions or taking pictures (if you ask nicely) especially for its interior design which will appeal to architectural students.

(Igloo Flowers London Bridge)

Another ‘Igloo’ store is in London Bridge nestled away in one of the archways which utilises the curves quite nicely. In either store they will help you design your very own arrangement for special occasions or to just treat yourself (also if you’re bored you can grab one of their ‘bouquets in a bag’ or make your house more fancy by buying a chandelier).

www.iglooflowers.com

If you’re looking to do some retail therapy or want to dress to impress then ‘Susie Stone’ is a really good clothing store with a great range of dresses for all occasions. The concept of this store is the idea that certain designs never go out of style and are timeless so all their dresses are just that. They make their dresses to measure to suit women of all shapes and sizes for individual needs. The design of the store has the main shop in the front and then the studio out the back in plain view for anyone who walks in to see ‘where the magic happens’, the staff are attentive and nice so don’t hesitate to ask questions or enquire (this is aimed at you fashion students!).

www.susiestone.com

If you have a pet and want to treat them to their own version of retail therapy then head over to ‘Holly and Lil’ a little pet collar couture shop that specialises in quality leather work for your canine or feline friends. They boast a great collection of collars and other items every sensible pet owner would love to spoil their pet with and also provide a bespoke ‘Make Me One’ service which is mostly used by show dog owners and other pet owners who want their pets to have complete one-off collars so they can feel original.

www.hollyandlil.co.uk

As we explore the area more and more we will mention even more little gems of the local area for you to enjoy or look forward to visiting!