Pistol Panties launch party, Selfridges, W1

posted by David Brownlie-Marshall | March 30, 2012 | In Fashion, Parties

London is one of those cities (one of two actually, the other being New York) which is incredibly fabulous, while also being really easy to get around. My friend Isobel recently moved from Battersea to Marylebone, and called me on the day of the move to say she was ‘back in the game!’ In a place like London, when you are central, the world is your oyster (without any need for an Oyster card).

I was in LA a few weeks ago, and while the parties were admittedly otherworldly, they were also miles away from each other. If you wanted to attend something, you really had to commit – with a thirty mile drive to consider, simply dropping by would be a time consuming prospect.

Last night I was at Selfridges for the launch of ‘Pistol Panties’, a glamorous swimwear label, which fuses vintage glamour with flattering cuts and quirky designs . I was also showing an Australian fashion photographer around town, and was keen to show him the hot spots. We headed from Oxford Street down via Sketch – which I had forget just how amazing it is, and was reminded when seeing it through the eyes of a visitor. It’s hidden and discreet from the street, but opens up like a cave, and that’s before you even get to the loos.

We continued further downtown on foot to Soho to check out the launch of the new Jack Spade store on Brewer Street. We ran into the ever fabulous Henry Conway, as well as a few familiar faces from the fashion scene. The party continued across the road into Hix, where we met even more people (had they all managed to fit into the Jack Spade store at once?!) and enjoyed some tasty treats.

What struck me about the whole evening from beginning to end was just how walkable and beautiful London is. It’s a cliché that you don’t appreciate the city you live in until you are showing a visitor around, but this was certainly the case for me last night. It was hard to imagine a night like this anywhere else, and made me feel so incredibly lucky to be able to do it on a regular basis.

Before the night was out, I picked up my trainers from The Third Space, and headed home to clean out my fish tank before heading to Edinburgh the next day. That’s the other magical part; you’re never too far from home.

British swimwear label ‘Pistol Panties’ is popping up at Selfridges London from Monday 26 March with a Wild-West inspired surreal shop, housing their wonderful 2012 “Psychedelic Rodeo” swimwear collection.

The new ‘Jack Spade’ store is located at 83 Brewer St, Soho