Edwina Forest’s Little Black Book Of Fashion

If I could only shop on one street, it would be Rue Saint-Honorê in Paris. The people watching is first class, and it’s magical to walk along such a beautiful street filled with French buildings, cafés and one of my favourite places – Hôtel Costes. Paris is very sentimental for me as my husband's family live there, so it feels like a second home. And yet, it always makes me feel like I’m on holiday at the same time – it’s familiar, but at the same time, the inspiration is endless.

The most unusual shop in the world is… the Internet. The breadth of choice on there, these days, baffles me. It’s incredible how easily we can connect with far flung places and people – yet we all take it for granted. Even ten years ago, shopping online wasn’t so second nature. It’s for this reason we all need to remain conscious, considerate shoppers and not get too complacent or trigger-happy about the way we purchase things.

The coolest piece I’ve found on my travels is a three-legged brutalist wood chair I found in an antique store on the Île de Ré. My husband and I often buy mid-century furniture and art when we travel, and I love that each piece has a story behind it. I’m so pleased we managed to squeeze it into our suitcase!

The best department store in the world is Le Bon Marché in Paris. It was one of the first department stores in the world, so the building holds a lot of history. While it’s home to so many extraordinary designers, it still manages to maintain a sense of intimacy, too. Shopping there is the perfect balance between elevated and unstuffy. 

The most unexpected destination for great fashion is Army Disposal stores. Trust me on this one, so many designers throughout history have taken inspiration from military uniforms, and they’re such unusual places to find hidden gems. 

The coolest under-the-radar brand is Malene Knudsen ceramics. She’s a Danish artist based in Copenhagen, who creates really unique vases in irregular shapes that you won’t see elsewhere. 

My perfect shopping day would include my husband and a long lunch at Loulou with a campari spritz in hand – in Paris, naturally. 

The coolest resort label is Aje, of course. If I could only wear one brand again, I honestly would wear my own. We’ve purposefully not looked at trends to ensure that every piece is unique and stands the test of time – so it can be worn for years to come.

The best vintage stores in the world are Resurrection in New York and Nice Piece vintage in Paris. Nice Piece vintage is a collectors’ store, with an eclectic selection and accessible price points – I’ve purchased so many things there over the years. Some of my highlights include a beautiful, deconstructed pair of Ann Demeulemeester trousers and a classic Sonia Rykiel jumper.