Mylène is a French art director, currently based in London. She’s currently art director for the books and gifts lists at Laurence King Publishing, part of Orion/Hachette UK.
One of my favourite things about London is the underground transport system itself. I love the design of the information systems and the stations have so much history — some of them dating right back to the 1800s.
Having spent many years studying there, I have a soft spot for Central Saint Martins, which finally closed in September 2011 when the college relocated to Kings Cross. Despite being such a dive, the old building had such history and character and I grew very fond of its tatty charms. As plans for its take over by Foyles bookshop go ahead, I look forward to having a coffee in the new building's cafe when it re-opens.
Donlon Books is an atmospheric little bookstore on Broadway Market (in East London.) They sell rare art books, style publications, and homemade photography zines.
The Barbican is worth visiting for it's brutalist architecture alone. The concert programming is really diverse; it's home to the BBC Syphony Orchestra, but you'll also find bands like the Dirty Projectors and the National amongst the classical and contemporary composer line up. Plenty of art, dance and theatre too, however, the Conservatory is the real gem that's not to be missed.
There's something about this street, probably the fact that it's pedestrianised, that makes it feel like holidays. It also has a solid range of bars (Cafe Kick), restaurants (Berber & Q) and cafes (Brill) so is a good option for all times of the day. They have a quality variety of street food vendors operatin during the day, and fairy lights help it to come alive at night