Craig Green’s perfect weekend in London
The three-time recipient of the British Fashion Awards’ menswear designer of the year accolade is celebrated for his experimental but accessible aesthetic, and has collaborated with names from Moncler to Ridley Scott
“I live in Colindale, north London, near to where I grew up because that’s where my old friends are. It’s my escape from the frenetic fashion world. It’s just at the edge of the city so it has many parks and a real village feel. Everyone at the pub knows your name, just as they’ve known your family for generations. My local is the Greyhound in Church End, where my dad still goes.
I rise early and start Saturday mornings with a large cup of cold milk infused with coffee. I use instant; it sounds awful, but it tastes incredible. It’s a habit I picked up from my partner, Angelos, and it’s the perfect start to the day. I admit I spend part of the weekend working, but I love what I do, and it comes with the territory of having an independent business.
When I’m not in the studio, I might walk on Hampstead Heath, but for culture I’ll head for the Hayward Gallery in the Southbank Centre. I’m a fan of brutalist architecture and dream of showing a collection there one day. I also love the Barbican and the Whitechapel Gallery for their brilliant programming.
I’ll often have lunch with friends in Sunny Hill Park, near home. I love the Middle Eastern-inspired food at Sunny Hill Café, especially the falafel. But the Serpentine is always an adventure, so on a nice day I might walk through Hyde Park and have lunch at the café there.
I’m always interested by Machine-A, a Soho boutique that showcases a lot of young London-based designers; it’s often the first store to stock their collections, making for an interesting mix of experimental up-and-coming independent labels alongside more established brands.
Whenever I am in central London I seem to end up in Selfridges. I used to go with my parents as a kid and there are always exciting things happening in the store – especially on the fashion floors.
Back in north London, Kiplings Tandoori has been our family go-to for years – but Jun Ming Xuan in Colindale is a newer favourite: it’s possibly the best Chinese restaurant in London. They serve dim sum by day, but in the evening it becomes a white-tablecloth kind of place with dishes such as grilled chicken dumplings and pork ribs.
I might then head to the Everyman Cinema in Hampstead. I love the disaster and horror genres and I’m obsessed with zombie films like Sleepwalkers by Stephen King. Even if I’m home early, I stay up late watching these movies, much to Angelos’ chagrin: he’s more of a Woody Allen type.
On Sunday mornings I’ll have something a light breakfast, then do a bit of shopping. Dover Street Market in Mayfair is incredible for design inspiration, even if I’m not buying. I have a sweet tooth and the Rose Bakery there is amazing: I always opt for cakes that look rustic and homemade versus faux fancy.
If the weather is good, I might make for the Towpath Café on Regent’s Canal – it’s great for people-watching and they serve excellent sandwiches. The De Beauvoir Arms in north London is another favourite. Their chorizo with red wine is so good we talk about it in the studio all week.
The day usually winds down at my mum’s house where we gather for a roast. Everyone hangs in the garden and I’ll escape home at around 8pm to just listen to music or read. I used to look forward to leaving town at the weekends, but now my week is such a whirlwind and I travel so much, being home is the ultimate luxury.”