North London - with fashion expert and writer Alexandra Stedman (AKA The Frugality)
North Londoner Alex has worked in the fashion industry for 20 years, working for brands such as Matches, Red Magazine and Conde Nast Traveller, styling fashion and celebrity shoots as well as editing shopping pages and fashion supplements.
She's worked for numerous high street stores, styling advertising campaigns and look-books, and set up the popular blog The Frugality in 2012.
She now works solely on her social channels @Alexandra.Stedman and her newsletter (THE R.U.E) Her ethos is “Taste doesn't have to be expensive” and she prides herself on finding the best pieces to invest in, whether that’s a floral bowl from Tiger, Hay candles from TK Maxx or an investment knit you’ll wear for years to come.
Where do you rest your head?
North London - and it’s taken a while to settle in (I’m a south Londoner originally and that is a big cultural change for a Londoner!), but I love it here.
What’s something amazing about your area that only the locals know about?
Green Lanes has the best Turkish food known to humans. Gokyuzu is renowned but we also love Crystals and Yasar Halim patisserie.
Where’s your favourite free place to visit in the city?
Tate Britain, without a doubt. It’s a really calming space and I love the mix of old and new. I often film around Pimlico as it’s lovely and quiet, so I try and head there afterwards to clear my head. The free exhibitions are the best - from JW Waterhouse to Francis Bacon. It’s great for kids on weekends, too, with their play spaces and long, wide corridors.
Where’s your favourite local spot for a cheap bite to eat?
If it’s just me and my husband, our favourite place is Kulu Kulu conveyor belt sushi on Brewer Street in Soho. It’s very basic, reasonably priced and feels like Tokyo (my second favourite city, after London). We have taken the kids before but they get a bit excited by the conveyor belt and all that sashimi adds up! With the kids, we usually end up in Franco Manca Muswell Hill; we all love the pizza and their kids’ meals are great value.
What would your perfect no-spend London day entail?
We would head to Coal Drops Yard, take a walk around Camley Street Natural Park and then let the kids run in the fountains (we try to remember swimming costumes!). There is usually a screen set up over the summer too, with Wimbledon matches or a kids’ movie. We can spend hours there. We also love Finsbury Park playground - they have ziplines, sand pits and a boating lake.
You wear many hats in the fashion and interiors world! From The Frugality to The Rue, how would you describe what you do and how did you get into it?
This is the hardest question yet! I worked on magazines for years before my online career, editing fashion shopping pages, editing travel supplements and commissioning writers. So I have basically just carried this on via social media. I like to make my content as useful as possible, helping my reader find their way through great, authentic recommendations amongst the millions of hacks and tips out there.
Where do you like to go in London when you’re looking for fashion and interiors inspo?
I get inspiration from anything, just sitting on the tube, crossing the road. I love seeing how people dress for life nowadays, all age groups - what trainers people are wearing, how they’re tying their laces, what type of bag they’re using. I also love a carboot sale (Battersea Boot is the best) or a vintage market (clothes or furniture, I recently went to Merchant & Found’s pop-up superstore in Soho and was so inspired). Secondhand bookstores, too - especially around Charing Cross Road and Bloomsbury.
What’s the latest hidden London gem you’ve discovered?
There’s a vintage store (Anubis) right by Turnpike Lane tube station, which I have passed so many times - always in a rush. I made an effort to stop a few weeks ago and found so many great items. It’s now a regular stop. I also visited a friend in Wanstead recently and the charity shops there are so good - I plan to make a day date there soon just to browse all the stores for kids’ birthday presents.
If you were Mayor of London, what would you change about the city?
I’d create more libraries, youth clubs and spaces where teens can hang out, as well as more affordable housing.
In three words, what makes someone a Londoner?
Community, openness, curiosity
Follow Alex on Instagram here and subscribe to THE R.U.E here.
