UK-born Sophie Lloyd first moved to Buenos Aires at the beginning of 2010 out of a desire to learn Spanish and live the Latino lifestyle, having spent the previous five years working as a fashion editor, writer and stylist in Shanghai, China. She quickly adapted to the late nights and copious amounts of Malbec. She works as a freelance writer and copywriter and currently contributes to the Buenos Aires edition of Global Blue's Shop magazine as well as running her own personal shopping and private shopping tour business Shop Hop BA delivering a stress-free, customised shopping experience to visitors to the city.
‘Concept boutique’ has become a buzzword on the Buenos Aires shopping scene in the last few years as shop owners, brands and designers strive to distinguish their products from the rest and add something extra to the shopping experience. From old colonial mansions to cutting-edge department stores, Sophie Lloyd features some of her favourite concept shops in the city. The best of Argentina’s emerging design scene.
We all like the experience of dining by candlelight but how about dining in the dark, when you can’t even make out your hand when it’s right in front of your face, let alone see the food on your plate? Add some interactive musical theatre to the mix and you’ve got a whole new spin on the concept of dinner theatre. Sophie Lloyd experiences Teatro Ciego’s A Ciegas Gourmet.
Spring has officially sprung in Buenos Aires and the winter layers are finally being ditched in favour of something lighter in the sartorial department. During the city’s fashion weeks (namely BAF Week and Designers BA) that took place earlier this month and last, the city’s local designers declared what’s hot to wear this spring / summer (unlike other fashion weeks around the world that are one step ahead, Argentina’s designers and brands work in line with the season). Sophie Lloyd rounds up the key trends for Spring/Summer 2015 from BA’s runways.
While it’s most famous for its swampy waterways taking you up the Delta to hundreds of tiny islands, the town is also home to a bustling artisan market and a thriving community of artisans, artists and designers who are injecting some creative flair into the area and offering up some unique shopping gems. Just an hour north of the crazy metropolis of Buenos Aires is the infinitely more tranquil town of Tigre. Sophie Lloyd shares her top picks.
In spite of the country’s ongoing economic woes, Argentina’s fashion scene continues to thrive but faced with ever rising prices, Argentine designers (and shoppers) are being forced to be smarter and more resourceful in their methods (and shopping habits). As a result, emerging designers are looking beyond mainstream fashion trends and proposing a smarter, more…
Some of the best things in BA can be found behind closed doors, be it dining, cocktails, art and even shopping. Over the last few years a large chunk of BA’s shopping scene has gone underground due to soaring rents for retail spaces. The trend for emerging designers and brands is to sell their collections by appointment only from the privacy of their apartment or a private studio space or workshop…
It doesn’t take a design buff to see that Buenos Aires is an architectural wonderland and a melting pot of styles and influences. And behind the impressive gothic, Art Deco and other facades, there are some equally impressive interior spaces where every last design detail has been carefully considered, from industrial-style boutiques and bars to showrooms hidden in secret gardens.
Baptised as the ‘land of silver,’ Argentina has long been associated with the shiny noble metal, right back to its very beginnings as a country. Legend has it the early Spanish and Portuguese conquerors of the 16th century acquired a variety of beautiful silver objects from the Guaraní tribes down the Rio de La Plata (a.k.a. Silver River)…
Buenos Aires is famous for its grandiose Teatro Colon and the bustling theatre district along Avenida Corrientes, the city’s answer to Broadway. But delve a bit deeper and the city is also home to a flourishing alternative theatre scene that takes a more experimental approach to the stage. From dining in the dark to interactive, theatrical journeys and clowns interpreting Shakespeare, I guide you to the best alternative theatre on the scene.
After a long day of sightseeing around the big, grimy city of Buenos Aires, you’re probably in need of a pick me up, something that involves either being sat or reclined for a few hours and hitting your off switch before the night time activities commence (be warned: Buenos Aires is a city that never sleeps). Relax and get groomed, primped and preened at one of these pampering establishments…