A 186-year-old bookbinder opens its first shop in London
Leathersmith of London, a stationery and menswear brand that began as a bookbinder in 1839, has opened its first stand-alone store at Princes Arcade in St James's, London. WWD
The shop sells stationery, accessories and a selection of men's clothing. The opening was reported on 15 October 2026. It gives a business known mainly through other retailers a street address of its own.
The store takes the site of the former Prestat chocolate shop. Inside, it is planned as a contemporary British home, with interiors in navy blue and sunflower yellow.
Paper is still the core. The shop stocks leather-bound diaries and notebooks. Shoppers can order bespoke stationery, which means made to order, with a choice of leathers, paper, formats, ribbons and personalisation.
There is also a new collection of writing instruments in 925 sterling silver. The pens and pencils are made in England and carry the Birmingham hallmark, the official stamp that certifies precious metal.
Leather goods run alongside the paper. The store carries leather bags and briefcases, plus hand-embroidered cashmere scarves and stoles. Clothing includes knitwear, shirts, and tailored and casual outerwear handmade in England, as well as leather and suede sneakers.
The owner is Simon Burstein. His family previously owned Browns, the London fashion retailer, before selling it to Farfetch, the online luxury retailer, in 2015. Burstein bought Leathersmith and its bindery shortly afterwards. He said the brand had been part of British life for more than 180 years and that opening its first store in London was an important moment. WWD
Burstein also owns The Place, the fashion stores in London and Paris. In 2023, he bought Charfleet Book Bindery on Canvey Island in Essex, where Leathersmith's books are made. He spent GBP 2 million refurbishing the site.
Charfleet also makes Bibles, and notebooks and diaries for other names including Liberty, the London department store, and Fortnum & Mason, the London food and gifts retailer.
What makes this stand out for a casual visitor is the mix. You can buy a diary, choose the paper inside it, pick up a scarf and look at a jacket in one trip. Leathersmith has also begun showing at Pitti Uomo, the menswear trade fair in Florence, as it pushes the clothing side beyond Britain.
