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GO WITH THE FLO

BY NANA BAAH

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SIMON WISBEY

Seven hours of bags, beauty and bao buns with FLO at Selfridges London.

GO WITH THE FLO

BY NANA BAAH

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SIMON WISBEY

Seven hours of bags, beauty and bao buns with FLO at Selfridges London.

It’s a rare day off for FLO. The R&B group is having an epic year, performing at festivals all over the world, including Coachella and The Governors Ball, while releasing singles and working on their debut album. Today, they’re spending their downtime at Selfridges with us in tow, and although they arrive separately – Renée Downer first, then Jorja Douglas, followed by Stella Quaresma – they’re still in sync, wearing matching athleisure. 

 

10AM
First stop: breakfast at Brasserie of Light. Seated underneath the glittering Pegasus, they order: a full English for Jorja, salmon and scrambled eggs for Renée and pancakes for Stella. “We love Selfridges, we always feel at home here,” says Renée.

 

11AM
Then it’s on to The Beauty Workshop for their appointment at Ruka, the afro hair and beauty brand. The trio meets Shannel (Ruka’s resident trichologist) and Rochelle (the manager and expert in extensions and products). They’re booked in for Discovery Assessments – a scalp scan with bespoke advice – so Shannel gets to work, showing them their scalps, stressing the need for heat protectant and teaching them about silicone build-up. 

“Oh, my poor scalp,” says Stella, calling the others over to have a look at the screen. When they aren’t having their scalps scanned, Rochelle shows them Ruka’s hair textures and extensions. Stella orders the 16” Corks Crew clip-ins, while Jorja and Renée try on wigs. “It’s giving… I need this wig,” says Renée.

 

12:20PM
Stella tries to convert Jorja and Renée to matcha, and so they head to JENKI and order three iced vanilla matcha lattes. Their song ‘Caught Up’ comes on, blessing the passing audience with an impromptu gig. Harmonies and caffeine secured, they’re ready for more beauty.

 

12:45PM 
Next up, it’s The Light Salon. Therapists Miyuki and Edita explain the difference between yellow LED light (good for collagen production), and red and near-infrared light (which can reduce inflammation and plump skin). They unwind with express facials and a hand massage. “I’m literally so relaxed,” says Renée when she’s done.

FLO trying on wigs at Ruka in The Beauty Workshop on G.
FLO trying on wigs at Ruka in The Beauty Workshop on G.

2PM
It’s time for lunch at Din Tai Fung, our Taiwanese restaurant with a robot waiter. They all share chilli crab xiao long bao, honey and vinegar short ribs, and pan-fried cabbage and pork gyoza.

 

3PM
“If there’s one thing about me, it’s that I can’t say no to a bag,” says Renée as they head down the escalators to RESELFRIDGES in the Accessories Hall. She regularly asks her Instagram followers to help her name her latest pre-loved purchases. Today, she wants to look at sunglasses, but a pre-loved Dior Honeycomb leather duffle bag catches her eye first – perfect for the airport, she says. Abbie, the RESELFRIDGES brand specialist, talks fashion history fluently, explaining the story behind the Alexander McQueen Dante mask on display. Stella admires a mini Gucci bag, but ultimately, the pink Prada Tessuto Impuntu steals her heart.

 

Stella choosing a pre-loved bag at RESELFRIDGES in the Accessories Hall on G.
Stella choosing a pre-loved bag at RESELFRIDGES in the Accessories Hall on G.

4PM
The Selfridges Beauty Tour. They each have a favourite counter they want to stop at: “Can we go to Charlotte Tilbury… darling?” says Jorja. This is the first time they’ve stopped laughing all day; this is serious business. They test lip liners and Sales Associate Tom shows them plumping lip glosses. Then Renée spots their next stop – “Pat McGrath!” – for a look at the Mothership palettes. On to Hourglass, where sales associate Martha shows them the Vegan Brush Collection. After debating how to pronounce the brand (it’s “re-fy”), they stop by REFY at The Beauty Spot to swatch the body shimmer and blush. 


5PM
Beauty favourites secured, Renée, Jorja and Stella head down to The Cinema at Selfridges. After ordering lemonades at the bar and grabbing salty popcorn from the kiosk, they bundle into the vintage photobooth for a memento of the day.

 

FLO ending the day with a film at The Cinema at Selfridges on LG.
Stella choosing a pre-loved bag at RESELFRIDGES in the Accessories Hall on G.

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