Cover Eshita Kabra-Davies, founder and CEO of By Rotation, shares her London guide.
Eshita Kabra-Davies, founder and CEO of By Rotation, shares her London guide.
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Fashion entrepreneur Eshita Kabra-Davies grew up between India, Singapore, the US and the UK before making London home. The By Rotation founder shares her favourite spots, from independent boutiques to candlelit dining and tucked-away listening lounges
Eshita Kabra-Davies sees the world through what she calls a “kaleidoscopic lens”. Born in India and raised between Singapore, the US and the UK, the self-described third-culture kid credits that upbringing with instilling in her an appreciation for difference, but also a conviction that opportunity should not be determined by where someone comes from. “I fundamentally believe in a level playing field,” she says. That principle would later underpin By Rotation, the peer-to-peer fashion rental platform that allows users to rent and lend pieces directly from one another, making a more circular approach to fashion accessible to a wider community.
Before fashion, Kabra-Davies had a successful career in investment management. By Rotation began as a side hustle while she was working at a hedge fund; six months later, after setting herself a series of qualitative and quantitative milestones, she handed in her notice.
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Above Occasion dresses for rent from By Rotation
Occasion dresses for rent from By Rotation
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What began as a side hustle has since grown into a million-strong community across the UK and US, with wardrobes belonging to names including Ellie Goulding, Dame Helen Mirren and Stacey Dooley available to rent on the platform. For Kabra-Davies, however, By Rotation’s growth has also reinforced her belief that fashion’s problem extends beyond fast fashion and landfill waste. She now points to the industry’s linear model and culture of overconsumption, luxury included. But it is the platform’s potential as a source of financial empowerment for women that has given its success particular meaning for her. Some members have used income earned through By Rotation to help fund IVF and surrogacy, or put towards deposits on homes. Hearing their stories gave Kabra-Davies “a huge sense of pride and duty”. “That made me realise this was in fact my life calling,” she says.
London has been the backdrop to much of that journey. More than a decade after her university days, Kabra-Davies considers it the city where she truly “grew up”, even though, as she points out, she actually grew up in Singapore. Her relationship with the capital has evolved along the way, from “Mayfair clubbing to Columbia Road flower market Sundays” to a collection of neighbourhoods, restaurants and rituals that now feel distinctly her own. For Haute Spots, the By Rotation founder shares the London addresses she returns to time and again.
Above Eshita Kabra-Davies in Marylebone
Eshita Kabra-Davies in Marylebone
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The neighbourhood I always recommend to visitors is …
Marylebone. I spent almost a decade there. It’s where I “grew up”, got married, welcomed my first dog, founded [fashion rental platform] By Rotation and gave birth. It is home.
To experience London like a local …
go to a neighbourhood pub on a Thursday evening.
For a great coffee …
head to Kuro Coffee, and have yourself a bagel too.
Above Shopping at the Columbia Road Flower Market
Shopping at the Columbia Road Flower Market
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The best place to shop is …
Notting Hill. The neighbourhood is filled with thoughtfully curated brands and independent boutiques.
A market I love is …
the Columbia Road Flower Market after 3pm. You’re in for some great floral deals, perfect to fill up my house!
For a meal worth travelling for …
head to Andrew Edmunds in Soho. The perfect English candlelit dinner. Think: daily handwritten menus and lots of red wine.
For a dose of culture, visit …
the Royal Academy of Arts or the Victoria & Albert Museum. Both have consistently excellent exhibitions throughout the year.
Above Kabra-Davies at the Royal Academy of Arts
Kabra-Davies at the Royal Academy of Arts
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For a dose of culture, visit …
the Royal Academy of Arts or the Victoria & Albert Museum. Both have consistently excellent exhibitions throughout the year.
Go beyond the tourist spots and …
visit Hampstead Heath, followed by dinner at The Spaniards Inn.
One place that perfectly captures London's creativity is…
Portobello Road in Notting Hill. It’s a bit of everything but it’s in west London so you know it’s going to be fabulously chic!
My perfect Sunday ritual begins with …
a leisurely walk through Holland Park.
Above Notting Hill
Notting Hill
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I wish more people knew about …
Space Talk, a listening lounge with impeccable music, beautiful interiors and excellent cocktails.
If you only have 24 hours in London …
spend the day exploring Holland Park and Notting Hill, then make your way to Mayfair for dinner at The Dover and drinks at The Connaught. End the night at Soho Mews House, the uber exclusive and private Soho House. Expect to bump into a celebrity or two.
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