Primark? Argh! Hostem? Ooh! Get some serious off-beat swag on this serious off-piste swagger…
Central London may be awash with bland, ubiquitous chain stores nowadays (sob!), but venture away from the tourist-horde horrors of Oxford and Regent Sts, and you’ll be handsomely rewarded. Hip young things beeline for grit-cool East End nabe Shoreditch.
Begin at Boxpark, a buzzy ‘mall’ made from stacked shipping containers. Street-level is devoted to lifestyle capsule collections, from affordable original artworks to vintage fashion to divine Diptyque smellies and Finnish furny by Marimekko, as well as select new-name pop-ups. Upstairs is for snax – wrap your cherry lips around a bubble tea, and away we go…
Cleanse your aura (and your bank account) at Holywell Lane’s Celestine Eleven, an alternative stash of everything ethical, including his-n-hers duds, heavy stone jewellery, quirksome homewares and coffee-table tomes. JW Anderson, Chalayan and Meadham Kirchhoff keep cheesecloth abhorrences at bay, while an apothecary and spa keep you feeling zen-sational.
Shoreditch High St’s hipanista haven Redchurch Street has a fun run of achingly cool boutiques like snappy Hostem for guy buys, quaff n’ coiffeur Barber & Parlour, plus chic homeware hat-trick: Klaus Haapaniemi’s magical Finnish design, traddy lovely Labour and Wait, and Med multibrand Monologue.
(Ed note: for a more detailed dalliance with this darling street, and beyond, check out our Shoreditch Shopping Itinerary in the London app or print guide.)
Gallop to Present London, a bang on-trend collection of menswear, mixing handmade Brit classics like Barracuta, Mackintosh and Jonathan Saunders with directional Japanese designers. Add grooming accessories, stationery, books on all things uncommon, and an ace in-house java joint.
A few shopfronts along, you can’t miss the whimsical allure of House of Hackney, a cult fashion and interiors label with a playful, eccentric approach to pattern that can be admired in its jazzy wallpaper, fabric, togs and china. ‘Reworking tradition for a new generation’. Their words, not ours.
Now tiptoe into tiptop trove The Goodhood Store, full of niche and now names for M&W in a loft-style space. The roll-call includes game-changers like Comme des Garçons and Maison Margiela, as well as upcoming trendsters Unused and YMC, plus kidswear and funky furnishings.
Finally skip into Showroom Shoreditch, a skimpy, spangly, neon, nigh-on-bonkers clothing and bod candy cache for him and her from the next big labels in London. Kelly Jackson of jewellery brand Only Child curates, plus there’s a basement for art edgy exhibs. Phew! You superstar!
Boxpark, 2-10 Bethnal Green Rd, London. +44 20 7033 2899, boxpark.co.uk
Celestine Eleven, 4 Holywell Ln, London. celestineeleven.com
Present London, 140 Shoreditch High St, London. +44 20 7033 0500, present-london.com
House of Hackney, 131-132 Shoreditch High St, London. +44 20 7739 3901, houseofhackney.com
The Goodhood Store, 151 Curtain Rd, London. +44 20 7729 3600, goodhoodstore.com
Showroom Shoreditch, 3 Charlotte Rd, London. +44 20 3609 2221, showroomshoreditch.co.uk
