Last week I visited the big capital, and seeing as I'm a northern girl born and bred, only ever taking a trip to London when I was around the age of 4 to visit the 'Rainforest Cafe', I thought it about time I revisit. As I'm addicted to all things fashion the East End was the first port of call with the likes of Commercial Street and the arty-farty Brick Lane. I must admit I wasn't one of the first people to jump on the street style and vintage trends as I prefer the more classic approach to style, however, I thought I better give it a shot. Anyway, I actually really enjoyed myself and found out that this part of the East End wasn't just home to hundreds of similar vintage shops but all sorts of boutiques, curious accessory shops and I found it hard to tear myself away from the Spitalfields market. Hoping to find myself a bargain I hopelessly searched around for almost an hour to find one. Everything was either over-priced just because it was seen as 'vintage', or nothing had prices on. I'm the worlds worst at haggling and end up feeling bullied into buying something when I actually didn't want it that much in the first place. Nonetheless, after a while of walking down endless aisles of 'old' moth balled fragrant clothes, I came accross a wondrous and unsual vintage jewellery stall, that had rows upon rows of boxes of pieces of either broken bracelets, earrings and necklaces each for a pound. The idea was to pick and mix to create your own version of a piece of jewellery. I was like a child in sweet shop! I created a gorgeous necklace from part of another necklace along with an earring. It sounds weird but it looks good.
Anyway I thought I would be a tourist for the rest of the day and join a 'walking tour' that took you personally to the most popular vintage shops and curious boutiques. I thought this would be definitely a chance to explore without getting lost and a chance to purchase something I can take home with me and say I bought it from the vintage capital. I choked, as we were shown around 'one of the more affordable' independent designers, picking up an 'unlined' jacket at a mere £595. This was not my idea of a more affordable shop. People say Londoners expect to pay more.
Something I did find surprising and a little upsetting was that as much as couldn't do my regular clothes shopping in the East End I hated to hear this quaint area was being invaded by what the local people called the 'Googles'. Not only are Google moving their head quarters to Dalston but Louis Vitton and Prada are setting up shop in the East End too. The shop owners said that it would provide recognition and increase trade around the area but I couldn't help thinking it would just ruin the spirit and atmosphere of the independents and that they were just putting on a brave face for it could cause trouble for the smaller boutiques.
On that note I thought it rained in Manchester but the down pour I experienced was some of the heaviest rain I'd seen for a long time. Nevertheless I walked to a boutique that was by appointment only as I'd heard it was the most unusual shops stocking some of Japan's independent designers. It was surreal having no shop front and being let in an industrial side door by someone in a fluorescent work jacket and led down a pitch black staircase. However, downstairs was another world. The cave like opening was lined with hundreds of tree branches and luminous perspex orange panels before entering the 3 separate rooms containing the clothes. On one side of the shop were the clothes and the other a library with controversial books and a vinyl player that you could put any record on to listen to while you browsed, next to a nightclub room (which I honestly have no idea what you needed it for while you're shopping, I think it's the idea of increasing the quirkiness!)
