London is home to some seriously cool street designers. The word “dope” never felt so regular. This is street wear, skaters and hipsters welcome. No shlids please, only cool lids and outer wear. Want some? Then go to these places.
Palace
Palace is one of the coolest London street wear brands. One of the primary reasons is that the Palace team does not really care who knows about them. They make a limited amount of clothing and don’t strive to fill their store with apparel.
Their nonchalance plays to their benefit by increasing exclusivity. They make cool T-shirts and gear for skaters. But they capture the essence of the modern generation so well, even non-skaters like Drake and ASAP Rocky wear their apparel.
Address: 26 Brewer Street, W1F 0SW
Tel: 020 7287 5048 Website: www.palaceskateboards.com/
Nearest Tube: Piccadilly Circus
Dope Chef
Dope Chef has been a London street wear staple for many years now. They take bold concepts and usher it into mainstream street wear. Not afraid to take risks, they deliver some unique clothing options. They have turned African dashikis into sweatshirts.
They even incorporate gothic lettering and flag print into their apparel. You will always find prestigious stores housing their clothes. If you want to stand out from the crowd and really show off your style, then definitely visit Dope Chef.
Website: dxpechef.com/
Hype
Hype is one of the newer street wear brands on this list, established in 2011 by two friends during their summer break from university. But it has captured the imagination of thousands of Londoners with its bold prints, vibrant patterns and unique designs. Cool and kitschy, their designs will always turn heads on the road.
Address: Unit 6, Boxpark, 2-4 Bethnal Green Road, E1 6GY
Tel: 07855 212 149 Website: www.justhype.co.uk/
Nearest station: Shoreditch High Street
Lazy Oaf
Established in 2001, Lazy Oaf began with a line of men’s T-shirts. It has now grown into a fully fledged store. It effectively captures the youthful side of street wear, which often gets lost when people are trying to be cool. They follow a simple philosophy of having fun, while looking good. Step inside this beautifully done store and walk out with clothes that matches your funny side.
Address: 2 Ganton Street, W1F 7QL
Tel: 020 7287 2060 Website: www.lazyoaf.com
Nearest Tube: Oxford Circus
Cassette Playa
Cassette Playa is the brainchild of London-based designer Carri Munden. She has worked with music stars like M.I.A., Klaxons, Nelly Furtado, Rihanna, Chris Brown and Lil Wayne.
Cassette Playa is not for the conservative fashionista. It breaks all corny style rules to deliver unique stylistic pieces which will have all eyes on you – in a good way, of course! Many of its psychedelic designs are inspired by the spiritualism and rejection of atypical society recurrent in today’s internet culture.
Website: www.cassetteplaya.com
King Apparel
Launched in 2002 by former snow/skateboarder Tim Hoad and graphic designer Paul Linton, it initially featured accessories and T-shirts. Now they present a comprehensive range of garments for every season.
They’ve collaborated with New Era to produce exclusively designed headwear. Another interesting fact about King Apparel is that all their outerwear garments and accessories are limited to exclusive runs of 300 pieces. It is no wonder that they rank among London’s best street wear brands.
Address: Suite 339, Stratford Workshops, Burford Rd, E15 2SP
Tel: 020 8221 1611 Website: www.king-apparel.com/
Nearest station: Stratford High Street
BOY
BOY was absolutely massive in London during the 1980s club scene. At the height of its fame, BOY finally buckled beneath the numerical demands of an international buyers list that had spiralled out of control, causing the label to indefinitely close its books.
Now it’s back like it never left, with its quintessential black-on-black, and black-on-white bold graphic lettering and eagle logo.
True to its original spirit, it is not a shop in any conventional sense but rather a continually shape-shifting whirlwind of basement parties, living art installations and design studios.
Tel: 020 7366 0043 Website: www.boy-london.com/
Trainerspotter
Trainerspotter reinvented the iconic 1980s Windjammer jacket. By taking the silhouette of a staple piece of sportswear and then deconstructing it by juxtaposing the lightweight waterproof nylon against floral Liberty print fabric, it created a true sports fashion garment.
Trainerspotter began as a side project between two friends for their love of vintage sneakers. They’ve come a long way from sneakers to providing a full range of clothes, which is available online or at Route One stores.
Website: www.trainerspotter.com/
Trapstar
The hustler mentality of Trapstar has helped it transition from cult favourite to a favourite of megastars and supermodels.
Stars like Rihanna, Chris Brown and Stalley have all been spotted in its all-black goods. Trapstar introduced the pop-up shop system, which it termed “Trapstar Invasions”.
It has gone from facing resistance from established retail shops, to expanding to the US.
Address: Unit 21 Portobello Green Arcade, 281 Portobello Rd, W10 5TZ
Tel: 020 3538 9198 Website: www.trapstarlondon.com/
Nearest Tube: Ladbroke Grove
Dover Street Market
This ground-breaking six-storey space combines the edgy energy of London’s indoor markets, replete with concrete floors and corrugated iron shacks. It houses high-end fashion labels such as Givenchy, Lanvin and Azzedine Alaia, as well as the Comme collections.
To stay upmarket and in sync with current trends, Dover Street Market has a biannual event “Tachiagari” whichg sees the stores close so the designers can change their concessions. Needless to say, this place is ideal for repeated visits if you want to stay fashionably relevant.
Address: 18-22 Haymarket, SW1Y 4DG
Tel: 020 7518 0680 Website: www.london.doverstreetmarket.com/
Nearest Tube: Piccadilly Circus
LN-CC
LN-CC (Late Night Chameleon Café) is no ordinary boutique. If you haven’t been there yet, be sure to book an appointment to enter the shop. Yes, this boutique requires a prior appointment. Its elegant interior seems like a cross between the set of Red Dwarf and a futuristic tree house.
This avantgarde store is creatively merchandised and separated into themed zones. They feature iconic designers like Dries Van Noten, Haider Ackermann and Balenciaga. There’s also a books and records store, as well as an in-house disco for the odd event.
Address: 18-24 Shacklewell Lane, E8 2EZ
Tel: 020 7275 7265 Website: www.ln-cc.com/
Nearest station: Rectory Road
Goodhood
This boutique-like store houses unique street wear with items weighted towards Japanese independent labels.
It features a variety of collections such as knits and T-shirts from Australia’s Rittenhouse, shirts and tops from Norse Projects, womenswear from APC Madras, and coveted pieces from Peter Jensen and Wood Wood.
You normally find what you’ve been looking for here. This place is ideal to shop for hard-to-please partners, with its eclectic collections and reasonable pricing.
Address: 151 Curtain Rd, EC2A 3QE
Tel: 020 7729 3600 Website: www.goodhoodstore.com/
Nearest station: Shoreditch High Street
Wolf and Badger
This address is Wolf and Badger’s flagship store. This two-storey premises showcases established brands from the Newgen stable, such as Bora Aksu, Mark Fast and Gasper Garvida.
An elegant boutique, it features black walls with aesthetically placed designer lights and backlit contemporary jewellery.
The basement, which has its own entrance, retains the original white walls and floor and is used as a gallery space.
Address: 32 Dover St, W1S 4NE
Tel: 020 7229 4848 Website: www.wolfandbadger.com/uk/
Nearest Tube: Green Park
Celestine Eleven
Celestine Eleven is a luxury one-stop shop that provides everything you need to dress and live well.
This vast fashion store focuses on elegant style brands with labels sourced from Paris, London and Scandinavia.
From techy shoe designer Joanne Stoker to IT designer JW Anderson, this capacious shopping space provides a relaxed browsing pace. It also houses treatment rooms for pop-up events and fashion-focused book groups.
Address: 4 Holywell Lane, EC2A 3ET
Contact Number: 020 7729 2987 Website: www.facebook.com/celestineeleven/
Nearest Tube: Shoreditch High Street
Machine-A
Machine-A is one of London’s most visited independent boutiques. You can find punky Louise Gray and the conceptual neoprene from RCA graduate Peiran Gong.
This edgy outlet in Soho benefits from a fashionable footfall. While there may be some exorbitantly priced items like the monogrammed rucksack by MCM, you can also find slightly reasonable alternatives from Agi and Sam, and Keeley Hunter.
Address: 13 Brewer St, W1F 0RH
Tel: 020 7734 4334 Website: www.machine-a.com/
Nearest Tube: Piccadilly Circus
Supreme
This London outpost of New York’s legendary skate shop has a cult following. It is renowned for creating extremely hip street wear worn by rappers, pop stars and skaters.
It also produces skateboard decks, making them quite the collector’s item. In collaboration with well-known artists like Larry Clark, Jeff Koons and Damien Hirst, it has created limited edition skate decks that are sold at auction houses.
Address: 2-3 Peter St, W1F OAA
Tel: 020 7437 0493 Website: www.supremenewyork.com/stores
Nearest Tube: Piccadilly Circus
Present
Present is one of those boutiques for men’s designer fashion and footwear, where you also find high-end grooming products.
Its white, clinical interior houses labels from streetwear Billionaire Boys Club and Japanese Haversack to Raf by Raf Simons.
You can also find the odd polka-dotted pair of socks. They collaborate with various designers and labels to produce limited edition pieces. Street wear to die for!
Address: 140 Shoreditch High St, E1 6JE
Tel: 020 7033 0500 Website: www.present-london.com/
Nearest station: Shoreditch High Street
Nicholas Kirkwood
You can expect great things from Nicholas Kirkwood. This stand-alone shop by the shoe designer, championed by Isabella Blow and Philip Treacy – whose heels are worn by fashion’s most adventurous elite – showcases his award-winning designs in a gallery-like space, replete with white walls and angular lighting. Repeat visits are a must as the stock is rotated every three months.
Address: 5 Mount St, W1K 3NE
Tel: 020 7290 1404 Website: www.nicholaskirkwood.com/
Nearest Tube: Bond Street
Blitz
When Blitz opened its doors in 2011, it instantly put other vintage shops to shame.
Set in a gloriously renovated old furniture factory, each floor has been clearly merchandised with a furniture selection from Broadway Market’s The Dog & Wardrobe, an accessories floor, a book collection and rails of neatly presented fashion.
You will find immaculate seersucker blazers, coloured denim, brogues and silk kimonos among a host of other killer pieces in this vintage fashion store.
Address: 55-59 Hanbury St, E1 5JP
Tel: 020 7377 0730 Website: www.blitzlondon.co.uk/
Nearest station: Whitechapel
The post Fashion: London’s Top Streetwear Stores appeared first on Felix Magazine.
No comments:
Post a Comment