For the first part of my research I went to some Central London shops, when I went to these shops I was thinking of the layout, how they display the clothes, the music playing, how it makes me feel, and do I feel an impulse to buy the clothes. In many ways, all these factors help to attract different subcultures.
After being to many vintage shops and finally being able to hunt down this one my usual manic, vintage frenzy mood got a bit deflated. It's a warehouse. But it's full to the brim with anything and everything, which is great. If you have the whole day and a wallet full to spend here then it's a thrifters dream. There was also a photo booth which took a polaroid of the customers, they were scattered all over the wall. I think this makes customers feel part of a society. I liked the costume section the most.
Then I got to Absolute Vintage, by this point I was exhausted. This ones fairly similar to Beyond Retro but not as good, the best pieces were put up on the back wall with colourful scarves which I liked. You also have a lot of options to go through, e.g you want a carpet bag? take your pick, it's the same situation with many of the clothes there. I felt the shop had a very charity shop feel to it though, in the centre was the clothes bins where the employees were sorting stuff out, a bit messy really.
When I think about vintage shopping I imagine unique and high quality albeit (sometimes) moth eaten ,garments.These goregoes gowns represent what I like about it. Dressing up.characterful. something you can't get from high street throw away fashion.
I need to go back to brick lane for a good shop me thinks...
Topshop is probably where I spend most of my money. They tend to cater for everyone my age. And I can see from the clothes how up to date they are with current trends. Having their own line in London Fashion Week and all. They had a live DJ at the door which is pretty awesome. I found it all a bit much though, it was hectic! It ended with me heading towards a nice quiet corner which turned out to be the personal shopping area...nicer, inviting, clean, crisp and expensive.
I see Urban Outfitters, and I think yes! Shopping at Urban Outfitters is always a good experience for me. They're always inventive with their interiors, like this lamp installation. The shop has a vintage edge to it, but its in keeping with modern taste. I like how they don't just sell clothes but the other things that define which subculture you're part of like music and books etc.
I like Liberty because it has a more homely feel to it, in comparison to other large department stores like John Lewis and Selfridges. The building itself is beautiful, the golden coloured wood just feels warm. But annoyingly, I thought the way the clothes were presented was a bit boring and repetitive, when there are so many there. But they look professional with velvet coat hangers. I like the inventive way these Manolo Blahnik shoes are displayed.
I loved Burberry. The shop is sophisticated and chic and the staff are really welcoming. As soon as I get in I see the hand painted bags which I adore! When you get to the main part of womenswear, this years A/W collection is on dispay, the presentation is simple but effective there's a clever use of lighting. Next to it is Burberry's classic trench coat. I like that they've kept it on it's own, like a reminder of the brands identity. I also noticed the entire store has hues of cream, beige, camel and deep browns like the coats. They convey a feeling of warmth and luxury.
The Acne shop was very small but busy, it was very plain but it somehow stuck in my mind. I like the clothes and was tempted by a blue wrap over scarf. When I came into the shop there was a live pianist, I think this gives a relaxing mood. I really liked the large paintings as backdrops to the clothes, it has the same colour scheme as te rails of clothing. These wooden bird sculptures shoved at sthe back of the shop were just a bit random though.
Dover Street Market is more like an art gallery than your generic shop. It's really cool. The walls and floors are bare so all the attention is focused to the things around you and the clothes. Care has been taken to display the clothes. I like the ceiling installations and the poses made by the mannequins seen here.
I liked matches, nice staff, chilled atmoshpere and brands that I like, Mary Katrantzou, Peter Pilotto. The shop itself didn't blow me away though. Unlike some of the other shops, it didn't have any distinctive features. Except the floor...
Despite this I was still mesmerized by the clothing, taking quick snaps on my phone before the shop assistant could see.
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| Neon lights on the ceiling whilst travelling up the escalator. Entrance to shoes |
Selfridges is massive ,obviously, but, unlike Topshop I wasn't overwhelmed, I still got a good experience from it. Large white open spaces are inviting and some shops have their own walls and entrances that still give you the feeling of exclusivity. There's loads of cool displays, like the rabbit for Alexander McQueen and unique window displays at the entrance. A lot of the mannequins had these spiraling wire, erm....things which I thought gave it an extra edge.
Browns Focus was really cool and completely different in comparison to Browns. It's a small shop but it's packed with edgy clothing, bright colours and sequins. It reminded me of a club, tuning into youth and popular culture. It's dark but with good mood lighting on the clothes. One of the brands I really liked was Ashish, by finding brands that I admire I can hone in on their style and how that can relate to my subculture.
The Oxfam Boutique in Chelsea was very small and cute it was fairly busy. It felt very communal and welcoming. The outer is noticebly different than the usual green oxfam sign, it's matt black and classic. But, I was pretty unerwhelmed to be honest.
I really liked the shop at bluebird, I like how large and open it is, with big glass windows that shows you the restraunt garden and lets light seep through the shop. I like the random white horses and other interiors like trees and dangling light bulbs. Sadly I only had the money to take away a new ID magazine.
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