A London guide for new Fashion Students

Fabric shops & supplies:

Woolcrest

The holy grail of fabric shops loved by fashion students, in the heart of Hackney

6 Well St, London E9 7PX

Goldhawk Road

A goldmine of high quality and affordable fabric shops jam-packed into the southwestern edge of Goldhawk Road in Shepherds Bush. Each shop specialises in something slightly different so allow yourself an afternoon to look around and you’ll find exactly what you’re looking for

Goldhawk Rd, London W12 8EG

Walthamstow Market

Europe’s longest market, with over 20 fabric and textile shops, stalls, and vendors right next to Walthamstow station, best to go early in the morning as most of the stalls close in the early afternoon, CASH ONLY! (Then head to The Chequers for a post-shopping pint)

116 High St, London E17 7JX

Crescent Trading Fabrics

Located just off Brick Lane, this East London mainstay is one of the best places to source your materials. They source most of their stock from Designer surplus and from some of the UK’s top mills; Couture-quality fabrics for bargain prices

41 Quaker St, London E1 6SN

Empee Silks

The only place for wholesale silks and textiles, located in a giant warehouse in Tottenham – they have a 10 meter minimum on all purchases so best saved for when you’ve got a big project coming up

31 Commercial Rd, London N18 1TP

Wayward co.

Vintage and deadstock trimmings and haberdashery sourced from around Europe. If you’re in need of unique buttons, beautiful ribbons, and antique lace this is the place to go, their shop is located in St Leonards, Hastings but if you don’t fancy a day trip they also have a stall every Friday on portobello market

68 Norman Road, St. Leonards On Sea, East Sussex, TN38 0EJ or Fridays on Portobello Road Market usually opposite Honest Jon’s Records 278 Portobello Rd, London W10 5TE

DM Buttons

Take away the stress of worrying about finding the time to get your buttonholes done and take your pieces to fast and reliable DM Buttons who’ll provide buttonholes with a Savile Row grade finish – prices start from 50p per hole and you can even supply your own thread for the perfect colour match

11b Wardour Mews, off D’arblay Street, Soho, London W1F 8AN

Rosamanda Pleaters

For when you need a garment with perfectly finished pleating, smocking, or shirring; offering over 20 styles of hand and machine-finished pleating styles it’s no wonder their services have been used by designers including McQueen, JW Anderson, and Christopher Kane

Unit D3, 15 Tariff Road, Tottenham, London, N17 0DY

Richard Quinn Studio

Specialist textile design studio launched in 2017 by the award-winning CSM Graduate. Based in Peckham the studio offers accessible digital dye-sublimation printing and gives students a source for printed textiles and expert advice from Richard and his technicians. For more information email: info@richardquinnstudio.co.uk

Unit 6, Astbury Business Park Station Passage, Queens Road Peckham, SE15 2JR

Vintage Shops & Antique Markets:

Notting hill exchange shops

Multiple shops dotted up Pembridge Road & Notting Hill Gate selling everything from vintage clothes, designer & luxury, books, records, and magazines

34 Pembridge Road W11 3HN

Vintage Hackney Wick

One of the most eclectic and high-quality selections of shoppable 20th-century vintage clothing and records in London, ranging from deadstock military jackets, 1970’s knitwear, and midcentury men’s tailoring. And it’s in the middle of uber-cool Hackney Wick which is a bonus, Saturday & Sundays only, 10am-6pm.

92 White Post Lane, E9 5EN @vintagehackneywick

Cenci Vintage Clothing

Worth the journey to Norwood, a vast treasure trove of gems from the Thirties, Forties, Fifties and Sixties

4 Nettlefold Place, SE27 0JW

Portobello Road 

The iconic Portobello road market, a must-visit for any fashion student new to London. Friday is the best day to go for vintage clothes & antique finds, avoid Saturday & Sunday if you don’t fancy rubbing shoulders with hoards of tourists.

Spitalfields Market

On weekends the once historic Spitalfields Market gets overrun by stalls selling handicrafts, bad art, and overpriced cakes; stick to Thursday market days and you’ll find a smorgasbord of retro bric-a-brac, jewellery, clothing, and home decor, from 8am.

56 Brushfield St, London E1 6AA

Kempton Antiques market

Even though it’s in Surrey, Kempton’s over 700 stalls and vendors make it a worthy day trip – which only takes 40 minutes from London via train actually. Frequented by set designers, interior decorators, and costume buyers, you can find everything at Kempton including vintage and antique fashion, textiles, jewellery, furniture, books, and cameras. Every second and last Tuesday of the month, from 6:30am

Kempton Park Racecourse, Staines Road East, Sunbury On Thames, TW16 5AQ

Dalston Car Boot

If you love bargains and can manage to wake up before 9 am on the weekends then you’ll love the Dalston car boot. Whether you’re looking for kitsch home furnishings to 50p wardrobe staples, the vast piles of goodies at this Car Boot will deliver. And if you end up short on cash, student loans dried out and your bedroom is being overtaken by a load of old, unused stuff lying around your flat, you can get your own stall for £12 and declutter for some extra cash. Every Saturday & Sunday, 7:30 am-2 pm, the entry fee is £5 before 9 am and £2 after.

Princess May School, Stoke Newington Rd. N16 8DF

Battersea Car Boot

Like the Dalston Carboot but in South West London, and now even more accessible thanks to the Northern Line extension, also you don’t have to get up at the crack of dawn on a Sunday for this one, so it’s a bonus if you’ve had a big Saturday night but don’t want to miss out on the bargains. Top-class clothes, decor, and bric-a-brac await. Every Sunday 1:30pm – 5pm

Harris Academy, 401 Battersea Park Road, SW11 5AP

Farah Pentonville Road

One of the best branches of the much loved Farah franchise, this is a perfect hunting ground for pre-loved designer treasure at reasonable prices.

Angel House, 28 Pentonville Rd, London N1 9HJ

Research & Inspiration (online and IRL)

FATE ®️: Fashion and Textiles Education archive

Used by 80 Fashion Brands, Feature Film, TV, Theatre, Opera, and Universities. The Fashion and Textiles Education archive is a professional resource composed of twenty thousand garments, textiles, accessories, and books from the 1700s to present day. Appointment only for design and visual research.

William Vintage

Selling ‘The finest vintage clothing in the world’, William Vintage feels more like a museum than a shop. Although you might have to save up for a while to afford anything from there it’s perfect for some aspirational window shopping and getting an up-close look at archive pieces from designers including Yves Saint Laurent, Gucci, and Gianni Versace

2 Marylebone Street, London, W1G 8JQ

Donlon Books

Independent bookshop and publisher with a wide range of beautifully curated new & rare books and magazines

75 Broadway Market, London Fields, London E8 4PH

HYMAG / Hyman Archive

Holding the Guinness World Record for ‘Largest Collection of Magazines’ HYMAG is an essential resource for creatives. They’re currently offering the chance to pre-subscribe to their digital archive launching later this year for a discounted price, giving subscribers access to multiple titles in their collection including full digital access to The Face Magazine archive, with more titles being added throughout the year.

info@hymag.com

Magculture

This Clerkenwell shop stocks over 600 magazines from across the globe which makes for perfect browsing, their staff are also incredibly knowledgeable if you need any help or recommendations.

270 St. John Street, EC1V 4PE

The Library at Japan House London

Japan House’s Library houses one of the UK’s best collections of books surrounding Japanese culture, design, and heritage; including all eight editions of Comme des Garçon’s rare Six Magazine. Alongside their permanent collection, they also host changing book exhibitions throughout the year. The library is free to visit, requires no pre-booking, and is an incredibly peaceful space to work from

101-111 Kensington High Street, London W8 5SA

Sands Films Rotherhithe Picture Research Library

Established in 1975 the Rotherhithe Picture Research Library is open access and easy to navigate trove of imagery and offers collections spanning fashion, costume, art & design, visual culture, and history;  a goldmine for visual research however niche or obscure. Pre-book your visit by calling 020 7231 2209.

82 St Marychurch Street, Rotherhithe, SE16 4HZ

Museum of Youth Culture

A museum dedicated to the fashion, cultural and social movements innovated by young people from the 20th to early 21st century. Visit their Carnaby street pop-up to view their collection of photographs and ephemera documenting 100 years of British youth culture in person or browse the collection online.

3 Carnaby Street, W1F 9PB 

British Library

With a collection of 170 million items, the British Library is an obvious choice for research, with an amazing collection of books, magazines, films, and audio. It’s worth joining as a member just to access the reading rooms, which are  a quiet and stress-free alternative to working from your campus library

96 Euston Rd, London NW1 2DB

Tender Books – Trendy and unique shop selling independent, rare, and specialist books covering subjects from Art & Design to Fashion, Photography, and Pop Culture, they also regularly host special projects in their basement gallery space.

6 Cecil Court, WC2N 4HE

Condé Nast Archive

Over eight million visual assets spanning over 100 years from 50 of Condé Nast’s titles, freely available online: 

Kanopy

Stream thousands of films for free, thanks to the support from a global network of public libraries and universities.

Galleries & Museums

Hannah Barry Gallery

Independent art gallery with an ultra-cool programme of exhibitions by emerging contemporary artists

4 Holly Grove, Peckham, SE15 5DF

Alison Jacques Gallery

One of London’s leading contemporary art galleries showing work from a mixture of unknown and established artists in their beautifully designed space in Fitzrovia.

16–18 Berners Street, W1T 3LN

Soft opening

Since opening in 2018 Soft Opening presents UK & international contemporary artists, often hosting their first solo presentations in London, with a focus on work that pushes the conventional limits of medium and  material.

6 Minerva St, London E2 9EH

ICA

Artistic and cultural centre on The Mall in London, just off Trafalgar Square. The ICA is renowned for its ground-breaking exhibitions – including the institutional debuts by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Tacita Dean and Cindy Sherman, seminars and its in-house cinema.

The Mall, St. James’s, London SW1Y 5AH

Newport Street Gallery

Set within a renovated Victorian scenery-painting studio in Vauxhall, south London, Newport Street Gallery presents free exhibitions of work from Damien Hirst’s eidetic art collection.

Newport Street, London, SE11 6AJ

White Cube

Housed in across two ultra-slick spaces in Bermondsey & Mayfair, White Cube offers an engaging selection exhibitions from global contemporary artists including Gilbert & George, Tracey Emin, Mona Hatoum and Ibrahim Mahama.

144 – 152 Bermondsey, SE1 3TQ & 25 – 26 Mason’s Yard, SW1Y 6BU

Roman Road Gallery

Founded in 2013 this unique space works with its artists to employ the building’s architectural elements into their work, transforming the gallery space into a work of arts in its own right.

69 Roman Road, E2 0QN

Victoria Miro

A hub of emerging artists across the globe!

16 Wharf Rd, London N1 7RW, United Kingdom

Strawberry Hill House & Gardens

This unique gothic-revival stately home in Twickenham dates back to 1742 and is acclaimed for its eclecticism and avant-garde interior design; housing a collection of art, antiquities and curiosities of every period from ancient to modern.

268 Waldegrave Road, Twickenham, TW1 4ST

Turner Contemporary

Technically not in London, but its location on the beautiful coast of Margate – lovingly dubbed Shoreditch on Sea – makes it an excuse for a day trip, plus it’s only a 90-minute train ride away; Showcasing world-class artists and driving the social and economic regeneration of Margate and East Kent. The gallery shop also sells a beautifully curated selection of books.

Rendezvous, Margate, Kent CT9 1HG

Sadie Coles

Once the forefront of the Young British Artists movement, Sadie Coles is a must-visit to discover emerging international artists.

1 Davies St, London W1K 3DB, United Kingdom

Hayward Gallery

On a day when you visit the Tate Modern, do stop by the Hayward Gallery, not only for the art but also for the brutalist architecture building that houses it.

Hayward Gallery, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Rd, London SE1 8XX, United Kingdom

Changing Room Gallery

Changing Rooms is an artist-led gallery in Soho, seeking to change what we know a gallery to be and how we engage with art and artistic processes.

13 Manette St, London W1D 4AW

South London Gallery

Situated on Peckham road, the programme showcases the best in international contemporary art, complemented by an events programme for people of interest.

65–67 Peckham Road, London SE5 8UH

Lisson Gallery

One of the most influential galleries in the world, the Lisson is where many conceptual and minimal artists started their careers from.

27 Bell St, London NW1 5BY, United Kingdom

John Soane’s Museum

The eccentric house and museum of the British neoclassical architect Sir John Soane, with a collection of paintings by Hogarth, Turner & Canaletto, Classical Sculptures & artefacts. The house also regularly hosts exhibitions from contemporary artists.

13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London WC2A 3BP

Pace Gallery

Representing the most significant artists of the 20th and 21st centuries.

5 Hanover Square London W1S 1HQ.

Hitting the Town

Ciao Bella

Old school Italian ristorante, with just the right amount of Dolce Vita vibes, reasonably priced and seriously tasty pizzas, the best place to start any night out.

86-90 Lamb’s Conduit St, London WC1N 3LZ

Harpies

The UK’s first (and only) LGBTQI+ inclusive strip club centred around celebrating Trans & Queer bodies, is back after a year’s hiatus in an all-new East London venue.

Next party: 23rd October at The White Swan, 556 Commercial Road, E14 7JD, tickets from £15

Oval Space & The Pickle Factory

Adjacent to the iconic Bethnal Green gasholders Oval space & its newly opened sister space The Pickle Factory is known for its exciting programme of live music, DJ’s and club nights.

29-32 The Oval London E2 9DT

FOLD

A community-driven nightclub and arts space, at the forefront of electronic music. Set in a cavernous former printing plant, FOLD is known for its exciting line-ups of emerging & big-time techno artists from across the UK and Europe – Tickets from £5.

Gillian House, Stephenson Street, E16 4SA

Trisha’s Soho

One of the last vestiges of Old Soho, and with previous patrons ranging from Led Zeppelin to Anthony Bourdain. There’s a one off lifetime membership fee of £10 but Trisha’s OG Soho charm married with cheap drinks and live music will make it one of your regular dancing spots.

57 Greek St, London W1D 3DX 

Print works

Once the largest printing factory in Western Europe, with preserved printing presses and a hallmark of London’s vibrant music scene, Print works hosts a vibrant array of parties, performances and events.

Surrey Quays Rd, Rotherhithe, London, SE16 7PJ

Corsica Studios

Corsica’s industrial interior plays host to an exciting annual lineup of club nights and live music.

4/5 Elephant Road, London, SE17 1LB

Café Kick

Retro inspired local bar set in the middle of Exmouth market. Boasting a comprehensive selection of Italian beers in London, cocktails and foosball tables, the vibes here are perfect for a social evening.

43 Exmouth Market, London EC1R 4QL

Ridley Road Market Bar

A fan favourite, their tropical decor, free entry, cheap drinks and groovy tunes make every night there a good one. Open Tuesday-Sunday.

49 Ridley Road, E8 2NP