BRIXTON VILLAGE
There are few better places in London to spend your time and money than Brixton. In fact, this South London hotspot is so good for shopping it has even got its own currency. The Brixton Pound, accepted by 250 businesses in the area, was launched in 2009 and is designed to keep cash circulating within the community. Two 1930s arcades, Brixton Village and the adjacent Market Row, are the main shopping hotspots. Both were saved from demolition thanks to a campaign run by local residents, and now serve as home to a host of shops in which old-world curiosities meet modern streetwear. And that’s before you even start on the food...
ARTICLE
The wealth of understated and well-priced streetwear labels is just one of the reasons why this menswear store continues to pull in a steady flow of shoppers. The rest is down to its artfully cool construction. Nested under a railway arch, Article’s second branch (the first is on Dalston’s Kingsland Road), ticks every box in the hip boutique handbook. The curved, corrugated metal roof and Scandi-minimalist strip lighting gives Brixton’s creative industry types a shop to admire, while the cycle-friendly Sandqvist backpacks and cheap Dickies chinos help to ensure they reach the till. The star of the show is Article’s hidden shoe room, which features a host of highly Instagrammable features, from the distinctive wood sculpture to the colour-coordinated selection of kicks.
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61 Atlantic Road, SW9 8PU.
020 7274 5714
CIRCUS
A trailblazer in Brixton Village’s regeneration, this shoebox-sized cubby is furnished with vintage vases, a library of handmade books and an exceptional assortment of art. It’s not uncommon to find a genuine Picasso hanging on the wall here. Plus there’s a ‘Man Corner’ for more macho knick-knacks.
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Unit 79, Brixton Village, SW9 8PS.
No phone.
BRIXI
Not all shops are born out of necessity. Witness Brixi: a shoppable museum of artefacts sourced by self-confessed junk shop addict Emy Gray, which span the ridiculous to the sublime. This mish-mash of knick-knacks never fails to throw up entirely unnecessary but instantly essential trinkets, from unicorn cake toppers to framed dioramas.
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Unit 40, Brixton Village, SW9 8PR.
07919 162 428
LEFTOVERS
One of the 30 original stores chosen to fill a once vacant Brixton Village arcade, Leftovers is distinguished by the rack of antique white blouses, nightgowns and linens displayed outside. Gallic owner Margot Waggoner-Prabhu sources her collection of vintage lace dresses, cotton petticoats, belt buckles, buttons and costume jewels from Paris and the Cote D’Azur.
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Unit 71, Brixton Village, SW9 8PR.
No phone.
TURPENTINE
Exhibiting the work of more than 80 emerging designers, this artist hub showcases its wealth of prints and ceramics like an art gallery, but without a hint of stuffiness. There are also a host of inclusive in-store workshops, from life drawing to jewellery making.
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433 Coldharbour Lane, SW9 8LN.
020 3302 7860
BELLENDEN ROAD
As little as a decade ago, no-one was talking about Peckham. Now, every hot new place to eat, drink, shop and do seems to orbit SE15. Much of its appeal lies in geography, with two opposing streets running parallel and offering a very different perspective of South London life. There’s the rough-and-tumble of Rye Lane, with its dance-til-dawn pool halls and late night chicken shops. Then there’s the genteel, leafy micro-suburb of Bellenden Road. The latter kick-started the area’s increasing influence and affluence with just three businesses: the Petitou café, the former fashion emporium Fenton Walsh and the still-going-strong Review bookshop. Now it’s got a fair few more for city adventurers to visit.
GENERAL STORE
A cut far above your average corner shop, this delicatessen caters to the area’s quinoa-and-kale-munching classes with its supply of fresh, seasonal produce and fancy store cupboard essentials or foodie gifts. Locally and London-sourced fodder includes sourdough loaves from Brixton’s BreadBread Bakery and artisanal Mexican cheese from Old Kent Road’s Gringa Dairy.
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174 Bellenden Road, SE15 4BW.
020 7642 2129
REVIEW
Opened by two Peckham locals in 2005 and now run by prize-winning novelist Evie Wyld, this friendly, independent bookshop prides itself on cherry-picking every title in the shop, which has a strong skew towards contemporary fiction and a section reserved for signed first editions. It also hosts the annual Peckham Literary Festival.
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131 Bellenden Road, SE15 4QY.
0207 639 7400
BIAS
Leaving behind a thirty-year teaching career, owner Sally took a leap of faith and opened Bias in 2012. The result is a shop which includes the sorts of luxury labels you’d expect to find in a high-end Chelsea haunt (Baum und Pferdgarten, Bellerose, MiH), coupled with a dedication to local designers and Peckham-produced ethical homeware.
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143 Bellenden Rd, SE15 4DH.
020 7732 3747
THREADS
Since taking over this well-established vintage fashion boutique in 2014, Savile Row-trained eco-fashion designer Jemima Norton has been busy supplementing its second-hand stock with new pieces from independent local designers. Look out for the bright geometric jackets by Koro Kimono and the store’s own line of made-in-Peckham accessories and repro retro clobber.
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186 Bellenden Road, SE15 4BW.
020 3784 0020
MELANGE
Ask anyone in South London where to get a sugar fix and the answer is always the same: Melange. As if straight out of the pages of Joanne Harris’s Chocolat, Parisienne owner and self-taught chocolatier Isabelle Alaya set up shop in 2008 and has been giving Peckham’s chocolate-lovers a place to indulge their sweet tooth ever since. As well as offering a host of workshops – from chocolate painting to wine pairing – Melange specialises in hand layered slabs of dark, milk and white chocolate with unique flavour combinations such as ginger and lime and raspberry and rosemary. Stop short of gorging yourself on the sample trays to save room for the café’s signature hot chocolates, voted the best in London by the capital’s most meticulous chocoholics. Try the delicious coconut milk option, whether you’re vegan or not.
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2 Maxted Road, SE15 4LL.
07722 650 711
