GOLBORNE ROAD
Of the capital’s many skills is its ability to condense entire cities, countries and cultures into a few streets. The south-western corner of Clerkenwell is home to Little Italy. Little Venice can be found just north of Paddington. And underneath Notting Hill’s iconic Trellik Tower you’ll find Little Morocco, so named for its wealth of Moroccan restaurants, shops selling Maghrebian wares and its surprising ability to resist gentrification – despite its close proximity to the tourist trap of Portobello Road. Golborne Road wears a badge of honest authenticity, which is hard to match anywhere else in the capital. Its retail premises are endearingly ramshackle and devoted to fabric shops, vintage fashion outposts, antiques emporiums and community-driven enterprises, many of which have been trading here for years.
FOUND AND VISION
A choice haunt among London’s most famous vintage fanatics – from Kate Moss to Sienna Miller and Florence Welch – Found and Vision is a jewel in the crown of Notting Hill’s second-hand shopping scene. Founded by stylist Karen Clarkson, who opened the boutique with friends Oxana Korsun and Rosie Meres in 2013, this bricks and mortar dressing up box has become the go-to hunting ground for rare designer threads from Yves Saint Laurent couture to Seventies Missoni classics. But with shoppers including savvy stylists scouring for their next magazine shoot, the stock rarely stays put for long.
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104 Golborne Road, W10 5PS.
020 3620 5755
FEZ
This Aladdin’s cave of well-priced Moroccan imports is like stepping into the heart of a medina without crossing the M25. Owner Omar Serroukh, who has called the capital home since 1986, travels back to his native country three times a year to stockpile leather slippers, hand-woven carpets, tagines and decorative lanterns to furnish his jam-packed bazaar.
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71 Golborne Road, W10 5NP.
020 8964 5573
No website.
PHOENIX ON GOLBORNE
Eschewing the dusty, cramped antique store set-up in favour of a light, bright and inviting space, Jess Gildersleve’s vintage furniture finds are displayed in full glory. Decorative mirrors are something of a speciality here, as are shabby-chic French dressers, velvet chaise lounges and spectacular chandeliers. Downstairs is home to a collection of cherry-picked vintage womenswear.
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67 Golborne Road, W10 5NP.
020 8964 8123
RELLIK
A favourite among fashion industry insiders, Rellik is hailed as one of the capital’s best high-end vintage shops. It’s ideal if you’re looking for something really special from the 1920s or 1930s, and equally good for classic 1950s clobber. The likes of Kylie Minogue and Lady Gaga have been through the doors to browse its stash of golden era Chloe and Ossie Clark.
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8 Golborne Road, W10 5NW.
020 8962 0089
GOLDFINGER FACTORY
Named after Erno Goldfinger – the architect who designed the iconic Trellik Tower in which it resides
– Goldfinger Factory brings the Midas touch to cast-off furniture by training local artisans-in-the-making in the art of upcycling. Along with a showroom and café, its social enterprise programme also encompasses workshops on carpentry, paint effects and DIY.
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13-15 Golborne Road, W10 5NY.
020 3302 0900
WESTBOURNE GROVE
Those wishing to locate the polar opposite of Golborne Road’s rough and tumble, or the tourist-swamped Portobello Road, don’t have to journey very far. Notting Hill’s other shopping enclave – Westbourne Grove and its surrounding streets – offer a bounty of fashion boutiques packed out with high-end labels and even higher price tags, as well as a cluster of cafés teeming with monied, blow-dried types. Much like its shoppers, Westbourne Grove and Ledbury Road love labels, while nearby Kensington Park Road is a must-see for those with the hots for homeware. Come here if you want to have your pick of West London finery – and bring your AMEX.
COUVERTURE & THE GARBSTORE
Housed in a converted period townhouse, this cult concept store makes you feel like you’re wandering around an (exceptionally tasteful) living room. Set across three floors, this Notting Hill haven is actually two shops sandwiched together. The ground and galleried first floors make up Couverture and are dedicated to womenswear from strictly independent labels plus jewellery, accessories, kidswear and the odd piece of furniture. Meanwhile the basement is home to menswear brand Garbstore. Here, its own vintage-inspired buys for boys are showcased alongside a good selection of cult international brands, many of which are exclusive to the UK. Both brands are also renowned for sought-after collaborations, which include recent collections with Reebok and American varsity jacket producers Golden Bear.
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188 Kensington Park Road, W11 2ES.
020 7229 2178
www.couvertureandthegarbstore.com
BOOKS FOR COOKS
Notting Hill stalwart Books For Cooks has become a global destination for foodies. Since 1983, its shelves have been stuffed with cookbooks of every conceivable cuisine and its staff has consisted of former chefs and culinary experts – the most famous of whom was future ‘Fat Lady’ Clarissa Dickson Wright. It has also earned a reputation as ‘the best smelling shop in the world’, owing to the tiny kitchen sandwiched between the bookshelves at the back of store where recipes are tested daily and served to hungry shoppers at lunch. Cookery classes are also held in the demonstration kitchen above the shop.
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4 Blenheim Crescent, W11 1NN.
020 7221 1992
CARAMEL
Founder Eva Karayiannis launched Caramel with the aim to provide stylish, well-made childrenswear and a point of difference to mass-produced brands and impractical designer labels. Her designs are now a staple of every Primrose Hill school gate and the brand has recently branched out with a range for mum-sized fans too.
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77 Ledbury Road, W11 2AG.
020 7727 0906
AIMÉ
This renowned boutique is beloved by the capital’s Francophiles. Bringing together the most coveted Parisian labels under one roof, Aimé is the best place to source next season’s Isabel Marant without having to cross the Channel. Next door you’ll also find Petit Aimé – a chic children’s offshoot stocked with Bonton babygrows and Vilac wooden toys.
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32 Ledbury Road, W11 2AB.
020 7221 7070
NATIVE & CO
Simplicity, craftsmanship and honest materials are at the heart of this popular kitchenware store. Founded by Central Saint Martin’s graduates Sharon Jo-Yun Hung and Chris Yoshiro Green, the focus is on design-led products sourced from Japan and Taiwan. The store’s cool, calm and collected interior is mirrored by the stock it sells, from traditional fish knives to copper kettles and delicately painted rice bowls.
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116 Kensington Park Road, W11 2PW.
020 7243 0418
