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11 Favourite Camden Market Shops
Camden Market is such a maze of different shops and outlets in various alleyways, nooks and crannies - that it’s very easy to miss or overlook some of the key attractions. So the second article in my Camden Market Trilogy series (might be a Quadrilogy even!) focuses on some of the retail highlights
I read some crass article recently which stated that Camden Market hadn’t been cool since the 90’s - which is of course a nonsense. In its current phase - with the Buck Street and Hawley Wharf developments and the various sit-down pods I find it at its most appealing yet. Of course some of the earlier good stuff has disappeared along the way - and we now have two weird incongruities in a massive Sports Direct at the centre of the Stables Market - alongside a Tomb Raider Live attraction - which took over one of my favourite market halls - which used to house a really cute Victorian Tea Room with Piano Bar - so that’s a loss.
But instead we have a much better organised place - including the really vibrant Umbrella Alley (Saddle Row!). In fact my selection serendipitously falls into two clusters - one based around Umbrella Alley and the Stables Yard in the main Stables Market, and the other centred around Camden Lock Place, the West Yard and the Lower Market Hall.
All of these places make Camden well worth a visits as a shopping destination. The biggest casualty of these recent changes seems to be army surplus clothing - where we used to have a few outlets for that - but now seemingly have few to none - in fact I’ve not been able to find one of note yet!
I feel that Camden Market Management need to do a Big Illustrated Map - say outside the main Stables Market entrance - which points out the key landmarks and spots in Camden Market - Carnaby Street has a few of those, but Camden doesn’t seem to have a proper Map covering both the main Lock and Stables Markets - and it’s so easy to get displaced within the maze!
I’ve come to realise that Camden Market is about 80% T-Shirts, Hats, Bags, Sunglasses and Jewellery - but some of those outlets are actually really good quality and properly innovative - just note that if you don’t look for the detail, you may simply just be hypnotised into submission by the seeming repetition of similar retail genres!
If you have some of your own favourite Camden destination shops - do let me know - I’ve most likely overlooked one or two significant ones. While I’m really satisfied with my fairly broad-ranging selection here - I originally intended to do 10, but ended up with 11 favourites - and could not decide which to leave out - I feel I probably could have done a top 20 - but need to make another visit or two to properly register where those favourites are - and in fact if they still remain - as there is always some degree of change - Camden Market is never the same experience twice!
This exercise shows also how inaccurate Google Maps is - a lot of their data is incorrect - and Goggle’s positioning of those shops is invariably vastly wrong. In fact the only one that it located correctly was Cyberdog. It took me a while and a few attempts to properly rationalise the below map - validated by frequent site visits too!
I’m still in the process of fully Mind-Mapping Camden Market - in fact all of the main trails of Camden Town - i.e. recording to memory where all the key landmarks are (shops and restaurants in the main) - once you’re in the Market it’s so easy to take a wrong turn into a different passage or alley and end up somewhere else to where you intended to be. So I hope this brief overview and map helps you to get more out of Camden - and to get to those spots quicker!
The final piece in the series will be about Camden’s very notable music venues and the famous Camden Crawl - which sort of inspired the similar Iceland Airwaves festival. I may also do a further final 4th piece on additional interesting venues and hotspots that I wasn’t able to accommodate within the first 3 overviews!
Map - Click to Enlarge!
Blaze On - Fairy Lights Galore!
WHAT? - Inspired by a trip to Thailand where owners Lisa and Blaise Durr originally met - they were wowed by the variety of Fairy Lights available year-round - and decided to bring that to the UK - where they cover more than 100 types including various Balls, Butterflies, Cartoon Characters, Celestial Bodies, Creatures, Fairies, Flora, Hearts, and Stars - in 10 to 30 LED light chains, 5 to 8m long.
WHERE? - 52 Camden Lock Place
HOW MUCH? - circa £20 to £40 - depending on number / length of lights typically
Camden Tea Company / Shop / Bar - Over 100 Loose Leaf Teas & Infusions
WHAT? - Two close-by locations where I prefer the more airy Tea Bar (with seating), both stuffed to the brim Tea-themed shops - featuring over 100 varieties of Loose Leaf Tea and Infusions - with a small selection of Tea Pots and Mugs in-store too. If you're into Tea - this is pretty much every variety you could ever want!
WHERE? - 1st Floor, 90- 92 Camden Lock Place
HOW MUCH? - Sold by Number of Servings - ranging from £7 to around £30.00 (25 to 100 Servings)
Cyberdog - Legendary Rave / Clubwear, Festival, Fetish Clothing, Leisurewear, and Accessories
WHAT? - One of the most unique shopping destination experience in London - Cyberdog has become an institution over the years - with its neon-lit club-like interior with live DJ's and podium dancers, and incredibly stylised Club and Rave-wear in the main in numerous eye-catching, lit-up, neon, and ultra-violet illuminated varieties. Includes clothes for the kids too, and leisurewear nowadays - with a really cool selection of accessories too - but mind you don't accidentally / inadvertently stray into the lower-level Fetish and Adult Section!
WHERE? - Unit 14, Stables Market - you can't miss it!
HOW MUCH? - Accessories from as little as £4, Clothing from around £30 (Tee) up to around £200
Elore - Handmade Leather Bags and Accessories
WHAT? - Designed by Parisian Didier LeMon who also mans the stall - Elore handmade leather bags and accessories are stylish and fashion-forward without the designer price tag - get one of these instead of another Louis V or H Birkin! The deluxe ladies range is made in London and properly labeled Elore, while the more casual bags - like my own recently acquired Lombard in Hunter's Brown (lower left quadrant in above pic) is made in Italy by Visconti and labelled as such.
WHERE? - Inside North Entrance of Lower Market Hall, Camden Lock Place
HOW MUCH? - Wallets from £30, Bags from around £85 to £550
General Eyewear - Legendary London Optical Workshop
WHAT? - Spectacle Designers supreme with a vintage library going back to the 1800's - this is where Elton and the Celebrity Set go, and is one of the mainstay suppliers for Fashion Shoots and the Film industry. It's pricey for sure - but pretty unique. If you're into goggles and shades - this is one of the very best places for unique and stylish frames in the world!
WHERE? - Arch 67 Saddle Row (Umbrella Alley), Stables Market
HOW MUCH? - Generally Custom / Bespoke or Vintage - Pricey! Frames alone start from around £450+
Mad Hatters - A Hat for Every Occasion
WHAT? - Every type of Hat really - Beanies, Berets, Bowlers, Caps, Cowboy, Deerstalkers, Fedoras, Flats, Toppers, Trilbys and Turbans even - and a really good selection of Steampunk Hats - get one to match your Tainted Prince Outfit - as below!
WHERE? - 48 Saddle Row (Umbrella Alley), Stables Market
HOW MUCH? - From around £7 to £60
Modfather Clothing - Mods Central since 2012
WHAT? - Family run Father and Son business by Mario and Daniel Warner born out of a lifelong passion for classic Italian Scooters and British Subcultural Style. Regularly frequented by actual Modfather Paul Weller of the Jam, Style Council and Solo fame. Cool Modernist Clothing and Lifestyle Accessories. You often see scooter Rallies at or departing from the store - a landmark institution for that scene and tribe now!
WHERE? - Unit 37 Stables Yard, Stables Market
HOW MUCH? - From £3 for pin badges to £365 for a rare Patchwork Baracuta Jacket
Oddballs - Juggling, Circus Performer Supplies and Roller Sports Gear
WHAT? - Things you can Juggle and Spin - including - Balls, Clubs, Hoops, Rings, Diablos, Devil Sticks etc. also Aerial Equipment - Ropes and Silks, and various wheeled-transports - e.g. Roller-skates, Skateboards and Unicycles
WHERE? - 200ab Camden Lock Place, Chalk Farm Road
HOW MUCH? - From around £1 for parts and accessories to circa £650 for a top-of-the-line Unicycle
Penny Burdett - Women's Designer Knitwear for All Seasons
WHAT? - Really elegant and imaginative knitwear using Viscose, Wool, Cashmere and Mohair in particular - Mitts, Cowls, Hats, Scarves, Cushions, Vests, Camis, Sweaters, Tops, Tunics, Cardigans, Ponchos, Skirts and Dresses - also sells UN Shoes.
WHERE? - 48 Upper Walkway, West Yard
HOW MUCH? - Fingerless Mitts from £25 to a one-off Flowing Dress at £750
Red Art - Multi-Panel and Framed Affordable Wall Art
WHAT? - Printed Canvas Artworks of various types split into multiple parts / panels - from 1 to 3 and onto 13 in various arrangements with Themese covering London, Animals & Nature, Cars, Flowers, Pop Art, Sunsets, Landscapes, Abstract Art, Painted Works, Forests, Cities and Motorbikes. They also print onto T-Shirts, Cushions and Babygrows. And also print from customer-supplied photos.
WHERE? - Unit 61 Saddle Row (Umbrella Alley), Stables Market
HOW MUCH? - Artworks come in upto 16 variations, and depending on size, depth, framing, material and number of panels / arrangement - they go from £10 to £270 typically
Tainted Prince - Victoriana, Steampunk, Goth, and Kai style Clothing
WHAT? - Period Reproduction Clothing - Victoriana, Steampunk, Goth, and Kai (K-Pop) styles. Beautiful Velvet and Brocade Jackets in particular - Aristocratic and Military - perfect for Pirates of the Caribbean styles too really - cool looking clothes with lots of attention to detail and very reasonably priced. Note that I've used old image with old purple signage as that composition provided a better context for the range of wares on sale! (new signs for Saddle Row / Umbrella Alley are white with black writing now!)
WHERE? - 14/7 Saddle Row (Umbrella Alley), Stables Market
HOW MUCH? - £89 for Waistcoat to £249 for Full-length Aristocratic Brocade Coats for Men, For Women - Victorian Blouses from £69 up to £185 for Velvet Full-length Victorian Coat
Previous: 10 Key Camden Live Music Venues
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