London City Guide #12: Sustainable/Green The 14 November 2019 - Denim Première Vision

Lower Holloway, or LoHo as it’s never called, is an area of the city that’s universally unacknowledged. Independent store The Third Estate succeeds in being not in Camden or Chalk Farm or even Tufnell Park. Perhaps Kentish Town? A relocation from the Yorkshire city of Leeds, the shop’s singular location suits its singular vision: eco-friendly sneakers, sustainable denim, vegan bags. If ethical and animal-friendly is your jam, the Third Estate is your toast. In the French Revolution, the third estate meant peasants and bourgeoisie. Freedom, equality, brotherhood! Brands include Mud Jeans and People Tree.

27 Brecknock Road N7

thethirdestate.co.uk

Get high on pot plants at this Canning Town shrub shop. Plant power is not just a foodie fad, London has surrendered to the lust for living greenery in urban dwellings and workspaces. Five minutes from Hackney Central station, Conservatory Archives is your source for cacti and yucca plants. You can also stop for coffee and cake at one of four tables nestled among the leaves. Another space catering to forest furnishing is Botanique Workshop on Exmouth Market in Clerkenwell.

493-495 Hackney Road E2

conservatoryarchives.co.uk

Head up to Stoke Newington to visit this lovely furniture workshop. How do you get to Stoke Newington? No one knows. As you might infer from the name, The Restoration’s offer comprises lush furniture that has been beautifully restored. While you’re in the vicinity check out multi-brand clothing store HUH. at 56 Stoke Newington Road.

2 Bouverie Road N16

the-restoration.com

Cheshire Street, off Brick Lane, is quite the destination for vintage shops. Definitely check out Levisons at number one. Hang Up Vintage, in addition to its denim and military selection, offers repairs in-store to extend the life of that favourite piece. Bespoke repairs are a fast-emerging trend in jeanswear and beyond, a medal of sustainable honour in an era of eco anxiety and virtue signaling.

44 Cheshire Street E2

If those scamps at Extinction Rebellion get their way and fashion production stops forever, we will lean heavily on our vintage stores to maintain a personal style. Picknweight arrives in Covent Garden flush from success in Berlin. This corner unit has been a Nike Run boutique, among many other things. Picknweight sells its carefully-selected vintage by weight. Which seems fair. Styles are jolly, like a wholesome American Apparel.

14-18 Neal Street WC2H

picknweight.de