The Journal

The independent fashion boutiques of London have been a central part of the cultural allure of the city for hundreds of years. In the 20th century, they saw the global appeal of a radical new youth-driven energy in the shops of Carnaby Street during the swinging 1960s. They moved through the punk rock revolution of the 1970s, which is so intrinsically linked to the attitudes of London postcodes and great minds of fashion royalty like Dame Vivienne Westwood. And they eventually became spaces that fundamentally changed the built environment of the capital itself, through the renaissance of places such as Shoreditch and Spitalfields, taking over what was once industrial real estate to showcase their creations in vibrant new ways.