Spitalfields market offers up treasures for those prepared to rummage
Yes, London is great for shopping trips, but who wants to spend their weekend break in the push, shove, grab and snarl of Oxford Street? Retail addict Morag Bruce suggests some lesser-known independent alternatives
Something cool
For a one-stop shop of new designers Sunday Upmarket (Liyerpool Street. sundayupmarket.co.ukl has Hf) stalls of accessories. fashion and interiors. Keep an eye otit for Maria llelena Spector's jewellery made from silyer. lava and meteorites. Hoxton Boutique (Old Street. hoxtonbotitique.co.ukl is the place to pick up ayant—gat‘de clothes as well as pieces from established designers such as llussein (‘halayan Laden (Liyerpool Street. ladenshowroom.co.ukl is a dressed- tip mini-market that showcases new. independent designers 4 spot the stars of the future here.
Something original
lior personal seryice and style brayery. it's the small boutiques that win. In Shoreditch. Wink (()ld Streetl is the place to find original T-shitts and pieces by Hysteric (ilamour. Stay in Shoreditch for east London shopping institution Start (Old Street. stan- london.coml: it's packed with fotward-looking brands like Dayid S/eto. Josh (‘ioot and (‘all of the Wild. But the top tip for boutiques is Luna Doll (020 7485 4804. Tufnell Park): the new silk dresses made from 30s dress patterns will have your heart skipping a beat.
Something to match We all know the itnportance of accessories. and Mimi (Liverpool Street. mimimikacoml sells beautifttl bags that will last a lifetime ~ the gold Frankie satchel (f l 25) is top choice. Sparkly heels in bright shades are beautifully displayed in Lollipop (Angel. lollipoplontlon.coln) and tnake it hard to walk past without something catching your eye. Bernstock Speirs ll.i\'et‘pool Street. bernstockspeirs.coml has met 40 styles of hats in its cute boutique. and. fact fans: that open- brimmed hat Kylie wore on the coyer of her debut album in 1988 was their first creation. Look out for Klasik at Spitallields Market (l.i\'erpool Street. klasik.orgl which sells Vintage sunglasses and glasses fratnes from the 30s to the Slls. Plastic loycrs are in fora treat at Superet'te (Liyerpool Street.
superette.co.uk). Make sure you get a pair of heart—shaped Lolita sunglasses.
Something for the weekend?
Miss Lala’s Boudoir (Chalk Farm. tnisslalasbottdoir.co.ukl is a lather of frilly undies —- some handmade by the fantastically named Buttress & Snatch. Bordello (Old Street. bordello- london.coml is a saucy burlesque— themed mix of lingerie and antique furnitttre designed to create the perfect boudoir at home. For actual hardware. Sh! (Old Street. sh- womenstorecoml is an erotic emporium which men can only enter if accompanied by a woman. Then wet your whistle at Coffee, Cake and Kink (Tottenham Court Road. coffeecakeandkink.coml a cafe selling award—winning coffee. incredible fudge cake and. well. kinky stuff.
BIon the budget
For every traveller who sees haggling as an integral part of any good holiday there are many mOre who would happily swaddle their first bOrn in giftwrap and hand them to the next passer-by if it meant they never had to play the bargaining game again. If you don't believe that three hours of negotiation is a small price to pay for a 50p reduction, help has arrived in the glamorous shape of Laetitia Troufllet, pictured. She offers personal shopping tours of Marrakech and promises to take the sweat out of the city's souks, fashion stores and craft shops, for around $2140 per day for two people. including transport (00 212 61 477 228; www.|alla.fr). For accommodation, try Riad Ariha. in the medina; doubles start from around 9350 per night. 888 (00 212 24 37 58 50; wwwriadarihacom).
On a shoestring
Looking for low prices and Swedish style? Forget Ikea and head east to Ullared. around 90 minutes' drive south of Gothenburg. This small village may be surrounded by pretty Swedish countryside. but there's nothing rustic about the local shops. Home to several discount stores. the largest and most famous of them is Gekas, which is so popular that it has a note on the door warning that only 2000 people are allowed in at any one time. Whether you're in the market for bargain ski gear, golf clubs, candles or giant packs of peanuts. chances are you’ll find it here. You can even pitch a tent at the adjacent campsite for £8 a night, or rent a self-catering cabin from £35 per night (00 46 346 375 01; gkcamping@gekas.se). If you can drag yourself away from the tills. it's also a great area for swimming and hiking.
‘ 3-27 Mar 2008 THE LIST 13