Top Tips on Finding Fabrics and Materials in London

Are you a fashion or art student looking to include textiles or garments into your projects?
Here are a few of the best places I found to get materials and source pieces!
Shepherds Bush/ Goldhawk Road
Shepherds Bush is one of the most well known and popular places with a wide range of shops where you can get all kinds of fabrics from. The fabric shops are mainly situated along Goldhawk road near the entrance of the overground station and Shepherd Bush Market! Shops like MisanWest, Fabrix X and A-Z fabrics are my usual haunts but it is a great place to walk around and explore different possible fabrication options.
WoolCrest Textiles
A large warehouse located in East London near London Fields station, WoolCrest offers dead-stock fabrics at one of the most affordable prices. Although you may not always be able to find the exact colour or quality of fabric that you want, it's definitely worth a look when searching for fabrics for props or toiles for your projects.
London Trimmings
Located in North East London at Seven Sisters, London Trimmings offers a large variety of all things trim and hardware. Think zips, rings, buttons, cords, ribbons, padding, sewing nick knacks …and much more!🤭 Although slightly further out than some of the other fabric and trim shops in London, it guarantees an extensive range of trims and sewing accessories that you will probably find whatever you need right there!
Charity & Junk Shops
Whether looking for garments for a set, shoot or to use as a source piece, charity and second-hand junk shops are a great place to start! Sometimes the best things are hidden in plain sight, check out your local charity shops along your highstreet to see if anything catches your eye! I would also recommend scouring second-hand junk shops such as Think Vintage (in Worcester Park) or Save the World Club (in Kingston) for some amazing hidden gems, you never really know what you may find. Online platforms like e-bay or Vinted are also great and affordable places to start! 🤗
Where do you go when searching for fabric supplies?
Know of any great places to source for materials and garments? Feel free to drop them down in the comments below!
Zhi En
(Kingston Student Rep.)