Carnaby St is a famous shopping street in
Soho, Central
London. Its name conjures an image of
Swinging Austin Powers style
Londoners scooting through in order to acquire the latest
mod clothing. In the 60’s it was an important centre for
fashion. Many of today’s famous designers such as
Vivienne Westwood began their trade in Carnaby St boutiques.
These days, Carnaby St is different. Harking back to a rather confused notion of what the 60’s was, this road has lost much of it’s glamour. These days it’s a place to find dope smoking equipment, and cheap clothing – the same sort of stuff that you can find on any of London’s other market’s.
I don’t go to Carnaby St very often – for me it’s a place to go through rather than too. I would advise tourists to visit Camden Town instead: it’s London’s most thriving clothes market. Stables Market (just off Camden High Road) now seems to be the place to go for alternative fashion.