With high street consumers steering clear of in-store buying, instead taking their manicures to the safe click-click of online retail, market trading website Pret-a-Portobello takes ‘the concept store’ to another level.
The charm of walking along Portobello Road with its antique furniture, British memorabilia and quirky vintage falls short as swarms of Italian school children and Korean tourists snap away to record the picturesque nature of a market so ingrained in London’s city culture. Fridays and Saturdays are the days for trade but with only two days to pack it all in, the experience becomes a process of stressful transaction rather than one of simple discovery.
Pret-a-Portobello escapes the stress of running to the cash machine and haggling to grab one off pieces, bringing the fashion forward independent brands all to one cyberspace. Labels such as Ducie, Dahlia, Jovonna and Belle du Jour are readily available on Pret-a-Portobello locked in an unrivalled opportunity to access these young, up-and-coming London designers. Staying true to the market’s roots, it gathers clothes, accessories and vintage lines for sale all in limited quantities, including a ‘trade’ section to barter.
With infinite e-tailers released onto the internet, its no question that these types of shopping initiatives are down to curation. Include Spitalfields, Camden, Greenwich and Broadway market’s goods, the interest for Pret-a-Portobello will be long lived.
