SEASON TWO | Episode 8: a guide to luxury VINTAGE | LONDON brick lane

Lurking in the shadow of a chimney stack belonging to The Old Truman Brewery is Brick Lane. This melting pot of people creates one of the most diverse places on the planet to have a poke through the stalls. For centuries it’s been the place where immigrants put down their roots, from the Huguenots in the 17th century fleeing France, followed by the Irish during the famine, the Jews in the mid 20th century and most recently the Bangladeshi-Sylheti community. Over the last 25 years a new breed of immigrants has settled in this colourful yet derelict part of town. A creative crowd is claiming these parts now. From artists taking advantage of the cheap studio space to new designers hiring out their first shop fronts, this clash of cultures makes for interesting cruising. Muslim men dressed in traditional garb meander alongside fashionistas frolicking in the freedom of fashion. Brilliant bagels can be had alongside the hottest vindaloo. Then there’s the vintage…

- from A Girl’s Guide to Vintage written in 2010

This is part two of three episodes covering London. Zara Janjua takes our hand around Brick Lane.