Uncovering Shepherd’s Bush Market; the Paradoxical Nature of Individuality within Community.

A diverse cultural hub of multi-generational traders lies at the heart of Shepherd’s Bush. The long road of market stalls nestled underneath railway arches is surrounded by some of London’s most iconic textile shops that house fabrics known to have inspired the likes of Alexander McQueen. A delight to the senses, the Market encourages a return to craftsmanship and handmade goods. The stalls mainly centre around traditional, day to day products; however, the rich diversity of cultures amalgamated into one environment have created a cluster of textiles, food and goods that would be a novelty to most local Londoners.

Resilient, diverse and, enlivening; in the contemporary culture of over-consumption, walking through Shepherd’s Bush Market feels like a return to simplicity and community. Steph Dye, the Head of Marketing for SBM commented “I think markets in general are about individuals in community collectives that are trying to build their own life.” The complex, and yet essential, relationship between individuality and community is evident within the market; each shop has a unique product that may differ to what awaits next door and yet the camaraderie between the traders animates the market.

Take the Hammersmith and City line to Goldhawk road, outside the tube station will be the iconic archway entrance to the Market. You might like to stroll past the colourful array of fruits and vegetables, foreign to many eyes, or browse the unique household products. An essential stop is Delina for delicious Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine or simply a good cup of coffee. A visit to Pigment Press’ silk screen printing workshops will ignite your creativity. The studio's services are used by fashion industry giants such as JW Anderson. Pigment Press are a recent addition to the Market, since they opened in March they have worked with their fellow traders, printing new signs for their shop facades.

One of the main attractions to the Market area is the iconic fabric shop, Classic Textiles. Over the last forty-three years Anzia has curated walls of fabrics that attract customers from all over the world. She explained that her trade is based on two categories; the tourists that visit in the spring, summer and winter holidays and the local season, where the students and designers of London descend on Classic Textiles for its quality fabrics. The students also benefit from Anzia’s textile knowledge, which is truly unmatched. She shared some of her wisdom about sustainability and fabric, “I think using all of the old fabrics or recycled clothes would be best because... you have to consider how much percentage is organic and you’d be surprised, only around 5%.”

Shepherd’s Bush Market was originally established in 1914, preceding World War I and this year they celebrate their 110th year anniversary. Having withstood years of uncertainty, stalls have been passed down through numerous generations. Whether they've come to the market from abroad or lived locally, grassroots traders have created businesses that have survived the many challenges London presents. Most recently this has been years of unreliable developers. Plans for Shepherd’s Bush Market to undergo a facelift have been made by Yoo Capital, who have thus far invested £750,000 into the Market. The developments are mostly centred around updating the infrastructure, which has remained the same since the 1970s and 80s. Steph commented, “we’re giving it the upgrades to give it a new look, to give the traders more pride in visually merchandising in a way that looks more open and refreshed”. It seems that updating the visual aesthetic of the Market, creating outdoor space and, building affordable homes will attract more footfall.

The Market benefits its community greatly, not only in its vast amount of unique produce, but in its ‘Academy’ scheme. Designed to support people who are interested in starting their own business but might not yet have the skills to, ‘The Academy’ trains market traders of the future. Students are given a series of pop ups in the Market to build their business and upon graduating the scheme, you can open a stall in SBM or elsewhere. Within the Market you can find graduates selling Yemeni coffee, Afghani stews or books and records.

The symbiotic relationship of the Shepherd’s Bush community, the Market and its traders seems to be a complex system of camaraderie that is empowering and uplifting in the face of challenges that London presents. Shepherd’s Bush Market is a true treasure trove of diverse products and human connection that makes for a wholesome visit. It seems that the community builds its strength from the individualism of each trader, which is refreshing in the face of contemporary over-consumption and microtrends.