Londoners Magazine

The recently opened East End Thrift Store is an undiscovered goldmine. Kate Livesey gets hunting for vintage treasures.

Located on an eerily vacant, cobbled lane in Whitechapel - Jack the Ripper territory - the shop is owned and operated by Myles Oakley.

Oakley has been dealing vintage threads since the 80s. Until now he’s been selling his goods exclusively to Topshop for their vintage range. Eight weeks ago he turned the Victorian warehouse he used as a storage space into a shop.

The shop is vast and so is the collection of clothes. Most items, including shirts, dresses and jackets are priced at £10 or less. Nothing is priced over £20. Oakley sources much of the high quality stock from Paris and Amsterdam, and he frequently consults with fashion predictors.

He has 20-25 tons of stock in the shop, with 25 tons arriving soon: enough to fill four double-decker buses.

Oakley says Khremo, a former Algerian boxing champion is the “genius” behind much of the stock orgnisation. Khremo sometimes alters clothes before they’re hung in the shop. Jam-packed racks of on-trend clothes are assorted by colour and style, making pieces easy to spot.

The wares and prices are impressive. A Swiss lace dress, very Prada autumn/winter 2008, can be had for a tenner. A star print tee can be yours for five quid. And a perfectly worn-in motor-cross jacket is on sale for £20. A smart shopper can get both quantity and quality here.