The Streetwear market is at an all-time high around the world. In 2025, it’s said to make up a huge 10 per cent of the global apparel and footwear market. But then again, it’s not surprising when you consider where it’s come from in a mere 20 years since it started, on the streets in skater, surfer and other sub-culture communities of the 90s.
Today, streetwear has never been more desirable. From hoodies to high-fashion streetwear brands in their own right – think Vetements and Off-White – to highly coveted collabs with traditional high-fashion brands. Think Supreme x Louis Vuitton, Palace x Ralph Lauren, Disney x The Hundreds.
And then there are the sportswear brands throwing their hats (quite literally) in the ring, expanding beyond activewear and equipment into sneakers, hoodies and accessories.
Where does London come into this, you might ask? Well, with its winding streets and iconic areas that incubate sub-cultures (like Soho, Camden Market and Brick Lane), London is the UK HQ for all the best global streetwear brands, as well as a hotspot for homegrown indie brands and curated stores.
Dover Street Market
Let’s kick things off with a true icon. Dover Street Market is one of the most renowned fashion destinations on the planet. DSM first opened its doors in London, before going global and making its mark in Tokyo, New York, Singapore, Beijing, LA and Paris.
It’s founded by Rei Kawakubo and Adrian Joffe, who cut their teeth at avant-garde fashion label COMME des GARCONS, and DSM has proven itself as a real one of a kind when it comes to streetwear and high-fashion collabs. Think exclusive releases, surprising collaborations, and off-the-wall store installations. And as London is where it all began, this store is not to be missed.
Nearest stations: Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square, Charing Cross
Location: 18-22 Haymarket, London SW1Y 4DG
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doverstreetmarketlondon/?hl=en
BSTN
From the streets of Munich all the way to South London, BSTN has a real reputation for collecting rare sneakers and hard-to-find premium streetwear apparel. The London store set up in the heart of Brixton in 2023, combining a retro-futuristic retail space with a community hub on the first floor.
Nearest station: Brixton
Location: 395-397, Brixton Rd, London SW9 7DG
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bstnstore/
Wavey Garms
This home-grown London icon started back in 2013 as a Facebook group where friends could trade vintage streetwear pieces. Before long, founder Andres Branco was quickly moving into a shop in Peckham Rye where it really made its name.
Today, Wavey Garms has become much more than one store could allow. It’s now well-established online as a curated destination for vintage streetwear. But the brand as a whole has become a collective, focusing on styling and artistic direction (the photography book is not to be missed).
Pop-up shops and events in collaboration with big names regularly appear all over the capital. They’re well known for their fundraising raves, and last December they hosted a Christmas pop up in Soho, where even Turner Prize winner Mark Leckey got involved.
It’s secured its place in London’s sub-culture history, as ‘Wavey Garms’ is now in the Urban Dictionary as a slang term for ‘cool clothes’ – does it get more iconic?
Location: Online, pop-ups and events
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/waveygarms/
END. Clothing
With roots in the northeast of England, END. started as one man’s mission to spread his passion for fashion, design, art, and music and use it to bring people together. It’s grown into a leading fashion, sneaker, and design destination, with a global community.
Their London store is an immersive experience not to be missed, with a reputation for giving an equal platform to world-renowned brands and emerging designers. Here, you’ll find streetwear names from all corners of the globe.
Nearest stations: Oxford Circus, Piccadilly Circus
Location: 59 Broadwick St, Soho, London W1F 9QS
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/endclothing/?hl=en
Stüssy
When it comes to backstories, Stüssy’s is the stuff of legend. In the early ’80s, Shawn Stussy was making surfboards in Cali. And on each one, he scrawled his signature somewhere on it. This signature grew organically into a brand in its own right, making its way onto T-shirts, shorts, and caps that he sold out of his car around Laguna Beach.
Today the Stüssy brand is a global streetwear icon – part surfer, part street and a little bit punk. The London store, in the heart of Soho, always has something going on, whether it’s an exclusive collab, an event, or a cool installation. It’s definitely one to check out.
Nearest stations: Leicester Square, Piccadilly Circus, Tottenham Court Road, Oxford Street
Location: 115 Wardour Street, Soho, London W1F 0UN
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stussy/
GoodHood
GoodHood is a homegrown institution. Touting itself as a store of “selected goods for the independent mind”, their niche is collating independent, hyper-local brands and designers. The store showcases the very best of East London streetwear. Think rare finds, up-and-coming names, completely unique pieces. We can confirm, it’s very easy to while away an afternoon there.
Nearest station: Shoreditch High Street, Liverpool Street, Aldgate
Location: 15 Hanbury Street, Shoreditch, London E1 6QR
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodhood/
LN-CC
LN-CC’s completely unique London store you’ll find brands like Carhaart WIP, A Bathing Ape, Asics and Brain Dead next to high-end streetwear brands Comme Des Garcons, Acne Studios, Balenciaga and onto the high-fashion elite too.
After Covid forced it to close for a few years, the LN-CC store experience is back in full force. It’s a fully immersive experience that has to be seen to be believed. Get yourself down there.
Nearest station: Dalston Kingsland
Location: 18- 24 Shacklewell Lane, Dalston, London E8 2EZ
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelncc/
FootPatrol
The London store is FootPatrol’s flagship, and alongside a top selection of the latest releases, they have exclusive collaborations with brands like Nike, Jordan, adidas Consortium, New Balance and Salomon. Part of the store is a hub for the city’s sneakerhead community, so there’s always someone to strike up a conversation with.
Nearest station: Oxford Circus, Tottenham Court Road
Location: 80 Berwick Street W1F 8TU
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/footpatrol/
A Bathing Ape
A defining name in the underground scene of Harajuku, Tokyo in the 90s, A Bathing Ape (aka Bape) was heavily informed by a mixture American styles. In the late 90s, they’d grown a cult following and with only one store and no other stockists, they’ve been attributed with creating streetwear’s queuing culture that we know and love (or loathe) today. Today it’s a mainstay label of contemporary streetwear, and a store not to be missed.
Nearest station: Piccadilly Circus, Oxford Circus
Location: 24-25 Conduit Street, Soho, London W1S 2XU
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bape_europe/
Palace
For this truly global streetwear icon, it all started in London. Today, they’re more avant-garde than ever before with tongue-in-cheek T-shirts and surprising collabs (like this exclusive with Kappa for F1 team Alpine). On drop days you’ll definitely find yourself caught up in the queues, but the Palace store in Soho is one to check out any day of the week.
Nearest station: Piccadilly Circus
Location: 26 Brewer St, London W1F 0SW
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/palaceskateboards/
Offspring
Offspring was one of the first sneaker boutiques in Europe and is still solely focused on footwear today (excuse the pun). With a collection of the latest launch products from big brands, you might be in with a chance on getting your hands on that rare find you’re after. You’ll find fewer exclusives at Offspring that perhaps others on the list, but it’s still a curated list of the latest and best on offer. Head to the original Shoreditch store or their newest one in Kings Cross to check out the community hubs too.
Location: 3 locations
104 Commercial St, London E1 6LZ
221 Camden High St, London NW1 7BU
Central, Unit 2 Pancras Square Kings Cross, London N1C 4AG
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/offspringhq/
