Shop profile: Rokit Brick Lane
Who: Zack and Kelly from Saved by the Bell
What: Vintage
Where? 101 and 107 Brick Lane, London, E1 6SE
How much: £3-170 (average £30)
Like all good American teens, Rokit is simply not satisfied with one singular store. One is, like, totes sooooooo boring. Rokit has four in London – two of which are located, somewhat mysteriously, a few doors apart. Now I’m guessing there is a totally practical explanation for this, the most likely one being that the store inbetween, The Laden Showroom, is quite unwilling to give up it’s prime piece of bagelville retail. Understandable. Do the staff at Rokit spend their days cursing The Laden Showroom? Do the staff at The Laden Showroom resent their sandwich filling status? Do I even care? I’m not sure.
Well, actually, maybe I do care a little. But only because after spending ages riffling through rails of vintage, trying everything on, umming and ahhing over what to buy, calling your bessie for his/her opinion, trying everything on again and then finally, finally committing to a selection of garments that are unnervingly similar to ones already laying crumpled in your wardrobe – I have a point here please stay with me – it is somewhat annoying to walk out and find another shop with quite similar stuff and the same name. It has the capacity to plunge one into a vortex of buyers doubt, a place less intense than buyers remorse but a place, nonetheless.
This strange location issue is certainly not a deal breaker, given that the stock in both branches is of high quality and reasonably priced. They are excellent stores for denim anything, leather anything, flirty dresses, shirts, ironic t-shirts and 80s shoes. They’re also quite good for just about anything else vintagy too. Oh and neither store is too big, so going to both is a very manageable shopping experience. Plus the staff are knowledgable, friendly, helpful and attractive: a well known, tried and tested tonic for buyers doubt.
ps. www.rokit.com turns up something quite different and quite awesome…
