Because everyone needs some retail therapy sometimes
Sometimes I write reviews about parties, and I mention that some parties have a theme. I usually I try to stay on theme with the party, but I never compromise on comfort when I put an outfit together. But the question is, where do I get my clothes and accessories from? The answer is simple: a little all over the place.
Today I thought I would take you for a walk through Charmskool, as it was my first time there. I met a friend for brunch in central and then headed there…
Tell me about the organisers
Who is the organiser?
The organiser is fashion stylist Alexandra Houston. Her story begun in 2007, when she attended her first Torture Garden with a DJ boyfriend. That was when she discovered a whole new fashion world she knew nothing about.
She knew she’d always been into kink, extreme fashion, and nightclubbing, but being there made her feel like something spoke to her. In 2009, after splitting up with her partner, she found a home in Torture Garden.
Driven by her love for style and fashion, she created her very own, new, and edgy looks. She made a name for herself, by standing out from the crown (some of her most famous looks were banana-related).
What is WastedChic?
In 2014, Alexandra started a community of independent designers and vintage sellers, and the pop up Wasted Chic was born (in a time when pop-up were not very mainstream). The idea of having cocktails, music, and great designers in one place, was a success.
The next step was to blend her fashion world with the newly discovered kink community. From there, she reached out to Charlotte from Torture Garden, and Le Boutique Bazaar (LBB) was born as a collaborative event. 10 year later, both Wasted Chic and LBB are still running, with events throughout the year.
What is Charmskool?
With fashion being more and more digital and Le Boutique Bazaar being a behemoth event only operating four times a year, it was only a matter of time before Charmskool was born.
Charmskool is available both as an online shop and as a pop-up. The website is available to people around the globe 24/7, with orders from places as far away as Asia, the US and Australia. The pop up is smaller and more nimble, alternating with Le Boutique Bazaar but also providing a more intimate atmosphere and offering extras, such as workshops.
Tell me about the pop up
What was the venue like?
The venue was in Soho, which was great for me as it was easy to get to. It was on the second floor, intimate place, with a cute bar in the middle and air conditioning (which was welcome as it was a hot day). This was Charmskool’s third edition, and it started at 1pm until 6pm. I was there for about a couple of hours, on the early side.
Who were the traders?
There were about a dozen traders, with a good mix of accessories, body jewellery, tools, and clothes. I managed to speak to almost all of them. and everyone was absolutely lovely. I thought of collecting a bit of everything, so here are some pictures, quotes, and more from the traders! Enjoy! 🙂
Got home with a bunch of business cards for some nice new shopping places!!
Bound UK
This one was one of may favourites! (not just because it has a lot of black, I swear)
Ellisha makes accessible and very adjustable body harnesses that look like sexy lingerie. The are made with stain elastcs, which means they are vegan friendly and are very stretchable. Her harnesses fit all sizes, shapes, and genders. She has an online shop and also sells at pop ups. Compared to Boutique Bazaar (which is another pop up in London organised by the same company), she found this one to be more social and intimate; a cozy vibe in a great location. Website.
“Low stake events, come as you are, no pressure on dress code!”
Ellisha
Reign of Sovereignty
Zoë is a well-travelled artist who lived in Germany for 5 years up until 2020 lockdown. She started making bejewelled body harnesses in bright colours while performing as a dancer in Berlin; One day she started selling her own work and found it very empowering.
She made more and when she got back to London, where she discovered that the sex workers scene was a lot more open and the community was a lot more welcoming than in the past. Website.
“LBB (Le Boutique Bazaar) was my first one, and when i found out about Charmskool I loved it, and it felt so much like a community”
Zoë Atiko
BOUND UK – Lovely and accessible harnesses for all
FUBAR TREASURE – Quirky shop! The earrings on the right are made with offcuts pieces from the paddles!
FUBAR TREASURE
It was the second time at Charmskool for Rob, and I just loved all of his stuff. A lot of accessories and tools, and paddles of all types. There were neon plastic paddles, laser cut steel paddles of 1/2 kg each, wood paddles made with offcuts from a joinery and even some cute neon earrings made with offcut material from the plastic paddles. Website.
“Friendly and motivated, with a nice mix crowd of people, and a lot of newbies”
Rob
House of Hysteria
It was Hannah’s first time at Charmskool and she thought the venue was lovely, the atmosphere intimate, and the traders were nice. She did take part to Le Boutique Bazaar back in April and she likes the crowd. Her product are bras, collars, belts and more, made with real Italian saddlery leather, with brass appliqués.
All of her products are handmade, in her workshop in east London. She loves slow fashion, and believes that real leather will last you a life time, as well as moulting around you (and I 100% agree, as I am a big fan of leather products myself). Website.
BDODI
This was Beatrice’s third time at Charmskool. She has been working since 2017 on her beautiful alternative jewellery. Bea has own website and online shop, you can find her jewellery on Charmskool.com, and at the F.A.B. shop in Camden, London, UK. She also has showrooms in New York (USA) and Milan (Italy). Website.
“Spicy, kinky, sense of community, with cocktails and workshops”
B (aka Beatrice)
Kerris Spencer
Kerris was at Charmskool for her second time, and has been working with Alexandra for about 5 year now. She thought the crowd felt familiar, with a lot of Boutique Bazaar regulars, but in a more intimate setting. She makes outfits with tassels and blings, all vegan and cruelty free. Most of her work is bespoke items, and she sell to a lot of performers. However, you can often find her at festivals, and loves making kink more accessible and fashionable. I found her shop very Kink-Chic! Website.
“Social, easy, you can sit and chat, have a drink, and a lot less pressure than a munch.”
Kerris Spencer
Avelina De Moray – It certainly does pleases the goth in me.
Broke Boutique – Some bling bling harnesses.
And it's a wrap!
After loads of browsing, I spend some time by the bar chatting to guests and other shoppers, and bumped into a guest who said something so lovely to me and my friend, I had to quote her 🙂
“People tend to feel intimidated by BDSM, but it’s actually where communication and consent are the most respected”
Anonymous shopper
Bonus picture of penises 🙂
Hope to see you all at the next pop up 🙂 keep it kinky everyone!
