Original souvenirs in Camden
Who said that souvenirs are for tourists?
We've lived in London for quite a few years now, and definitely do not consider ourselves tourists in the City.
As adopted Londoners, we legit fly through London souvenir shops and market stalls without paying much attention to what’s on offer.
We’re rather more attracted by food stalls, new coffee and pastry pop ups, vinyl and antiques shops, and fancy interior design stores (yes, there are plenty in London).
On a sunny summer Sunday right after lockdown 1.0 (for future readers, July 2020), we were happily wandering around the new Buck Street Market in Camden Town – London's first eco market – made of recycled shipping containers in a palette of pastel colours that are soothing for the eyes and would lift anyone's spirit.
Our attention was immediately caught by a little pop up store called "To Home from London", displaying souvenirs in the form of mugs, magnetic coasters, eco friendly shopping bags, T-shirts and more.
We stopped to chat to the store assistant, a cheerful guy who told us that all artworks are original and hand-painted in watercolours in their Camden Studio.
And so, British icons and landmarks such as the Tower Bridge, the Queen's Guard, The Beatles and Harry Potter are just the most original pieces you could think of.
The design and bright colours bring happiness and good vibes by just looking at them.
Excited by our new discovery, we bought a Queen-themed mug and a Tower Bridge magnetic coaster for Caro's sister, big fan of the Netflix show "The Crown" and passionate photographer of the famous bridge in London.
The minds behind this original project are Bianca & Nacho, a Brazilian and Argentinean couple – we had the chance to talk to them in person and we found out they are not only talented artists but also merry and chatty folks!
We now follow them on Instagram (plenty of colourful posts in our feed) and have supported them in their recent successful crowdfunding campaign to open a new store in Camden Town in 2021 (literally 5 minutes away from our place!).
The store in Buck Street Market has closed down, but you can find them in their first-opened store in Camden Market, as well as Portobello Road and soon in their new opening in Camden Town.
Their website tagline reads "Redefining Souvenirs" and we think it couldn't be more true.
