London is well known as a hot-spot for those who love to indulge in a bit of shopping. It’s home to the big designer label stores like Selfridges, Harvey Nichols and Harrods as well as infamous fashion centres like Oxford Street and Portobello Road. But London also caters for those of us with slightly more diverse tastes and has a thriving fetish scene, as well as an ever-growing BDSM community. So if you’re a rubber-lover, shoe fetishist, corset-wearer or a fetish novice, here are some tips on where to go for your kinkier purchases!

Camden Town is a great place to start, due to the variety of shops and market stalls offering all kinds of alternative clothing, footwear and accessories. Pink Fluffy in the Stables Market is a great little gothic shop of horrors, selling predominantly gothic clothing, medieval-style dresses and some really beautiful corsets (including the range from DeadlyGirlz). For eccentric cyber-goth style neon clothing for the glow-stick generation, check out Spank and, also in the Stables Market, No-Wear, which sells some really unique fetish/goth designs, cuffs and collars and bondage-inspired outfits.

For rubber lovers, the Stables Market also houses Breathless who sell incredible rubber clothing, corsets, gloves, stockings and alternative fashions from their own range as well as big names like Libidex, House of Harlot and Inner Sanctum. They also stock great gift items like Vince Ray mugs, ashtrays, lighters, cufflinks and t-shirts. The shop is open and spacious for easy browsing, but the clothes are quite expensive, so maybe save this place for special occasion purchases. Also worth a look is Darkside (245 Camden High Street) – a great little shop selling gothic clothing, lots of fishnet, mesh and velvet, bondage-inspired tops for men and a wide variety of boots and shoes. A lot of the shops selling generic goth fashion on the high street are actually worth going into, if only for their selection of footwear – everything from chunky New Rock boots to gorgeous ‘stripper’ shoes with towering platforms and sparkling Perspex heels.

One shop in Camden that deserves a special mention is FairyGothMother (8 East Yard, Camden Lock). Quite expensive but the clothes are truly spectacular – exquisite corsets, dresses, cloaks, jewellery, menswear, latex, PVC and a stunning ‘couture’ range offering alternative fashion straight from the catwalk. Wonderfully helpful staff and some beautiful clothes make this well worth a visit. You can also buy online on their website.

A bit of a hidden gem in the fetish shopping world is tucked away at 49 Shelton Street. Libidex, the world famous latex designers, have opened their flagship shop Liberation in Covent Garden. Combining magnificent window displays with their fetish basement and cellars, the shop offers the complete range of Libidex latex wear as well as their latest new creations and other leading rubber labels. They also house a thrilling choice of collectables, accessories and gifts – something to suit everyone! They have an excellent range of latex hosiery and great menswear too.

Nearby on Monmouth Street is the irresistible Coco De Mer where the attitude and products are less ‘fetish’, more sensual erotica, with the focus on ‘adorning the body beautiful’ and creating an atmosphere fit for the most sensual of delights. Their collection includes peek-a-boo bras, beaded nipple tassels, erotic literature, silk blindfolds, glass dildos, edible massage oils and everything else you’ll ever need to enjoy the pleasures of the flesh.

For some excellent specialist shops, head for Holloway Road! Fettered Pleasures (90 Holloway Road) is a haven for BDSM enthusiasts and newbies alike. Selling, both in-store and on their website, the usual toys, whips and paddles, clothing and corsets, cuffs and collars, restraints and gags – but also a wide selection of less available items like electro stimulation toys, dungeon furniture, body bags, medical toys and cages. The shop is lovely to visit because, unlike the common misconception about shops of this kind, it is well lit and well presented, with less sordid sleaze and more sultry sophistication.

At 66 Holloway Road is Zeitgeist. Down in the cellar is a display of rubber masks, gas masks and hoods as well as a fascinating collection of leather and metal bondage implements and accessories. The rubber-clad assistants are eager to help you try on anything you like, and this expert aid is greatly appreciated with some of the more intricate items! In the showroom there is a huge selection of rubber clothing – including catsuits and dresses, skirts, basques, corsets, and all manner of fetish gear for the lady who lives for rubber.

Just next door to Fettered Pleasures is House of Harlot which displays some delightfully decadent, colourful rubber gear. Their clothing is often seen at clubs like Torture Garden, and the Skin Two Rubber Ball. It is ideal if you like to dress to kill or want a show-stopping outfit to catch the eye of that special someone. The shop is famous for it’s dramatic outfits and also for the celebrities who shop there – ranging from Jordan and Dita Von Teese to Shania Twain and Kelly Brook. They provide a fantastic made-to-order service and the staff are more than happy to sit down with you and work out exactly the kind of costume you want (prices depending on the complexity and the size of an item). They now stock the divine shoe collection by Natacha Marro and you can also shop online at their website.

It is also worth checking out the long-running London Fetish Fair – a monthly event with a huge bar (always a bonus), no enforced dress code and an electric atmosphere. Stands offer a huge variety of goth, PVC, rubber, velvet and fetish clothing, as well as affordable leather and a selection of fetish footwear. There are also stands for erotic and fetish art, books, beautiful jewellery, bondage gear, restraints and discipline instruments. For more details see their website or call the information line.

All of the shops and their products I have mentioned really have to be seen to be believed and experienced fully, so pop in, take a look and indulge in the glamorous latex-clad world of the fetish scene. You might be surprised by what takes your fancy!