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Oct ’26
Our Locals
Run by David and his partner Angela, IDEA is one of our favourite book and magazine shops in London. Its shelves are filled with everything from vintage Japanese magazines and art books to original copies of Take Ivy, alongside its now iconic hats, worn by everyone from Frank Ocean to Bad Bunny and Kendrick Lamar.
The story began long before IDEA had a name. David and Angela were buying and selling all sorts of things, from clothes to books, eventually supplying vintage titles to Colette in Paris and later Dover Street Market in London. Both became some of the most influential retail spaces in the world. “So we did alright,” David says.
In 2009, they gave the business a name and opened a three-month pop-up. At the time, the pop-up concept was still relatively unfamiliar, and some customers thought they were selling pop-up books, the kind with things that spring out when you open them. Luckily, they had an Andy Warhol Index book, that featured all sorts of interactive elements, including a balloon that popped out when opened, and "it was so expensive that remained in the shop for the entire three months, so we at least had something to show them" David tells us.
The business continued to grow through its online shop and relationships with retailers, becoming particularly busy around 2016. A few years ago, they found their current space, gradually taking over the whole building. They considered opening another shop at street level but decided they preferred things as they were. "Here, customers have to find the entrance and ring the bell, meaning those who come through the door are genuinely interested in what we do".
There are around eight people working here, and David tells us that nobody is dedicated solely to the retail shop; everyone gets involved wherever needed, and whoever is free answers the bell.
When asked about the hats, David says that it started almost by accident. While working on a zine with photographer Collier Schorr in New York, the team decided to produce some merchandise and enlisted their friend Fergus, known for designing Palace's Tri-Ferg logo. "We made 50 New Era caps embroidered with Collier's name, but nobody bought them".
One of these hats ended up on the hands of a Korean skateboarder and indie pop star, and things took off. IDEA began supplying a few shops in Korea before experimenting with other designs, including the now famous “I DON'T WORK HERE” hat, which has enjoyed an incredible run of consistent sell-through for around eight years.
David recently saw an interview in which Harry Styles and Thom Yorke discussed meeting because Yorke was wearing one of their hats. Harry, Bad Bunny and Kendrick Lamar have all worn IDEA caps, yet David insists they never gift them. Not bad for a product that began with 50 unwanted hats.
But for David and Angela, the books remain at the heart of everything. Their collection grew from a shared ability to recognise the value in things, and a love of clothing that naturally extended into books. As David explains, "You might find a pair of Comme des Garçons dungarees from 1993, but a book could tell you something about that piece, its context or its influences that you wouldn't otherwise know".
At IDEA, fashion inspires books, and books inspire fashion. Bringing together books, clothes, art and culture, a place where these worlds meet, influence one another and spark new ideas.
