La Vie Boutique

Festivities and curiosities are alive in an explosion of colours and sounds as soon as you see the cobbled street of Broadway Market; an East London street where market stalls are set up freely and the shops sit mismatched next to each other, like books on a gnarled shelf.
La Vie Boutique resides in the middle of the street, almost like a glistening chamber that arouses your curiosity. The window sparkles alluringly with accessories and if a diamante encrusted necklace winks at you it will almost ensure you will enter.
As you walk in through the door, you’re greeted with chatter and tranquil music coming from the back corner.

The shop is a single small room, carefully cluttered with innumerable amounts of accessories in glass cabinets along the window which also has mannequins dressed in vintage pieces. In the centre are a couple of mannequins styled in new and vintage clothes. Also in the centre are the defining features of aging chairs, decorated with oriental boxes of silk scarves and baskets of customized bags, hats and gloves. Along the left wall are shabby chic shelves cluttered with jewellery, from diamante encrusted pieces to bohemian beaded works, all in diverse sizes and materials, modelled on majestic hands or miniature French boudoir bodices. The top shelves hold bags and hats embellished with ‘found’ objects. The right wall has lower and upper racks travelling to the back, packed with different types of clothes.

The Boutiques ambience has a welcoming bohemian vibe. In the back corner, working at an opulent yet aged wooden desk, is the owner, Christiane Victorin, originally from St Lucia. Christiane passionately creates most accessories in the store, also doing alterations of designs, making each piece individual. She also sources one off pieces, often gallivanting abroad for “continental inspiration”.

Also stocked are designs by local small time designers.
‘Fran Chan Chan’ whose designs were rather ‘baby doll’ with most fabric sourced from China.
Georgina Evoke, whose vibrant fabrics are sourced from Africa, blending well with the frequent trends of prints.
Cassillda Goldcress ‘50’s Style’ designer and the store had sold out of her pieces
“But I never get anything mass produced, only things that there are very little of” explains Christiane.
The racks are tightly packed with diverse pieces, from white faux leather quirky biker jackets, 5o’s dollish tunic jackets, silky long dresses, knitted and dyes tops to funky tartan trousers, waiting for shoppers to fervently rummage through.
The clothing and accessories range from as little as £5 to a pricier £200, “something to suit everyone’s pocket” claims Christiane. Size labels are also cut out of the pieces so shoppers are more willing to try things on without embarrassment- also a persuasive ruse to make curious shoppers merely browse.
Her Customers Range as vastly as the price, from “housewives to professionals, quite a mixture – like the designs” escalating popularity in Broadway Market have even changed La Vie Customers –
“I don’t just have locals anymore” – visitors of the market has increased clientele.

La Vie Boutique Shoppers on the street.