Ian, with some of his stock Picture: Mike Butler
At the top end of Brick Lane near the junction of Bethnal Green Road sits Hunky Dory, a shop that sells vintage clothing mainly from the 60s and 70s. The clothes from that era, men’s and women’s, are bright, colourful and sometimes hugely florid, and for some reason, to me and many others, highly attractive.
The shop is the lifetime work of Ian Bodenham and his, now retired from the business, husband who also called Ian. Both developed an interest in vintage clothing and by Ian Bodenham’s admittance it began something of an accidental journey.
The story, however, does not start in Brick Lane. It starts over forty years ago in Brixton Market. Ian Bodenham says, ‘both me and Ian had an interest in vintage clothing, what was then from the 30s, 40s and maybe the fifties. Ian’s sister, Heather, had a stall in Brixton Market, so one day we joined her to sell the bits we did not want.’
From that small beginning a business organically grew, the market stall blossomed. ’We found we were selling to dealers, including people like Hackett who started off doing vintage clothes, so we decided to start trading at other markets in London’. Soon enough they were trading at the markets at Camden, Portobello Road, and Covent Garden. This lasted two to three years.
The two Ian‘s were then keen to get a shop around 89/90, a drop in property prices led to landlords being desperate to rent. After a temporary share with another retailer, they found a landlord that was happy to rent out with the funds they had. The landlord also had an interest in eclectic businesses that meant that he was always looking for something different rather than obviously profitable.
They rigged out the shop as cheaply as possible, having little capital and so began their shop ‘The Observatory’. It was to be a very successful venture when vintage was not so much in fashion as it is today, the shop lasted for 19 years.
The original landlord moved on, and a hospital trust then took over owning large proportions of the area. A Sunday market that sat on waste ground for around 12-15 years was then developed as part of the University of Greenwich. The closure of a market leads to a drop off in popularity. This led to trade dropping and rents rising and Ian’s husband, the other Ian, then felt the time was right to move on. Ian gives him credit, ’he was right!’
Interest in the East End was rising, and both Ian’s checked out the Brick Lane area and found and moved the business to what is now Hunky Dory back in 2008. Ian states, ‘this will be our final outlet. It has had its ups and downs, down to the economic climate, and is also down to the popularity of what we sell. The last five years or so due to the interest in sustainability we have accidently benefitted, as by definition what we do is recycling.’
Inside Hunky Dory Picture: Mike Butler
In relation to the regeneration of the Brick Lane area Ian Bodenham says, ‘It begins with the artists needing cheap premises for gallery space, this then brings in others, small bars, eateries and other small businesses.’ This means that the regeneration remains organic, unlike the recent Kings Cross redevelopment which was a one size fits all major chain development with everything from Starbucks to Sports Direct. Ian again, ‘The shops and premises along here are too small for major chains, this may also put off further development.‘
Ian feels very lucky, they had little or no business training and, they both wanted to create their own world, not wanting to work in offices. Ian says, ’Over the last 35 years they have worked with many fantastic people, who still remain in touch like an extended family.’
In terms of the future, Ian will be here in Brick Lane for a while yet, and along with Brick Lane Bookshop, Freedom Press, the small vintage and thrift markets and of course Hunky Dory itself make Brick Lane a superb place to visit on a warm spring Saturday or Sunday (when the market itself is there). Just a little hint, it’s quieter in the week.
Hunky Dory, Brick Lane, Feb 2025 Picture: Mike Butler
