Rough Sleepers - charity fashion with a difference

Rough Sleepers is a 21st century charity shop set in a beautiful feng shui-ed space slap bang in the middle of Camden. It sells contemporary menswear, womenswear, accessories and art handpicked by manager Katsu, but instead of fat cats creaming off the earnings, all the profits from Rough Sleepers go direct to Novas, a charity which helps homeless and socially excluded people.

This the the first Rough Sleepers shop in what is hoped to be a small specialist chain - a second store is set to open in Dean Street later this year. Behind the Camden shop there is a studio space which is currently occupied by Kim Jones and his design team, however, the plan is to use the space in the future to help give design training to vulnerable people being helped by the charity.

Walk through the door of Rough Sleepers and you could easily mistake the shop for a hip boutique in Paris, Japan or South Molton Street. Designed by Sonoko Obuchi, the interior is stark white, gallery style. Metal poles mimic the shape of a giant shopping trolley, shop worker Manuel told me, that this is to reflect how supermarket trollies are used by homeless folk to transport belongings. The changing rooms are white wooden spaces with circular mats. A glass case houses accessories.

Rough Sleepers is the exclusive UK stockist of cult Japanese label Milk Boy, there's silverware by Zest (the lady at Zest also designs the jeans on sale in the shop!) and a stunning collection of earrings handmade from totomo shells by Ramon Bareto (£15). Ramon is Colombian and I was informed that the geezer behind Rough Sleepers encountered Ramon whilst he was sleeping rough and selling his creations on the pavement.

The shop stocks menswear by Dexter Wong, Vinti Andrews, Not Morris (launched by three Central Saint Martin's graduates), The Forgotten Youth and there are lush leather bags which are made in England by a Chinese designer, Wendee Ou. For women there's Cutler and Goss eyewear, a capsule collection by French designer Sylvia Rielle, Zest denim jeans which are made in Japan and pieces by Robert Cary-Wiliams. Rough Sleepers is also the only current UK stockist for New Zealand label, Nom D.

Prices range from £15 to £670 (for a one-off waterproof cape by Georgie Ichikawa, a designer now working with Puma).

So if you want to buy some gorgeous, well designed clobber and help towards improving life for those who are not fortunate enough to have a roof over their heads or a bed in which to get a decent night's sleep, call into Rough Sleepers and tell them fuk.co.uk sent ya.

Words: Marian Buckley.

Rough Sleepers is at 43 Chalk Farm Road, Camden, London NW1 8AJ. Phone: 020 7485 4848.
www.novas.org