A magical treasure trove of homewares, textiles, haberdashery and notions. Charming and incredibly tactile, The Old Haberdashery, is where vintage mixes with new, oddities with curiosities, and everything warrants exploring. Fabrics, trimmings, and accessories that inspire creativity and the imagination. It's useful to note that "haberdashery" in British english means "small items used in sewing, such as buttons, zippers, and thread; notions." rather than "men's clothing and accessories" as it does in North America. And The Old haberdashery does not disappoint as there is plenty of haberdashery plus more to enchant at this delightful shop.

"Here at The Old Haberdashery we believe in the spirit of Wabi Sabi, a rustic simplicity and a beauty that comes with age. Reuse, recycle, rediscover and celebrate the patina of age."

Sonia Boriczewski, shopkeeper at The Old Haberdashery

After graduating from the Chelsea College of Art and Design in 1997, Sonia Boriczewski designed paper yarn accessories. She spent nine years living and teaching Textiles and Costume History in Shanghai followed by four years in Barcelona.

On her return to England she knew she wanted to use her creative talents and knowledge and start her own business. She had spent a lot of time foraging in the antiques markets in Shanghai, finding beautiful old textiles and antiques, had always had a passion for the old and unloved, coupled with an inherent desire to make things. She began sewing when she was six. Bringing all this together lead her on her current path.

Sonia started small by way of local fairs and renting a small space in a local vintage clothes shop. This gave her the confidence she needed and a chance to try out her style of vintage and haberdashery, marrying the two.

"I was very lucky in that I had a lot of people spurring me on. My landlord is what I would call a ‘patron of the arts’, a canny businessman who saw that what I did would complement his business. It’s good to have a mentor or someone who can give you invaluable advice and push you a bit out of your comfort zone."

Sonia has achieved her goal of creating a space where people can visit and experience her vision. A spot of retail theatre, some treasure hunting, colour therapy and leave filled with ideas of things to make and projects to begin. Where possible she sources vintage but this is not always achievable so she also stocks things that fit in with the ethos of the shop. For example there are Merchant and Mills haberdashery and recycled silk yarns from India.

"I believe that you have to nurture your own style, believe in your vision. It took me a good year to develop my own ‘Old Haberdashery’ style. The biggest compliment I received recently was from a fair organizer who invited me to one of her events saying ‘there’s no one doing what you do’. Knowing where you fit in and finding a different take on what you do has been so important."