by Matthew Chihwai | News Reporter

Just in time to rescue what has been a difficult year for everyone, notorious London streetwear collective Wavey Garms is to host an all encompassing XXXmas Pop Up experience in Walker’s Court, Soho, from December 9th – 24th. It will be a rich and bustling hub of classic designer streetwear, leading independent designers, DJs, club nights, record labels and immersive artist exhibits aimed at supporting the UK’s rich array of counter cultures in challenging times. The event will also raise funds for Centerpoint, the UK’s leading charity for homeless young people.

Founded by Andres Branco in 2013, Wavey Garms started as a Facebook group for friends to trade designer clothes but had been brewing amongst the working class subcultures of South London since the turn of the millennium. Fast forward to 2020 and the brand has spawned its own physical shop in Peckham, boasts a 100,000 person strong online customer base and soon publishes a new book focussed on South London youth culture, all in addition to hosting numerous fundraising raves. Synonymous with only the most carefully curated clothing selections, stylish vintage streetwear and choice sports fits, Wavey Garms has very much precipitated the current global obsessions with such styles. This pop up will be a proud showcase of all this inviting plenty of independent clothes traders from Wavey Garms’s past, present and future to showcase their collections across two adjacent shop units in Soho.

During a time when big brands are playing it safe and stepping back, Wavey Garms have seen that as an opportunity to step up and give people a reason to travel to the city this Christmas. It has been made possible in part due to support from Soho Estates who have provided the retail spots in recognition of the value the project brings to Centerpoint and the local area.

One of the many standout sellers at this Pop Up is Stain Shade who bring the famous hand-dyed tie dye garments used in their in-demand collaborations with Beat Hotel Glastonbury, Clarks Originals and Hidden New York. Then there is Groovy Garage, a place known for its hot stock of everything from vintage Stussy to Stone Island, Playboy to YSL. What started as two friends turning up to the pub in the same wavy Versace has turned into the hub of a vintage scene at its standalone store. Next up is Jonny Banger’s Sports Banger, which started by hawking ‘FREE TULISA’ t-shirts and went on to working with Slazenger under the collab Slazenger Banger. This in addition to his F*CK BORIS, Nike x NHS t-shirts and much more make him the true bootlegging king of the UK fashion scene.

More than 20 other leading clothing sellers will be on rotation throughout the pop up including Attagirl, OG Material, iets frans…, SEKKLE, 1036 Emporium, Hartex, Actually Merlin, Brawta, Ed Perkin, Done London, Royal Ragz and many more, all of whom deal in fresh selections with a unique sense of style. In store collection boxes and optional donations will be available on card transactions to help support Centrepoint.

For this special event, Wavey Garms will also create an immersive art installation based on a young raver’s bedroom. It will feature walls adorned in artwork by Pez (which he will be happy to sign for you), with records from Disc World available to listen to while you chill on the bed and relive your miscreant years. The gallery space will also boast plenty of the most exciting artists around including a special Turner Prize winning guest, and Christopher Stead, who will showcase a live rave tape installation represented by his famous tape prints. Corbin Shaw will be exhibiting original designs in his infamous flag style and Sports Banger will also be exhibiting some key pieces with more from Joe Holbrooke, Petro, Oker, Alfie Kungu, Ryan hawaii, Conor Murgatroyd and others.

Given the lasting impact rave and jungle has had on founder Branco, as well as on streetwear culture itself, music will be a big feature of the pop up experience. Disc World Deptford will be on hand to bring some of that old school Soho record store vibe with a fine collection of classics old and new that will submerge you deep in the dig and plenty of rave, hardcore, jungle and bass sounds.

Meanwhile, a special series of daily DJ streams has also been programmed with Gofundme links attached to raise funds for Centrepoint. A Wavey Garms DJ Hotline will also be set up where any DJs in the area can ring in and come over and play. They will join Johhny Banger, Percy Mingle, Tuckshop, Jay Carder, Oneman, Eliza Rose, Sweet Lemonade Sisters and Amahlia amongst more to be announced. Plenty of vital underground music brands will also be present including Fabric, FOLD, Keep Hush and GODEZZ and many more.

The pop up will also serve as a launch for exciting editorial with a slew of exclusive book and magazine releases such as Wavey Garms ‘Volume Two’ and Orienteer Mapazine with more to be announced.

Wavey Garms’s XXXmas Pop Up is a real collision of cultures from the worlds of art, design, fashion and music, with the most innovative creative talents at the heart of it all. There will be no other experience like it this festive season.

XXXmas Pop Up will be open 11am-10pm daily at Walkers Court, Soho from Wednesday 9th December.