fairy light, fairy tale
Blake has been making and selling organic fairy lights for more than 20 years. He is a local Londoner. He started his business in Camden Market two decades ago. In his eyes, the market has changed a lot over the years.
From marginal to mainstream, from individual to corporate. This is how Blake summarises the change of Camden Market. In the past, the market sold the goods that cannot be found elsewhere and only opened temporarily on Sunday. But now it becomes increasingly popular. Meanwhile, nowadays the market is more saturated by the mass-produced industrialised products. But Blake is proud that he is “one of the very few businesses (in the market) that is truly individual.”
Blake is a bit nostalgic about the past days. “If Camden is supposed to be handmade and organic and individual - something you can't find somewhere else, but you only have to walk 5 or 10 yards to find another duplicated hat shop, then this is a contradiction.”
“But overall, Camden Market is a happy, vibrant and individual place.”
Camden Market - past and present
Blake in the shop
Blake usually come to the shop by bicycle or motorbike. On the way, he doesn’t pay much attention to the surroundings or any particular senses but just concentrates on staying safe. So most of his sensory experiences are within his shop. Blake believes that every customer deserve his full attention so he gives a lot of attention to them. When there’s no customer in the shop, the visual, audio and smell elements become more noticeable and sensible.
“I am very lucky that my sensory experience (in the shop) is very soft and easy,” says Blake, “It’s not aggressive, or harsh or confrontational. It’s quiet, pleasing, calming or even a bit romantic.”
In the innermost part of the space, there is a chair. When sitting on the chair, he can see everything in the shop, which are visually soft and calm – the space is decorated by all kinds of warm fairy lights. There is no central light, but the shop is illuminated by these fairy lights.
Warm fairy lights in the shop
Sakura candle
Blake plays classical music in his shop. He used to be a professional ballet performer in his twenties. The taste for classical music was fostered since then. Not only out of personal taste, the classical music work well with the environment. “Because it’s non-confrontational, it’s calming. I like it.”
In addition, the subtle fragrance in the air also contribute to Blake’s calming, soft sensory experience. Blake also sells floral candles and essence. In particular, he likes Sakura and Jasmine very much. “Both of those smells are tropical or subtropical smells. They are subtle, fresh and light. Very pleasing. It makes me feel happy. When I smell these two smells, it place me in a mental state of ease and tranquillity. Both of these are floral smells, which remind me of flowers, which remind me of being in an environment surrounded by flowers, which is a pleasing place to be.”
Warm, cosy and pleasing - like in a fairy tale
Floor plan of Blake's shop
Blake’s shop locates at the very centre of the Market. But from the doorway, it seems that this is a very low-key shop. The door is not wide, and the space inside seems a bit dim compared to the outdoor sunlight. However, when walking into the shop, I feel like entering another world that is largely isolated from the bustling market.
The right hand side of the wall grasps my attention immediately. It’s a wall full of lights. They are turned on, packed in boxes and arranged according to colour and shape. There is no central light in the shop, but the shop is illuminated by all kinds of warm fairy lights. That’s why the space looks a bit dim from the outside but visually comfortable when walking into it. My sight is full of lights, and they are dazzling in a comfortable way. These lights are all organic. They were made from natural materials such as leaves. Blake introduces this to every customer. This emphasis on green, sustainable material imperceptibly creates a sense that I am in touch with nature when looking at and touching the light.
The wall of lights
The arrangement of light are elaborately designed. He not only itemise the products in shape and form but also in colour and tone. The middle shelf is placed with cream and white lights, while the multi-coloured ones, reddish ones, and blueish ones are placed on the left and right shelves. That’s because the cream and white lights are the most visually pleasing and therefore can accommodate most people.
Blake's fairy light
The reason why Blake runs fairy light business is that “lights are a very comforting, easy way of changing the vibration in your living space, as opposed to repainting or changing the furniture. It's a very organic, soft ambient look. And it's quite affordable.” Therefore, he feels lucky that his product is, to a large extent, conveys the vibe within itself. “I don't really have to tell people that they're relaxing, soft, warm light. You can kind of see that.”
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Fairy light is not the only product sold in Blake’s shop. He also provides pleasing smell experience. At the lower position of the fairy lights wall, there placed a row of thick fragrant candles. Though covered by glasses, the fragrance of the candles diffuses and mixes in the air, contributing to the relaxing and soft vibe in the space. The candles are also organic and they are of floral fragrance.
Both the organic lights and floral fragrant candles convey a feminine vibe. “My shop is more feminine than it is masculine, and attracts more feminine type of shoppers than masculine type of shoppers.” That explains why the cream fairy princess shaped light is the best seller in his shop.
