the struggle of a unique London fashion street

General view of Fonthill Road. Photo: Jill Mead/The Guardian

There's an abundance of lace, glittering diamonds and enough sequins for several series of Strictly Come Dancing: no, this isn't the Met Gala, but an inconspicuous North London street where a quiet battle is underway to protect a hidden fashion treasure.

Nearly 100 fashion stores, with names like Bien Avenue, Cinderella and the sadly now defunct FFUK (short for Fashion Fashion UK), are housed in about 250 metres of Fonthill Road, tucked away behind Finsbury Park station.

The street was designated a "specialist fashion cluster" by the local council in 2020 ...