destination london; As Matthew Williamson demonstrates at the South Asian emporiums of Brick Lane, the vivid delights of India can be sourced a bit closer to home.

Byline: Mark Holgate

Despite his 36 trips to the Subcontinent, not to mention countless days spent scouring the markets and stores of London's Asian communities, the inveterate Indiaphile Matthew Williamson does sometimes stumble across something he has never seen before. Exhibit A: 20-plus faux-gold bangles fastened together with an elaborate tassel clasp. The asking price is a mere $25, bling without the big bucks-so Williamson snaps it up. "I might use it for my next show," he says. "But even if I don't, I'd be happy for it to sit at home, twinkling away."

The source of this treasure is the Modern Saree Centre at 26-28 Brick Lane (011/44-20-7247-4040), and Williamson adds it to the two chunky charm bangles he has chosen with an eye to turning them into a pair of monumental hoop earrings. Brick Lane is just one of the places that Williamson visits when he wants an infusion of India without the 24-hour flight and the crippling jet lag. The Glassy Junction in Southall and Green Street in Forest Gate are two other haunts. But Brick Lane never fails to delight him, and this time he has brought along his codesigner, Ann Ceprynski. "It might not have the wonderfully pungent aroma of India," says Williamson, "but you could still be shopping in the Sunder Nagar market in Delhi."

Williamson is looking for inspiration for his fall 2005 collection, and he may have found it on a revolving rack of saris selling at $20 each. Williamson holds up a bolt of bold purple silk bordered with drab khaki. "I love the way the edges look as ...