Cool supplies

One of the most promising spots in Cubao X goes by a cheeky and rather foreboding name. To its credit, however, The Junkie Shop feels more like an artsy attic or a tricked-out treehouse than Pete Doherty’s hotel room. See, if this store were a person, it would be Michael Cera — laid-back, a bit awkward, and charming in a lo-fi kinda way.

“After many discussions, we finally came up with the name,” shares Mei Bastes, who runs the retail operation along with Laurie Maravilla, Karlo Cleto, Kitty Caragay, and Christian Bautista. She says that one of them, Karlo, was apprehensive about the word “junkie” because of its negative implications. Fortunately, he agreed after some gentle bullying, resulting in what is possibly the fivesome’s first entrepreneurial anecdote. The quirky handle does stand out, and as Mei continues: “The wordplay really goes with what we have to offer. Cubao X was our only choice.”

For Music-Loving Types

The horseshoe-shaped hamlet, formerly known as the Marikina Shoe Expo, is already filled with one-off stores, but The Junkie Shop has its eye trained on a very specific client base: the city’s young, music-loving types. Amid the clutter of CDs from below-the-radar Pinoy bands — The Dorques, Einstein Chakras, and The Purple Chickens — are previously-owned electric guitars and band equipment, all in good-to-go condition.

“I tried buying gear from online forums and I was scammed,” explains Christian. “Most of the time, you can only check an item when you finally meet up with the seller. This is usually in a public place so you can’t test the equipment properly for defects. A measure of trust is required when buying gear on the Internet, and sometimes it gets violated. The shop takes care of that.”

A Screwed-Up Trophy Cabinet

Since music and the lifestyle that accompanies it are The Junkie Shop’s raisons d’etre, the partners source their merch from band and fashion-industry pals. Project Runway Philippines alum Ava Paguyo (sewthepopstation. multiply.com) sells her customized scarves and slip-ons alongside Alice Sarmiento’s panda lucha libre masks. Likewise, T-shirts, sunglasses, and hosiery share shelf space with bottles of nail polish, My Little Pony memorabilia, and a Bob Dylan biography. 

Is it similar to a fun, screwed-up trophy cabinet? “It’s like the Nella Sarabia Optical in UP Diliman, only with more indie stuff,” laughs Mei. The Radiohead track humming from the turntable is a bonus.

Get You Hooked

As it aims to quicken pulses, The Junkie Shop accepts special orders. A guest book in the store doubles as a place where clients can scribble their wish lists.

“We’ll do our best to hunt down what you want, from really old concert posters to whatever, as long as it’s music-related and ‘findable.’ Don’t come to us if you want the Holy Grail, please,” explains Laurie. For the latter, there’s Craigslist. 

Finally, on top of its concierge service, The Junkie Shop is also willing to style you. Their in-house makeup artists and stylists have worked everywhere, from TV shows and music videos to magazine editorials. If that won’t get you hooked, I don’t know what will. 

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The Junkie Shop, Cubao X, Quezon City is open Tuesdays to Sundays, 2 p.m. to 12 midnight or thereabouts. E-mail thejunkieshop@ gmail.com. For inquiries about makeup and fashion styling, call Mei Bastes at 0927-2402211.