London Store ~ picks

Stores are an expression of personality, someone’s creation. A physical snapshot of their creativity often far more than they dare to do in their homes, which often doesn’t stray far from what we perceive as home. Stores can be places to catch-up, meet like minded people, talk interests and tastes.

Some have stuck closely to the traditional shop keeper and some have evolved into much more full immersive experiences.

Below is a round-up of my favourite London-based stores, from the smaller stand-alone stores to the best brands.

J Glinert - Wilton way

J Glinert is a beautiful little store on Wilton Way, by designer Tom Budding. It stocks an aray of curated homewares and smells of Palo Santo.

Mulberry X By Faye Toogood

This Mulberry store was a result of Mulberry’s creative director (Jonny Cocoa) commissioning Fay Toogood to come up with a new retail concept. The store’s design played on the fact the brand was created in Somerset yet has grown to become a very urban British brand. Fusing ideas of brutalism with more traditional and homely pieces. Gloss tiles, resin and polished plaster next to antique chairs and hand-tufted rugs.

‘I wanted the new Mulberry stores to be immersive environments with the comfort of home’

-COCOA (INTERVIEW WITH FRAME)

Images © French + Tye

Snow Peak Store

Snow peak is a Japanese outdoor brand founded by Yukio Yamai an avid rock climber. The Store is the UK’s first and one of a handful of stores across Europe.

Alex Eagle Studio, Lexington Street

Alex Eagle Studio is just one of several residential apartment-style boutiques that have opened their doors in the past couple of years. These stores which have a likeness to a carefully presented home, began to appear when stores begun to up their experiential game.  The Alex Eagle store is an example of this style; curating clothing,  furniture and has a gallery space below.  

Carhartt, Kings X By Faye Toogood

Carhartt Work In Progress (WIP), flagship store on Kings Boulevard, on the approach to Coal Drops Yard, the new shopping destination in Kings Cross. Is one of my favourite, conceptual flagships. The space is described by the brand to be:

‘a conceptual look at Carhartt WIP’s roots in honest labour, exposing the inner mechanisms of many of the fixtures and utilizing simple but hard wearing materials, ranging from raw concrete to duck brown canvas.’

I love the sculptural elements of the fixtures and unusual use of materiality and canvas.

Images © French + Tye