SC Guide — Redchurch Street
By Something CuratedThis unassuming stretch in Shoreditch is an efficient traveller’s dream come true, packed with a diverse amalgam of unique stores, restaurants, galleries and cafés. With its neighbourhood nail parlours and minicab offices sitting alongside emerging galleries and recently opened boutiques, Redchurch Street might not look like the new Bond Street, but it’s being hailed as just that, with scouts from Prada, Ralph Lauren and Paul Smith sizing up the Georgian façades in search of East End locations. Since Shoreditch House opened a stone’s throw away some years ago, shortly followed by Terence Conran’s Boundary, the area’s transformation gained momentum. With a distinctively quirky feel, the street boasts a selection of unusual design shops, fashion retailers and eateries, alongside some more well-known labels. Something Curated takes a look at the must-visit spots on this eclectic street.
Aimé || Val & Vanda Heng Vong (No. 17)
In 1999, French Cambodian sisters Val and Vanda Heng Vong were living and studying in London. Whilst enjoying the creative diversity that London has to offer, the sisters still found themselves missing many of their favourite Parisian labels and products. The concept of a multi brand lifestyle boutique showcasing the best in French design was born. In 2013 Aimé expanded from its original West London home, across town to Shoreditch, opening a second boutique in Redchurch Street.
Stocking French cult label Isabel Marant since the store’s launch, as well as recent additions like Vanessa Seward and French shoe designer Michel Vivien, the retail duo have gained a reputation as venerable tastemakers. Aimé’s selection has widened in recent years to include Spanish designer Masscob, Italian brands Forte Forte and Faliero Sarti. as well as staples like Soeur, Harris Wharf and Star Mela. The store is a pocket of Paris in London, where you will find unique fashion offerings, gift ideas and elegant homeware.
Mast Brothers Chocolate || Rick & Michael Mast (Nos. 19-29)
Founded in 2007 by Brooklyn-based chocolate-making siblings, Mast Brothers Chocolate’s first London offering came in the form of a pop-up at the nearby Ace Hotel. Now London has the full Mast Brothers experience with their slick, minimal chocolate-factory-come-retail-space on Redchurch Street. The store’s windows resemble an art gallery with continually changing chocolate-related installations. Mast Brothers is London’s first bean-to-bar chocolate maker, showcasing their process in an open factory behind a floor to ceiling window.
The full range of chocolate bars are presented in neat stacks atop white plinths. Gorgeously wrapped in colourful printed papers, the packaged bars look almost too attractive to eat. On offer are flavour combinations including sea salt and chilli, bacon and maple syrup, a medley of dried fruit and the brand’s Origin Collection, including bars made of beans from Guatemala, Papua New Guinea, the Dominican Republic, Peru, Belize and the original Brooklyn Blend.
Londonewcastle Project Space || David Barnett & Robert Soning (No. 28)
Londonewcastle’s arts programme was founded by creative property brand Londonewcastle with the aim of putting vacant spaces to interesting use by collaborating with the city’s creative community. The ethos is to provide artists the opportunity to show their work in environments donated for their use, therefore reducing the financial burden on burgeoning creative talent. The Redchurch Street space also supports street art by providing large canvases for artists.
David Barnett and Robert Soning’s aim was to bring London’s creative community and Londonewcastle’s vacant spaces together, giving new artists a place to exhibit their work. Londonewcastle Project Space notably hosts the annual Catlin Art Prize exhibition.
londonewcastle.com/arts-programme
Modern Society || Nazifa Movsoumova (No. 33)
Nazifa Movsoumova opened her curated boutique in Shoreditch in October 2015. As the store’s founder and buyer, she is eager to change people’s perspective of contemporary retail with her eye for niche brands spanning fashion, homeware and literature.
The founder describes Modern Society as a destination in itself, where you’re always bound to find something you’ve never seen before. The store hosts a polished selection of brands by both emerging and established designers from around the world. Handpicked by globetrotter Movsoumova, the space’s monochrome décor allows the items, including clothing, jewellery, and homeware, to stand out. There’s also coffee on offer at the store’s in-house espresso bar.
The Basics Store || Marina Guergova (No. 42)
The Basics Store, a concept conceived by London based designer Marina Guergova, sets out to provide life’s everyday essentials. After graduating from Central Saint Martins in 2009, Guergova decided to focus on silk when she started her own brand. The young entrepreneur had previous success at a one-day popup shop in collaboration with jewellery brand Moxham in Shoreditch House back in 2013.
After designing her own simple and elegant tops, shirts and dresses for some years, the designer became interested in the prospect of a retail platform. Housing Guergova’s own silkwear brand, along with independent labels, you can expect to find luxurious knitwear, woven rugs, contemporary footwear, leather bags and accessories, handmade jewellery, as well as a selection of unique fragrances from the Intertrade Group. Open until July 27th 2016.
marinalondon.com/the-basics-store
Aēsop Shoreditch || Dennis Paphitis (No. 44)
Aēsop’s Shoreditch offering showcases another facet of the brand’s interior design, with fittings and furniture by Bethnal Green based designer Gareth Neal. This time the concept is sleek and white with a few wooden shelves, relatively minimalistic when compared with the company’s other stores.
Dennis Paphitis, founder of the Australian skincare brand, takes great pride in no two Aēsop stores being of the same design; he enjoys working with different architects around the world and believes “there’s a direct correlation between interesting, captivating store spaces and customer traffic.” Today, in addition to skincare, Aēsop also produces hair care, soaps and fragrance, available in over 40 locations worldwide.
Counter Albion || Terence Conran & Peter Prescott (No. 45)
Owned by Terence Conran and Peter Prescott, Albion started life in Shoreditch in early 2009 as a cafe, bakery and shop, specialising in simple, modestly priced, seasonal British food. Since then the original idea has flourished and a lot has changed over the years, with openings in Bankside, Clerkenwell and a second location in Shoreditch. The daily-changing menus are mainly based on seasonal British ingredients with the support of a few international additions.
The founders proudly proclaim their food offering is fresh, natural and tasty; all of the bakery goods and cakes are made in the eateries’ kitchens. The small shop at Counter Albion stocks a range of groceries that aim to reflect the main idea behind the menus. You can also expect to find a few items such as kitchen utensils, pots and pans, and wine decanters. Alongside food and drink products, Counter Albion also has a small specialist bookshop, curated in partnership with Artwords, with top new titles and pioneering magazines from the culinary world.
albion-uk.london/counteralbion
Burro e Salvia || Gaia Enria (No. 52)
Burro e Salvia is an Italian café that specialises in pasta, serving traditional snacks throughout the day and fresh pasta dishes during lunchtime; the eatery also sells uncooked pasta to prepare at home. After a career in marketing and PR for other restaurants and culinary brands, Gaia Enria finally decided to set up her own business. It was her lifelong passion for Italian food that led her to opening London’s first artisan Pastificio in Shoreditch.
Gaia was trained in the traditional pasta shops of her native Turin and in Bologna, two of the most renowned fresh pasta capitals in Italy. Since Burro e Salvia launched, her London slice of Italian life has been widely praised. Enria also offers a fresh pasta workshop where students can learn how to make authentic Italian dishes from Burro e Salvia’s team of Sfogline. Workshops run for up to six people and private sessions can be arranged.
Allpress Espresso Bar || Michael Allpress (No. 58)
Allpress was established in New Zealand in 1986 when Michael Allpress decided to chase his love of traditional Italian espresso rather than his career as a chef. He built a coffee cart and began serving the largely unfamiliar espresso drinks in a local Auckland market. His obsession with flavour led him to source his own beans and begin roasting coffee. This fresh approach to flavour quickly generated interest from cafes and restaurants across the country and Michael’s focus shifted from cart operator to specialty coffee roaster.
Catering to a breadth of locals and visitors, the venue offers an unpretentious and welcoming atmosphere. Filter brews from a changing roster of beans are expertly made and well suited to leisurely sipping. The food offering is simple with a selection of unique sandwiches, breakfast plates and canteen dishes for lunch. The roaster can be seen in action during the week with the freshly roasted blends and single origin coffees available to purchase for brewing at home.
Labour and Wait || Simon Watkins & Rachel Wythe-Moran (No. 85)
Labour and Wait offers a chance to resurface childhood memories, stocking nostalgic products that your parents or grandparents might have used, whether it’s clothes, tools or domestic decorations. Their Redchurch Street shop sells traditional craft and utility items all sourced to fit a practical function with an appealing aesthetic. In 2000, Labour and Wait opened in East London; it used to be on the busy market block called Cheshire Street, and has since moved to its larger current space.
Rachel Wythe-Moran and Simon Watkins set up the store nearly fifteen years ago as a result of their love for artisan products and gadgets. Both share a background in menswear design and discovered, while working together, that they harboured similar aspirations of founding their own shops. They decided that the natural thing to do was to join forces, leading them to launch their curated collection of goods.
Monologue London || Pavel Klimczak (No. 93)
Monologue London, a cosy, bright and graphically-inspired space founded by Polish interior designer Pavel Klimczak, offers a unique selection of furniture and homeware. A curator with bold ideas and an eye for talent, Klimczak’s store stocks contemporary pieces by his favourite designers, including Hay, La Chance and Cousu De Fil Blanc.
Monologue was born following Klimczak’s desire to create a new spot for design where he could join together all of his favourite brands. He describes Monologue as, “a place where people can be inspired, finding new things with fresh ideas,” going on to say, “that’s why our mission is to create an ever-changing palette of objects, colours and ideas.” Supporting Polish designers like Bashko Trybek, who designed shelving units for the French brand La Chance, Monologue also collaborates with collective Beza Projekt whose elegantly made marble pieces combine fresh design with a traditional Polish aesthetic.
Hostem || James Brown (28 Old Nichol Street – Redchurch Street store undergoing renovations)
Founder James Brown was a professional football player until he snapped his Achilles heel, after which he decided to change his work field entirely. He remembered his love of fashion cultivated by trips to London as a child and in particular Peter Siddell’s menswear shrine, The Library on Brompton Road. After looking in Dalston and Mayfair, Brown chanced upon an old factory on Redchurch Street that had been owned by a Bangladeshi family for a quarter of a century, but which had been left derelict for a number of years.
Years later, Hostem, named after the latin phrase audio hostem, or “I hear the enemy”, has been central to the regeneration of the area. As well as stocking directional brands like Loewe, Thom Browne and Lanvin, similar to Machine-A’s founder Stavros Karelis, Brown has helped lots of young brands who are in their first or second season to grow, championing their work in his store. Hostem’s Redchurch Street site is undergoing renovations – they are currently based a stone’s throw away at 28 Old Nichol Street.
Text by Keshav Anand