Osman Yousefzada Collaborates With Cecil Court Bookseller & Over 30 Artists
By Something CuratedEarlier this summer, designer Osman Yousefzada launched his London townhouse retail space, The House of Osman, filled with a carefully curated edit of beautiful clothes, artworks, interiors pieces and books. The building dates from the 1760s and like many on Fitzrovia’s Percy Street, was once an opium den, but Osman has put it to new use. As well as looks from his recent collections, there are over 30 pieces of art on display, by artists including George Henry Longly, Satoshi Kojima, Celia Hempton, Goshka Macuga, Prem Sahib, and more. Several pieces are for sale and others are on loan from the Nicoletta Fiorucci collection. Yousefzada aims to re-hang the rooms every few months.
As well as art at fashion, visitors to the space can acquire rare first editions from the antiquarian bookshop in the corner of the downstairs parlour. A collaboration with Tim Bryars, who owns Bryars & Bryars on Cecil Court, the project offers a unique and beautiful selection of reading materials. Bryars told Something Curated: “I think Osman likes what we have on Cecil Court. It’s one of the last streets in London where every shop is still an independent specialist dealer in books, maps, prints, art and antiques. In our shop, we sell rare and collectable books and original antique maps, published at any time within the last 500 years and with a price range of £20 to £20,000. Everything has a point, we’ve chosen it because it is a good example of what it is, but we’d like to have something for everyone with an interest in what we do – I wouldn’t want anyone to feel they can’t come in because they aren’t already an expert, or couldn’t afford to buy anything. I have a sense that Osman feels the same about his Percy Street townhouse, he’s very welcoming.”
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The bookseller expands: “Osman has a great interest in design, and he is also widely read. He seems to genuinely appreciate the fabric of the books, the quality of printing. I work closely with fellow bookseller Angus O’Neill, and between us we chose a number of books about art and design, from lavishly illustrated monographs about archaic Greek sculpture to books about the 20th century Swedish designer Sigurd Persson, and the Swedish glassmaking firm Orrefors. But we also provided issues of ‘USSR in Construction’, the 1930s state-published journal which told the wider world about the pace of Soviet growth, which has become a landmark in Soviet realist art and photography. There are 20th century first editions by the likes of Graham Green, John Le Carre and Anthony Powell, and some of Ian Fleming’s Bond novels, with Richard Chopping’s distinctive trompe l’oeil style dust jackets. Osman’s eyes lit up when we handed over a limited edition of Katherine Mansfield’s ‘The Garden Party’ printed in 1939. Not only does it contain new stories, it was printed by the Officina Bodoni, a private press known for its craftsmanship. It is illustrated with original lithographs by Marie Laurencin, and it is a pleasure to turn the pages.”
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The recently opened 3,000 sq ft townhouse marks an impressive year for Osman, who has seen sales rise by 72 per cent in the past 12 months, attracting new backers. This June, the designer curated an exhibition and arts festival in his native Birmingham, exploring the immigrant experience from a second-generation perspective. Yousefzada’s Afghan parents came to the UK in the 1970s and the designer learnt to sew by helping his dressmaker mother as a child. In addition to the retail facet, the site houses Osman’s design studio, personal offices, atelier and head office, encouraging customers to engage with aspects of the brand’s inner workings. The design-focussed interior and welcoming layout, along with the soft furnishings and elegantly restored fireplaces, cumulatively instate a sense of home.
The House of Osman – 32 Percy Street, Fitzrovia, London W1T 2DE
Feature image via Osman Studio