No area of London has witnessed more change than the East over the last 20 years. If you've lived within earshot of the peal of the Bow Bells, you'll have seen a huge shift in not only the incoming residents but the businesses too. From the original influx of artists to the media agencies and financiers, the area has accommodated a broad spectrum of demographics, which is what makes it such a vibrant and interesting place to live, explore and shop. At the heart of it all, Shoreditch has been the nucleus for shopping, particularly fashion, and it's where you'll find our store on Calvert Avenue.
Shop Manager Steven Quinn has observed the fast pace of change in the area. Styles, tribes and trends come and go, but Shoreditch's inspiring individuality remains as strident as ever, making it a great place for discovering new aesthetics. If you head down to the store, you'll find Steven very willing to guide you through this season's collection (which is now on sale), but if you're not in the neighborhood, don't worry. We picked his brains to find out what he's setting aside for himself...
"Something I recommend to customers when they're unsure about how to add to their wardrobe, is stripping it back to simply colour and texture, then once you have a good idea of the palette and fabrics you like, then you can start getting a bit more granular with the shapes and silhouettes. A good place to start then is with neutral tones such as beige, off-white, cream, grey. They're called 'neutral' for a reason - they'll go with just about anything in your wardrobe, so the more of it you have, the more styling options you'll create, especially when you start to incorporate different textures. One of my favourites and in my opinion, one of the best overcoats we've ever made, is the Grandpa Raincoat in Marsh Beige. A simple and classic style in a modern technical fabric that’s great year-round. It packs down super small too so when the rain stops you can just roll it up and chuck it in your bag. If you're inspired by tailoring want to get away from the classic suit, our Brookes Jacket in Evering Sand is a great summer option that looks as good with a t-shirt as it does with a more formal shirt. You can wear it as a casual suit with our matching Judo Trousers or just use them as summer separates.
"Once you've got your neutral tones nailed down, then you can introduce more vibrant colours. If bold outerwear is too punchy, then I suggest going for our Clerkenwell Tab Shirt in Pavillion Yellow. This style of shirt is my favourite of all our shirt styles and this particular fabric is the perfect summer weight; nice and breathable with a great texture in a strong colour. Then a favourite of mine are the Drawstring Trousers in Hidcote Green. I’ve almost lived in these all spring and summer so far - super comfortable and they look great with a simple white tee, like our Oli’s T-shirt in Conway White.
"It's important to balance out the lighter tones and the bolder colours with some darker hues such as deep blue, navy, charcoal and black. Of course, they don't reflect light like the other colours, so it's important to consider textures when on the lookout for darker items. Oli always designs with fabric upmost in mind, so that's one less thing for you to think about! The Buckland Jacket is a great case in point: it's an awesome take on a simple coach jacket but in a really interesting fabric. It's subtle enough to provide a clean aesthetic but get up close and it shows off its unique texture. Another example of a jacket with a wonderful texture is the Buffalo Jacket in Navy/Chocolate Patchwork Suede. A wearable but fun take on a classic suede blouson jacket that gets better and better with age. You also can't go wrong with our Clerkenwell Tab Shirt in Thorndon Blue. It's a classic blue checked shirt with a lovely soft handle and perfect for casual weekend fits."