shop collages

Start

Hoxton Boutique

SHOP IMAGES/ILLUSTRATIONS

TIFFANY

Start

The idea for Start came from the observation that there was nowhere to shop for designer fashion in the trendy up and coming Shoreditch. After the opening in 2002, the store has expanded twice: in 2004 a larger women´s clothing section was opened across the road, then in 2008 Philip Start opened his men´s tailoring line, Mr Start. What will he, with his wife Brix Smith-Start, think of next? She, the former guitarist of the post-punk band the Fall, has appeared many times on TV(the store itself has a TV channel on youtube and most of it is about her wanders in the fashion circles.) She was also a 'fashion expert' in Gok´s Fashion Fix. If anything, it looks as if Brix is obsessed with publicity, either for herself or for Start...

Brix!

Hoxton Boutique and surrounding areas

damn at blogspot for making the photos smaller and bad quality...

The Hoxton Boutique is very proud of its location, in the trendy Shoreditch area where people may look dirty and careless but who have actually thought a lot about their outfits. Being unique and different is everything and you can´t help noticing the stylish youth wandering around(this may partly be due to the fact there is a UAL student hall quite close by.)
The Hoxton Boutique is also quite lucky because you can´t actually see many other fashion shops around it. There is the Hoxton Square, with bars, restaurants and the famous White Cube gallery, as well as other bars around the corner but that´s mainly it. The Hoxton Boutique has always wanted to avoid being branded as a 'high street shop', and in this it succeeds well. Anyone looking for something fun and unique should pop by although the prices aren´t the most affordable.

B Store..what are you playing at?

Why does everyone seem to be loving the b store, not only the shop but also the brand? Let’s explore shall we…

They are a name that gets around, in March this year they joined forces with The Shop at Bluebird and created a pop up store that lasted for one month. It was designed by the newly created architectural and interior design company, Post-Office and it aim was to create maximum impact on the visiting customers. It was a space that incorporated clever shelving and lighting that worked hard to sell sell sell. This was a clever move, Bluebird is a shop with a huge reputation. B Store basically used this recognition to get some of their own. Pop up stores are always a great idea, not just to create more money, but also to create brand awareness. I think people are aware of the store but may not be as aware that they have their own successful menswear and footwear lines. They may have reached out to customers that might never visit their Savile Row store.

Up coming collaborations for spring/summer 2011 include a mens capsule collection with Liberty and a jacket collaboration with heritage brand, Baracuta. They are very selective as a brand who they create these collaborations with, they want to choose brands that represent them in a new light, but in keeping with their overall look. Again this is a good way of exposing their brand to a different band of customers. Especially somewhere like Liberty that has a huge customer base ranging from very wealthy to the not so wealthy. Their first women’s collection was designed by NEWGEN winner Natascha Stolle and a presentation during London fashion week was held in the shop which created not only an interest in this new line but also the shop itself.  

B Store has a huge interest in art and music as well as fashion. The window displays are usually art or video instillations based on their collections. These things are passions shared by both co founders and so obviously they combined this in to their shop aesthetic, but this also draws in people who are fans of modern art and the underground music scene. 

They use all these different aspects combined to create something that is not narrow minded but expands out and reaches a whole variety of people. All the different collaborations. pop up stores, and self promotion (through their own magazine) have helped make the brand and the store so successful. (Giovanna)

Liberty: collaborations and events!

Liberty is a shop famous for their partnerships with a huge range of fashion industry professionals, but what is it that makes it so successful?

Some recent collaborations in 2009 include Nike, APC and Hermes to name a few and in 2010 they have teamed up with Nicholas Kirkwood, created a makeup collection with MAC and a collection with 10 Corso Como, a Milan concept boutique.These collaborations bring in lots of money and recently as a store they have been struggling through the recession. However there are rumours that a Liberty London brand could be on the horizon which means lots of media attention and lots of sales!

I asked a few customers the question, why do you shop here? Some answers included

- ‘I like the choice on offer. I can basically get everything I need in this one shop.’

-‘I like to get lost on all the floors, you feel like you are in another world when you are in here. I think its because the building has so much charm.’

-‘It does not feel like a department store, it feels like a huge boutique.’

Lots of customers were saying they liked the huge variety of choice and price ranges.

Liberty is a hub of activity, there is always something going on. As a shop they work extremely hard to generate interest so that lots of people will be swayed in to coming to visit, and may even part with some cash!

Some recent events:

- This Thursday - Sunday - Shoe Weekend which Nicholas Kirkwood will be attending.

-Launch of a Dinny Hall (jewellery) limited edition range - only 10 pieces of each item available.

-Anna Sui will be in store signing copies of her new book and showcasing her SS11 Capsule collection designed with LIberty prints.

-In February next year they will be holding their 3rd Open Call. This gives new designers the chance to have their products sold at Liberty. It is not just limited to clothes, they want to see, hats to handbags, crafts to cushions and everything in between. In the past, some of their best selling products have come from these designers.

-25th November Espa are holding a Christmas event in their Heritage Suite with facials and champagne

…and lots more!!

Liberty basically knows how to attract attention and bring in the customers, and these events are all starting to become part of the Liberty shopping experience. (Giovanna)

Shop List

Tiffany: TopShop, Urban Outfitters

Matilda: Start, Hoxton Boutique

Giovanna: Liberty, B Store

Sheneka: Acne, Selfridge

Danielle: Convenience Store, Browns & Browns Focus

Preeti: Matches, Oxfam

Sasha: Dover Street Market

Nadine: Liberty

Topshop Customer

I interviewed some Topshop customers & asked them how they would describe their style, where there favourite shops were, why they shopped at Topshop & what they liked about it.

 

  Name: Elle
  Age: Early Twenties
  Style: Elle described her style as "high street & vintage"

  Favourite shops: Vivienne Westwood, Topshop, American appeal &  The Broadway Market

"I adore Topshop! There clothes are so diverse as there's some really laid back normal stuff then you find quirky things you'd find no where else. Topshop is always up to date with the latest fashion trends and everyone even celebs love it."

  Name: Danielle & Natalie  

  Age: Early Twenties
  Style: Danielle & Natalie described their style as "being retro & punky vintage alternative"    
  Favourite shops: Topshop, Vivienne Westwood & Vintage shops

 " Topshop is the place to shop for fashionable pieces.good quality stylish and OK priced." 

  "Topshop is a great shop for younger people, with lots of variety and fashionable clothes. Plus   they do a student discount."

(Sheneka)

A quick diversion

shopping trip to House of Fraser on our travels to the fashion shops; snap shot in the lift. 

 (Preeti, Jade & Me

)

Dover Street Market Customers

 

  Name: Ming-lee & Zuki 

Age: Mid twenties 

Style: Casual vintage wear 

Favourite shops: Prada & Dover street market  

"The Dover Street market is place to spot fashion people as it is a must see place everyone visits frequently. For the average consumer it can be a bit overwhelming experience as it is so indifferent from a normal shop. But still I think everyone should go and see the place!"

The Disney Store

The Disney Store

 Although this wasn't on the list i found the window displays very interesting & was drawn into the shop from across the road by its brightly coloured animation inside & out of the shop. They were playing Disney Christmas carol songs and had big T.V's showing Disney films all around the shop, this kind of atmosphere made me instantly feel like a kid again & wanted to touch & play with things, i also felt as if i couldn't leave the shop without buying something so i brought a really big Eeyore teddy bear which can be seen below.

\

(Sheneka)

Louis Vuitton

(Sheneka)

Key words

I´ve written down some descriptive sentences but for now, I´m just going to write some words associated with the different shops..

DSM: attraction, pretentious, expensive, different. For people with more money than personal style.

Hoxton Boutique: Cosy, small, affordable, trendy

B store: natural, clean, earth, rude

Oxfam: West London, organised, charity, cool

Browns: traditional, classy, elegance, middle-aged customers
Brown Focus: modern, youth, opposite to Browns

Matches: yummy mummies, expensive

Topshop: high-street, affordable, mass, everyone ends up looking the same

Selfridges: window displays, tourists, expensive

Liberty: luxury design, traditional

U.O: American cool, industrial, relaxed, youth
(Matilda)

Hola, just don't forget the list with designers, stylists, photographers, iconic people and magazines and subcultures you like; so we can choose one that everybody will like (hardly,but..) :)) (Sara)

Selfridges

(nadine)

Sara

• 
  
• 
  
• Selfridges is a chain of high end department stores in the United Kingdom
• Harry Gordon Selfridge was the founder and opened selfridges in 1909
• 2nd Largest shop in the UK
• 3 other selfridges
• London Store designed by Daniel Burnham,
• The distinctive polychrome sculpture above the Oxford Street entrance is the work of British sculptor Gilbert Bayes.
• Selfridges in London was named world's best department store in 2010.
• High street brands to High end luxury brands
• Aimed at 20 year olds and higher
• Clothing for men and women, bags and accessories, electronics, furniture, make-up, cosmetics and fragrances.
• Staff are very welcoming and friendly and very attentive
• Recently opened shoe gallery.
• Bright, eye-catching window displays have become part of the brand image and always attract tourists and anybody passing by. Art Installations/ 3d visuals rather than mannequins displaying clothing.
• Eclectic market. Young edgy yet also a very old traditional feel to it.

(Tiffany)

Selfridges

(Sheneka)

Browns & Browns Focus

• Created by Joan Burstein in 1970
• Started as a small boutique at 27 Molton Street
• Individually handpicked items from the worlds top designers.
• Includes a personal Shopper service
• Older, Sophisticated market
• Simple, plain window displays for an older market
• Browns Focus
• Aimed more at a fashion forward crowd "For a woman that likes to dress with attitude"
• Aimed more at a younger market
• same price points as Browns
• Visual and display in the store is much more edgy and opposite of Browns, across the road. (Tiffany)

(nadine)

Matches - Ledbury road

• First Matches store opened in wimbledon in 1990
• Thirteen stores across Notting Hill, Richmond, Wimbledon, Mayfair and Marylebone
• Designers such as Burberry Prorsum, YSL, Diane Von Furstenberg, Azzedine Alaia, Sophia Kokosalaki and Alexander Mcqueen
• Cutting edge Fashion
• Sophisticated artistic interior and decor.
• Aimed at a higher market
• Very High end customers
• High fashion Designers (Tiffany)