The next few blogs are about a couple of key streets in Shoreditch. They have a rich history, but are also symbolic of the rapid change that has happened in the area. What is important about them both is that, despite the change they have not yet become identikit high streets. They retain the essence of Shoreditch and are alive with creativity and independent thinking.
Historically, Redchurch Street was in one of the poorest areas of London and a slum since the 18th Century. Artists were in residence because of the large warehouse spaces and cheap rents, but commercially it was pretty much ignored until the late 90s, when Les Trois Garçons renovated a huge old pub. Part restaurant, part museum, part vintage emporium, but all cool - it became a destination location. Cutting-edge fashionable folk would taxi in and out of the venue… if they could get a cabbie to take them there in the first place. (Street art by Shepard Fairey).
Soon after, the openings of Shoreditch House members’ club and Conran’s Boundary ‘restaurants, rooms and rooftop’ cemented the area as a credible destination. Advertising agencies, galleries and young early adopters moved in. Sam Taylor-Wood shot the REM video for ÜBerlin in 2011 on Redchurch St featuring her then fiancé Aaron Johnson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZITh-XIikgI.
Not all of the area’s artists have vacated their studios in search of something more spacious, cheap and hip. Tim Noble and Sue Webster were part of the post-YBA artists whose work was recognised and bought by collectors all over the world, most notably Charles Saatchi. The money enabled her to buy a warehouse off Redchurch Street where she still lives and works. She features in the brilliant BBC series ‘What do artists do all day?’ http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05z5hc4 which has a lot of information about this amazing location.In terms of commercial offerings, Redchurch Street is now very well established and houses a mix of independent labels and global brands. You do get the feeling that these brands are respectful of its gritty, cool credentials and do not want to ruin the very reason they chose the location in the first place by being too homogenised or sanitised.
Sunspel is a luxury British clothes brand established in 1860 whose ‘revolutionary idea’ was ‘to make simple, everyday clothing from beautiful fabrics’. Thomas Hill was the first person to introduce the boxer short to the UK in 1947, after a trip to the States. Nick Kamen even wore a pair in that advert for Levis in 1985 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q56M5OZS1A8. They now have a full range of men’s and women’s clothes and occupy a prime spot at the beginning of Redchurch St. @Sunspel
Just round the corner from Sunspel is 7 Upholstery, an ‘independent, friendly and professional upholsterers’ who specialise in bringing much loved but tired pieces of furniture back to life. @7upholstery
Opposite is The Albion, part of the Boundary building www.theboundary.co.uk, Conran’s early foray into the area. It is a café and small shop, with an in-house bakery and cake counter, where the vast majority of the food and drink products are British. Its baskets of seasonal veg outside are a colourful addition to the street, as are its four-legged clientele. @AlbionLdn
Huntergather is ‘a new concept in fashion retailing. Based around a creative community assembled by David Bradshaw, it is a collective, a repository of ideas, a gathering of minds and a fashion label.’ It’s also a café with very friendly staff and a damn fine cake. More four-legged customers too, this street is a mecca for down-with-it dogs.@Hunter_Gather
Nudie Jeans is a new kid on the Redchurch block, a Swedish denim label that does things differently. Its recommendations at first seem to go against the grain - don’t wash your new jeans for at least six months? When they break, come in for a free repair? When you understand their ethos is about social responsibility and taking care of nature it all begins to make sense. “It's about how long you can make a single pair of jeans last. People sometimes say that we'd earn so much more if we didn't have this service … yes we could, but that's not the point. We think long term.” CEO Palle Stenberg. Quote from an article in The Guardian http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/nudie-swedish-denim-label-jeans. @nudiejeans
The Owl And The Pussycat is a lovely boozer. Despite a complete revamp and gentrification into a ‘gastro pub’ in 2012, it has managed to do what so many pubs fail to do - to keep the soul of its previous incarnation. It might have the current trend for artfully mismatched furniture and lighting, but it is still very much a proper pub which is now well worn, lived in and friendly. It can get very busy, with people spilling onto Redchurch Street (where cars are still eyed with disdain), but also has a sweet little terrace at the back for some non-pavement fresh air. And they clearly have a way with words, as the sign says it all. @34Redchurch
Mast Brothers is chocolate heaven. Rick and Michael Mast are well known in the US as master chocolate crafters, but Redchurch St is their first UK store.“It’s a full-on chocolate factory. We’re making chocolate from bean to bar onsite. You can see it all happening when you go in” says Rick in an article for The Observer Food Monthly that featured the 50 hottest places, people and trends in food this year http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/mar/15/ofm-50-hottest-trends-people-places-in-food-for-2015. The packaging itself is to die for, as is the hot chocolate served on tap. Large windows do allow you to see the chocolate being made, but real chocoholics can book a tour. @mastbrothers
T2 is proof that not all of Redchurch St is about soya lattes. T2 is Australia’s leading tea retailer “and now sells enough tea per month to make 9 million cups!”. T2 is a big, colourful store packed full of more types of tea than we ever thought existed. There is a tea bar, plenty of samples to taste, as well as a charming range of tea cups, pots and flasks. A free jug is usually in place outside so you can have a try of something new and exotic that you definitely will not have experienced before. @T2TeaOfficial
At Italian-owned Burro e Salvia they make pasta. By hand, in front of you, the old fashioned way, Their creations are like mini works of art, many of them look too good to eat. But eat you must - either a take away to enjoy at home, or in their little café washed down with great Italian wine. Like so many shops on this street, they are demonstrating an artisan skill as well as giving us a peek into a more traditional way of life. They also run pasta workshops from this bijou space that seems to have imported a little of the Italian sunshine. @BurroSalvia
Barbour and Parlour occupies the whole of what looks like a run down office towards the end of the street. It is an extension of the Soho House brand, bringing a non-exclusive and more affordable offering to this end of Redchurch Street. The building could be a metaphor for the street itself, since behind the graffiti and urban grit lies a whole lot of creative stuff. Cheeky Parlour is a huge, unpretentious beauty space, Cheeky Hair is the famous hair colourist Josh Wood’s team of colourists and stylists and Neville Barber ensures that the ‘the capital’s most distinguished men are always looking on top of their game’ . You could spend all day here as Barber & Parlour Kitchen serves great food in a large spacious café and you can finish off with a trip to the Electric Cinema in the basement. The final bonus is it still feels a little bit out of the way and a tiny bit unknown, so whilst it’s busy enough to have a great atmosphere, it’s not bursting at the seams. @BarberParlour
Of course, the reality is there is a commercial aspect to all of this change. The arrival of these high-end lifestyle brands have pushed up rents and forced some tenants out of the area. But so far, the street has retained much of its colourful and creative character. Let’s hope it stays that way. Next blog on the commerce, creativity and cardio fitness in and around Calvert Ave.
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