This week's Shop of the Week, The Basics Store, features a variety of beautiful products from local British designers. For one month only, Redchurch Street will be displaying some of the finest womenswear and accessories around, including Blake LDN, Danielle Foster and Marina London. We caught up with the store's curator, Marina Guergova, to find out how she brought The Basics Store to life.
Why did you decide to launch The Basics Store?
I had been wanting to do a pop up in Shoreditch for a little while and after the success of the Ganni pop-up in the same store, I really wanted to do something that was just as striking and exciting. I wanted to have temporary store for my brand - Marina London, but alongside other brands too, whom I love and think have a similar aesthetic to mine. My head tends to be full of random ideas and this was something that stood out as special and I couldn't let it go undone.
How did you choose the brands to appear inside it?
A lot of them are actually friends of mine and designers that I like, so the main thing was to have different things that would fill a purpose in women's wardrobes - like a good shoe brand, great bags, silk basics, jewellery that is for everyday wear, but is also incredibly well made. In a way it was quite easy selecting who I really wanted to be in store. If I had more space I still wouldn't be stuck for people to have there - there are so many talented deisgners in town.
What do you think the benefits are of a concept store over a brand store?
I think the advantage is that it is much more exciting. I'd much rather walk into a store that has different products as opposed to just one brand or one type of product. I love brands that do one thing well, so if you get those brands together you have a kind of lifestyle shop. If there are more designers, there is also that much more interest from people to walk into the store. Sharing a space with like-minded people is also about community - working with others and helping each other grow is key, to anything being successful.
What inspired the design of the store?
The design was actually all about minimal fuss and basic materials. We used plywood and copper as the two materials in the store and they do a function. They hold the clothes or jewellery in place. Simple but measured carefully and put together by a brilliant carpenter.
The outside of the store was about being fun and interactive, so we drew the logo all over the shop front in different sizes and that is something I was really excited about. If you have five weeks to shine, then really shine from the outside and let the inside speak for itself.
What appealed to you about setting up shop in this location?
It was actually the Ganni pop up that was here last September. They really did a great job of giving the shop a lot of street cred, becuase of the exterior. Also, because I live five minutes away from it and I love the area.
Where did you source your materials and props from?
All the shop-fit was done by a friend of mine who is a carpenter, so that is all we needed as he did everything.
What’s been your biggest learning so far?
Probably, what sells and what doesn't as much, although there are no actual patterns to what people buy, you see what people are drawn to when they first walk into the store. I think customer behaviour and understanding of your customer, is what any business will really value from doing a store like this.
Discover The Basics Store at 30 Redchurch Street, E2 7DP till July 13.