TUESDAY 11 MAY, 2010

Lamb’s Redchurch Street
The new Aubin & Wills store launches on Redchurch Street. And that might just be a good thing…

"Redchurch Street is absolutely the new Lamb’s Conduit."

Yep, that was me. It was a weekend, bear in mind, and there was a lot of booze in the room. But all the same I think we’re onto something here.

Lamb’s Conduit Street is renowned as an easily-overlooked side-road with a welcoming sense of community, old pubs and gorgeous British boutique-ish stores. And Redchurch Street is, well, it’s not far off.

When I first moved to the ‘Ditch, Redchurch had a cracking namesake bar at one end, The Owl & Pussycat at the other, and a bonkers upholsterer and string of galleries in between. That was about it. But with all these since being joined by the likes of Les Trois Garçons, Shoreditch House , Caravan, The Albion, Boundary, et al, things just keep getting cooler.

So when an Anglo-Abercombie-style brand like Aubin & Wills launches a massive multi-storey venue on the street (complete with its own luxury cinema in the basement – and they’re booking now, hence the heads-up) it might at first seem odd, the brand’s iconic preppiness strangely out of place. But with sartorially-savvy chinos and sock-less loafers, pastel shorts and oversized glasses still on the scene it’s in fact surprisingly timely.

So turn up that catchy Drums track, grab a pot of tea and crumpets at Albion and a poolside bottle of plonk at Shoreditch House, and those A&W pink suits and Cappelino -ish bags seem strangely fitting. And should the potential Sloaneyness start to chafe, just remember: Redchurch Street is still Shoreditch. So if anyone asks, just claim the infallible defence of fashion irony.

INFO
Aubin & Wills opens May 21 – cinema bookings now open: £15-£38 (for the cosy double-seater sofa)
64-66 Redchurch Street, Shoreditch, E2 7DP

Mydeco Design Scout: May

Now that the outside world’s starting to look shiny and new, it’s your decidedly lacklustre winter-worn interiors you need to worry about; which is why we’ve teamed up with mydeco’s design blog to bring you a monthly hit-list of the best trends, tips, hot-off-the-press reading material and must-have items to spruce up your home. Read on for the first edition, complete with inspiring shop-stops, a little Mad Men makeover and Indian eye-candy.

Read the full feature…

AFTER LIFE

If you could keep only one memory from your entire lifetime to take to eternity, which would you choose? This is the question asked of six characters in Michel van der Aa’s new operatic interpretation of the film ‘After Life’ by Hirozaku Kore-Eda, premiering this Saturday, 15th May, at the Barbican. Live stage action, film and music combine as each chooses one moment from their lives to relive in the form of a film as they swap their earthly existence for a place in heaven. Get your tickets from £9, now, and check out some of the real moments others would choose while you’re at it.

Book now!

WHISPER IT – London and Berlin enter into a digital art game of Chinese whispers.10am-6pm, Idea Generation Gallery, 11 Chance Street, E2 7JB, Free.

WONDER AT IT – Master hypnotist and mind-freak Derren Brown is live. 7:30pm, Wimbledon Theatre, The Broadway, SW19 1QG, £34.

BE IN IT: – Join Videopia in re-creating 80's classic Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. 7pm, Notting Hill Arts Club, 21 Notting Hill Gate, W11 3JQ, £5.

PENCIL IT IN – The Paul Smith sample sale kicks off tomorrow with up to 75% off. 9am-7pm, Princes House, 37 Kingsway, WC2B 6TP, Free.