Style & Design
Originally published on Tuesday, 11th 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
