MWB Jacket Required preview

Photo via John Kobal Foundation/Getty Images

MWB-ONLINE.CO JANUARY 2018 | JACKET REQUIRED

JACKET REQUIRED AS LONDON’S LEADING TRADESHOW FOR THE MENSWEAR INDUSTRY, JACKET REQUIRED WILL PLAY HOST TO SOME OF THE BIGGEST NAMES IN CONTEMPORARY, STREET AND SPORTSWEAR, AS WELL AS HERITAGE ICONS AND TAILORING MASTERS.

24-25 JANUARY 2018 THE OLD TRUMAN BREWERY, HANBURY STREET, LONDON, E1 6QL WWW.JACKET-REQUIRED.COM

MWB-ONLINE.CO | PREVIEW

JACKET REQUIRED The a/w 18 edition of contemporary London trade show Jacket Required will welcome a number of key events, collaborations and new signings. We discover more about the forthcoming show.

—

JACKET REQUIRED PARTNERS WITH TROUVA Premium London tradeshow Jacket Required will partner with online platform Trouva for its January 2018 edition.

Trouva, the marketplace for independent stores, currently brings together more than 350 selected boutiques across 119 towns and cities online. The platform sources unique fashion and lifestyle goods from its network of shops, enabling customers to shop and discover over 80,000 design-led products at the click of a button.

Within an industry ever-competing with leading multiples and e-commerce giants, the Trouva platform champions independent retail by building an online platform and offering supporting infrastructure for bricks and mortar stores.

Trouva empowers its boutiques – helping shop owners remain focused on the instore experience and product selection, while it provides the tools to support an online campaign, including click-and-collect, one-hour delivery windows and worldwide shipping. This allows retail’s shift online to work in favour of smaller stores, rather than against them.

“Speaking with Trouva, it was immediately evident that we share many of the same qualities in terms of stores and labels that we work with, and there is the opportunity to explore further how we can support our brands and buyers together,” says Mark Batista, founder of Jacket Required.

“Jacket Required hosts 300 selected collections under one roof, allowing retailers to catch up with existing suppliers and source new products in one place during the international buying calendar. And Trouva embraces this same model for the consumer. Trouva increases the visibility of smaller stores and in turn boosts sales, with the idea that you can shop your perfect independent high street online, putting together a shopping bag from selected stores across the country.

“So in one transaction, you can pick up a Barbour jacket from Number Six, East London; a Sandqvist wallet from Our Daily Edit, Brighton; a Fjällräven Kanken from No59, Wiltshire; and a pair of Lee 101 jeans from Frontiers, Edingburgh,” he adds.

Having just celebrated its second birthday, Trouva now looks to welcome further selected boutiques into its community, and will team up with Jacket Required to present the platform to key fashion retailers at the upcoming autumn/ winter edition.

Taking place at London’s Old Truman Brewery on 24-25 January 2018, Jacket Required and Trouva invite you to stop by the dedicated lounge for buyers, brands and press, and hear more about the platform, how you can be involved and talk about becoming a Trouva store.

—

p

SPRAYWAY Established in 1974, Sprayway is a Manchesterbased brand making its debut at Jacket Required this season. For a/w 18, the brand continues to build on the success of its core Hillwalking/Outdoor range of clothing with the introduction of two new collections. Sprayway has taken its technical outdoor knowledge and applied it to a more stylish everyday aesthetic, creating the Everyday Outdoor Collection. The second is Vanta – a small capsule collection of three technical products constructed from specially sourced matt black fabrics.

—

MWB-ONLINE.CO | PREVIEW

q

RE.SUSTAIN Re.Sustain is a collection of classic wardrobe essentials supported sustainably. The a/w 18 collection consists of both men’s and womenswear styles across T-shirts, sweatshirts and punctuated with structured outerwear in the form of trousers, jackets and tunics in dark and off-white denim. Each item is finished with unexpected detailing through loopback-exposed sweats, oversized pockets and double-stitched hems.

— p

FJÄLLRÄVEN The start of 2018 marks 50 years since Fjällräven first introduced its iconic Greenland jacket. To celebrate this anniversary of the jacket, which became a pivotal piece, the brand will introduce a new Greenland collection. The Greenland jacket, for example, is now made of sustainable G-1000 Eco, a blend of recycled polyester and organic cotton. The Greenland Half Century jacket, meanwhile, features taped seams to ensure a smooth silhouette, finished with premium features, including bonded pockets and metal cuff and hood adjustors.

—

p

p

GRENSON

BELLEROSE

After 150 years of shoemaking, iconic footwear label Grenson has announced the launch of its first ever sneaker collection. The first model in the collection is the Sneaker 1, based on a super clean 70s tennis shoe and made from hand-painted calf, smooth white calf and luxury calf suede with an Italian white rubber sole.

—

Bellerose is a premium clothing company founded in 1989 in Belgium. Offering both womenswear and menswear, it will, however, showcase only its men’s offering at the next edition of Jacket Required. Comprising a series of wardrobe staples, shirts and chinos are at the core of the seasonal collection.

With an emphasis on classic cuts and fabrics, the brand aims to cater for men looking for timeless quality, contemporary flair and resolute attention to detail.

—

MWB-ONLINE.CO | INTERVIEW

INTERVIEW

JASON SCHOTT Jason Schott is the fourth generation of Schott family members to work for the New York family business. His great grandfather, Irving, created the first ever ‘Perfecto’ jacket, for which the brand is most famous, in 1928. To mark its 90th anniversary, Schott NYC is putting on an exhibition of past jacket models at the forthcoming Jacket Required, as Tom Bottomley discovers.

— Have you always worked for the family business?

I grew up sweeping floors and packing boxes in the factory. We have a rule in the family that everyone must leave and gain experience outside and bring back a unique skill. I worked as a certified public accountant after college, and joined the family business full-time about 20 years ago.

Do you know the business inside out, from the factory floor upwards?

Yes, my grandfather had a saying that we can’t expect anybody to do a job that we aren’t willing to do. So it’s important to my family to know every aspect of everyone’s jobs.

How would you best describe the enduring appeal of Schott NYC’s outerwear?

We focus on building the best quality products that we can, by using techniques that have been passed down for over 100 years. We know that there will always be demand for timeless things that will become heirlooms and be passed down.

The company was actually founded in 1913 by my great grandfather Irving and his brother, Jack Schott. It’s a little known fact that Schott NYC was the first company to put a zipper on a jacket.

What big anniversary is the brand celebrating in 2018? Do you have any special plans?

My great grandfather invented the motorcycle jacket in 1928, so we are celebrating the 90th anniversary of the ‘Perfecto’ motorcycle jacket.

We will be hosting an exhibition at the London trade show, Jacket Required. We will have the

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER SCHOTT NYC

MWB-ONLINE.CO | INTERVIEW

same double stand that we normally have at the show, however, we will also have a large space behind our stand which will showcase the Perfecto exhibition. It will be a celebration of the Perfecto jacket, showcasing over 50-plus jackets, which will feature special collaboration pieces from brands like Supreme, Jeremy Scott, RRL and Vetements, to name but a few.

How much of the Schott product is still made in the original factory in New York?

In the US, over 80 per cent of our product is made in our factory. In Europe, we work with our Schott NYC licensee, so the product is split between US and European styles.

How important is it to still make your products in the USA, and to have that on your labelling?

It is less about the label and more about being able to control every aspect of the production.

My family is managing the production every day and we wouldn’t have the same product if we couldn’t be as involved in the manufacturing.

What would you consider are the three most iconic Schott outerwear pieces that you still make today?

The three most iconic pieces in our collection are the motorcycle jacket, the bomber jacket and the peacoat. We have made many versions of these three styles, all of which are based on function and utility.

What are the company’s link to the US military, police, fire services and so on, and how did they come about originally?

During WWII, all US manufacturers ended their civilian production to manufacture for the military.

We still make many of our jackets to those military specifications. We haven’t made uniforms for the fire services but we did make them for local police forces.

Do you have a favourite Schott jacket of your own? If so, what is it?

I have too many to have one favourite. I’ve been wearing an unlined café racer from our Perfecto brand collection lately.

Who are some of the most famous wearers of Schott jackets over the years?

Schott NYC hit the big screen in 1953, when the Perfecto One Star jacket was featured in the cult movie The Wild Ones, starring Marlon Brando.

Johnny, the leader of the Black Rebels

Motorcycle Club, is forever immortalised in his Pefecto One Star as the icon of the counter culture. The Perfecto was catapulted to the height of its popularity in 1955, when a love for speed ended the life of the quintessential ‘American Bad Boy’, James Dean. It is said that Dean could hardly be seen without his Perfecto.

The black leather jacket became synonymous with ‘The Rebel’, and was banned from high schools across the country in the US. We are lucky that over the years some very talented people have worn our jackets. As well as style icons like Brando and Dean, the likes of The Ramones, Blondie, Bruce Springsteen, Lady Gaga, Jay-Z, Kanye West and Rihanna have all been keen wearers of Schott NYC’s Perfecto jackets.

What percentage of your business these days is with the women’s offer and have you seen that side grow?

We do offer a women’s collection, but in the UK we have found more of a demand for unisex styles. The UK customer likes to wear things with a boyfriend fit. For a/w 18, we have focused on introducing some new unisex styles into the collection.

Is there a new UK wholesale focus going forward?

We are always looking to grow the business globally. In the UK, we have launched with Selfridges and Matches for a/w 17, and look forward to opening similar accounts for a/w 18.

Harvey Nichols and Mr Porter are other key accounts for us right now.

Who is the real target market for the Schott brand right now?

We have been making outerwear for over 100 years and we don’t focus specifically on one target market. We stay true to our history and heritage, and focus on making quality products with a modern update. We are very lucky because we have a wide, diverse customer base with age ranges from 16 to 50-plus.

What do you see as the key styles which will work in the UK for a/w 18?

Flight jackets are currently performing extremely well for the UK market and have been for some years. We have seen a shift from MA-1 bomber jackets into A2 pilot jackets and B3 sheepskins.

The CWU jacket, with the Velcro Schott NYC chest badge, is also proving very popular again

with the whole 90s trend gaining momentum.

And, as we are the original creators of the Perfecto biker jacket, we always get a lot of enquiries about this timeless classic.

Will your offer at Jacket Required be wider and more prominent this time?

Yes, it most certainly will. We will now be taking three different collections to the show. They are Schott NYC, which is our commercial unisex collection, Schott Limited Edition, which is our contemporary collection, and Schott NYC Perfecto Brand, our US heritage line.

How would you best describe the Schott NYC mainline?

This collection is designed and made by our European licensee, which has been working with the brand for over 35 years. This collection is our most commercial range. It offers competitive price points and also introduces trend items that are key for the UK market. It’s this collection that features some of our most iconic styles from the 90s, which people know and love.

What’s the Schott Limited Edition collection all about?

In 2016, Schott NYC launched the new premium collection called Schott Limited Edition. The concept behind the collection was ‘Watch your back!’ This was inspired by a hunting jacket, where the back of the jacket was painted red, so hunters could identify each other and avoid friendly fire.

Schott Limited Edition uses premium fabrication, contrast colours and blends elements from our rich history. The collection has a much more contemporary feel, and it is more fashion oriented.

Finally, what is special about the Schott NYC Perfecto Brand?

When Irving Schott began making his elite line of leather jackets in the 1920s, he called the collection Perfecto after his favourite cut of cigar.

This collection of jackets represented the most special and unique pieces in the line, which still holds true today. The current Perfecto brand collection draws its inspiration from our family’s archive, passed down over 100 years. Timeless classics are reinterpreted in modern fits, using modern materials. The result is a sharp, focused line of authentic Americana. The Perfecto brand collection is built for individuals who appreciate the history behind the garments, unique materials and vintage style trims. All styles are handmade in the USA at our New York factory.

MWB-ONLINE.CO | JACKET REQUIRED

ARCHIVE REVIVED AT HENRI LLOYD Delving into the archives, updating and refreshing is what Henri Lloyd is all about for a/w 18, with superior fabrics and detail key for the modern sailor and man about town. Tom Bottomley hears all about it from CEO Martin Strzelecki, as well as the exhibition planned at the forthcoming Jacket Required.

—

Martin Strzelecki, along with his brother Paul, owns the Henri Lloyd brand their late father, Henri, founded in Manchester in 1963 with his then partner, Angus Lloyd. Martin carries the same passion for the brand and its products as his father had, and a/w 18 is an exciting time for new developments, as well as celebrating the past with an exhibiton at Jacket Required.

He says: “Early in the product development process for a/w 18, while working from our archive, we had the idea to showcase the archive and new jackets together. We want to share the

unique stories of the jackets, such as the technical innovations of the ‘Ocean Racer Jacket’ that have become industry standard, with the non-corrosive zips and use of Velcro fastenings. Jacket Required is the perfect fit for this showcase, and we have worked closely with their team to arrange the exhibition.”

The new collection leads on from the successful ‘Consort Project’, presented at Pitti Uomo for a/w 17, demonstrating a renewed focus on premium jackets being at the core of the brand. Throughout 2017, Strzelecki says they have

refocused the business, invested in new IT systems, developed new design processes and, most importantly, relooked at their core concept.

Taking inspiration from original designs and keeping Henri Lloyd signature details, the jackets for a/w 18 are a contemporary update of fabrications, designs and colour palettes.

Influenced by their origins and challenged by a new generation, Henri Lloyd’s a/w 18 collection is the first season to manifest this transformation – from the start of product development through to creating the marketing campaign.

MWB-ONLINE.CO | JACKET REQUIRED

“ Our ‘Re-explored from our Archive’ exhibition will showcase 10 original archive jackets, and share each of their unique stories. This includes the Ocean Racer Jacket originally designed by my father for the inaugural Whitbread Round-the-World Race in 1973 to survive the treacherous Southern Ocean, widely regarded as the most inhospitable on earth.”

Strzelecki explains: “This is not a vintage collection. We will present contemporary designs staying true to the original, with built-in protective engineering for today’s lifestyle. Our ‘Reexplored from our Archive’ exhibition will showcase 10 original archive jackets and share each of their unique stories. This includes the ‘Ocean Racer Jacket’ originally designed by my father for the inaugural Whitbread Round-theWorld Race in 1973 to survive the treacherous Southern Ocean – widely regarded as the most inhospitable on earth.” Alongside that, they will present 15 new jackets re-explored from the archive, featuring 11 men’s and four women’s jackets.

One such jacket re-explored for a/w 18 is the ‘Portland Jacket’, which was originally designed by Henri Strzelecki in the 1960s, with the coastal sailor in mind. It was the base engineering construction for the later ‘Ocean Racer Jacket’. Named after the important way-point for coastal traffic, Portland Bill in Dorset, the innovative design was ingeniously simple and was one of the first protective jackets in the world to have fully taped seams to ensure waterproofness. For the new season, the brand has created a men’s and women’s version, staying true to the original with

built-in protective engineering for today’s lifestyle.

The ‘Consort Jacket’ was also designed by Henri Strzelecki in 1965, and initially was only available in navy with a red lining. The Consort was put to the ultimate test in 1967 when it was worn by Sir Francis Chichester for the first solo sailing voyage around the globe. He famously chose a green Consort, which surprised many as green was often considered a poor choice for sailors as it doesn’t stand out in the sea. When asked about his choice, Sir Francis replied: “Who would be there to see me?” The Consort later became a fashion staple throughout Europe in the 1980s when it was adopted as a uniform by the Milanese Paninari. For a/w 18, Henri Lloyd has worked with Italian designers to create 10 versions of the Consort, following the success of the ‘Consort Project’ for a/w 17.

“In addition to these archive jackets from the 1960s, and the 1973 Ocean Racer Jacket, which has been a staple for round-the-world racers for over 40 years, we have re-explored our archive from the 80s and 90s too,” explains Strzelecki. In the 80s Italian designer Olmes Carretti joined Henri Lloyd and created the ‘Consort Round-theWorld Jacket’, adding a corduroy trim, contrast colours and embroidery while retaining the

original signature ‘casein’ buttons to the front.

Many of these details remain Henri Lloyd signature details to this day. The ‘York’ and the ‘Manor’ are another two originals from the 80s that have been re-explored. In the 90s, Henri Lloyd worked with designer Massimo Goggi, who introduced the ‘Forth’ and the ‘Corby’ jackets, which they have also now looked at again, as well as UK favourites the ‘Jib’ and ‘Ebb’ jackets.

“We have refocused our product development process for a/w 18, giving jackets the natural lead on our product hierarchy and the rest of the collection cascades from them,” says Strzelecki. “This delivers a consistent thread of brand handwriting throughout the collection – all following the same inspiration, colour stories and branding.”

Henri Lloyd’s UK wholesale business increased over 30 per cent for s/s 18. The launch of the Henri Lloyd Sport collection for 2018 brings to land the brand’s experience in technical innovation. Strzelecki believes this has huge potential for the UK, especially following the partnership announcement with leading cycling team, Team Sky. With the new a/w 18 collection already eagerly anticipated, the fresh season might prove to be a ride more retailers want to be on.

MWB-ONLINE.CO | JACKET REQUIRED - BRANDS

HANCOCK

WRANGLER

MEPHISTO ORIGINALS

BARBOUR

LEE JEANS

MWB-ONLINE.CO | JACKET REQUIRED - BRANDS

ON THE RADAR Spanning contemporary menswear through to sartorial tailoring, streetwear, footwear and more, the a/w 18 edition of Jacket Required is set to host a plethora of brands to whet your buying appetite for the new season. We highlight eight must sees.

— LANGERCHEN Established in 2009 by Philipp Langer and Miranda Chen, LangerChen has been producing sustainable clothing in Shanghai ever since. With the introduction of its eco manufacturing, the brand is pioneering fair production and employment practices in China. Langer and Chen’s intention is to make a difference by creating ‘green’ garments, using unique organic fabrics specially developed using the brand’s own techniques.

BARBOUR Heritage brand Barbour will present its Made for Japan collection at Jacket Required this month. With traditional garments in authentic construction, fit and detail, the collection celebrates the very best of British design. At the heart of the range is the waxed cotton Slim Fit Bedale, available in classic colours of navy and sage, alongside a select premium polo, knitwear and shirting range with minimalist detailing.

LOREAK

HANCOCK British label Hancock continues to draw inspiration for its a/w 18 offering, from Thomas Hancock, the English inventor who founded the British rubber industry. Each garment is cut then sewn by the Hancock team, before being passed to one of the brand’s experienced coat makers. Interior seams and pockets are glued and taped by hand, before being rolled flat using a hardened steel hand roller. In 2015, the label introduced Hancock Travelling Articles, which incorporates its trademark V-Quilt pattern in lightweight nylons, wools and silks – a collection which has grown season upon season.

HARTFORD Hartford was launched in Paris in 1979 and has maintained an “insider” status since then. Mixing vintage European styles with a more relaxed American aesthetic, the label has gained a cult following for its easy-to-wear pieces, which are perfect for dressing down stylishly. Think Parisian cool with an informal edge, Hartford offers easy-to-wear, stylish basics.

LANGERCHEN

LEE JEANS Founded in 1889, in Kansas, USA, Lee is renowned for its workwear heritage. Having created the first denim overalls in 1911, the brands also invented zipper-fly jeans, as well as the first ever slim denim jacket. Today, these signature styles are delivered with a modern twist, using premium fabrics, continued innovation and new technologies. For a/w 18, buyers can expect 90s heritage details, denim finishes, blanket lining, cord and retro stripes.

LOREAK Formerly known as Loreak Mendian, contemporary fashion label Loreak will showcase its new direction at Jacket Required this season. Founded in 1995, the brand has evolved in many aspects over the years, but remained true to its honest, simple approach to design. Aside from the mainline collection, each season welcomes to the addition of Prints – a sub-line which combines influences from contemporary art, photography, illustration, travel and local traditions.

MEPHISTO ORIGINALS Even after 50 years in business, handmade cult footwear brand Mephisto Originals offers shoes with real personality. When the company founder, Martin Michaeli, created this new type of shoes in 1965, it represented an innovation in the world of footwear. The quick-tying hiking and casual shoes with their unique soft-air technology opened a whole new way of walking. The brand has developed this cult shoe for the new season with a touch of nostalgia, offering fresh designs, subdued and casual.

HARTFORD

WRANGLER Wrangler confirms its heritage by presenting a vibrant a/w 18 collection, with a strong denim range, pastel and black stories, multiscreen prints and retro logos all key to the new season. The revamped Wrangler gradient graphic makes headway, and provokes the brands standards by replacing the leather patch on the back pocket. The iconic rainbow steals the limelight one more time, meanwhile, flagging the leading shades of the collection.

MWB-ONLINE.CO | INTERVIEW

Q&A WITH MANDEEP SINGH CO-FOUNDER, TROUVA

Ahead of its partnership with Jacket Required this month, MWB speaks to co-founder Mandeep Singh about the idea behind the online platform for independent boutiques and what drove the decision to partner with the UK’s biggest menswear trade show.

— Victoria Jackson: When was Trouva formed?

Mandeep Singh: Trouva was launched in September 2015, and enables customers to scour a huge array of over 80,000 distinctive, design-led products from the best bricks-and-mortar independent stores. My co-founders and I saw how technology was converging the worlds of online and offline retail and, while Amazon and some major retailers were adapting to this rapidly changing environment, independent shops – the lifeblood of bricks-and-mortar retail – did not have the scale and technology. So we set about building our own technology platform to take the world’s best offline retailers online.

In just over two years, we’ve built a technology platform which empowers hand-picked offline independent stores to not just compete with, but beat the retail multiples and e-commerce giants, led by my co-founder and CTO Alex Loizou. Amid an accelerating industry shift to digital and omnichannel, the platform also offers real time ‘click and collect’, one-hour delivery (it has a record-breaking delivery time of just 22 minutes) and worldwide shipping.

VJ: What was the idea behind the launch?

MS: We wanted to merge the worlds of online and offline to really give bricks-and-mortar boutiques an opportunity to compete with

bigger businesses, like Amazon and eBay, by providing the tech expertise, delivery capabilities and scalability they need to reach a new customer base. In two short years since launch, the business has seen 1,509 per cent growth in revenue and has doubled profits for some of our top-performing boutiques, with many of them already having achieved over £100,000 of sales through the platform.

VJ: Does the shopper have one basket and pay for everything through your website?

MS: Yes, the shopper has one basket and we handle all logistics, from click and collect to same-day delivery and worldwide shipping.

By doing this, we’re able charge a single, flat rate for shipping to the UK and internationally, no matter how many boutiques you’re buying from, as well as free shipping for larger orders.

VJ: Were you working in ecommerce prior to launching Trouva?

MS: I was previously a retail strategy consultant at OC&C, advising the likes of Arcadia Group, DFS and Asda Wal-Mart amongst others.

It was here where I first saw the impact that online was having on offline retail. I then went on to become an investor at BC Partners, one of Europe’s largest private equity funds, which owned businesses such as Foxtons, Gruppo Coin/OVS, Intelsat and

MWB-ONLINE.CO | RETAIL

INDEPENDENT MINDS We take a look at three independent boutiques available on Trouva, all of which offer a great experience, both in store and online.

— PetSmart/Chewy.com. I started my first ‘business’, doing web design, as a teenager from my bedroom, and my co-founder Alex has been coding for over a decade.

VJ: How many retailers do you have signed up currently?

MS: We have over 400 boutiques in over 119 towns and cities in the UK. We’re extremely selective in picking boutiques which customers will love, so cannot accept the majority of shops who want to join the platform – quality is far more important than quantity.

VJ: What do you think has been the key to your success?

MS: It is not so much about success, but solving a problem. When we founded Trouva, technological innovation was disrupting the high street at a fast pace. Our mission is to equip independent boutique owners with the latest technology to enable them to have a competitive edge in the digital world. We’ve been able to innovate by working with independent bricks-and mortar-stores, for example, doing deliveries in less than an hour, even in 2015, or offering realtime click & collect.

CASSIUS & COCO Cassius & Coco is a concept store based in the heart of Crouch End, with a second location in Chiswick. The store hand-picks emerging and renowned local and international designers, brands and artists, favouring those taking creative risks to manufacture one-of-a-kind objects. Opening its doors in 2015, the store has become a firm favourite with shoppers across the country.

VJ: Which is your most popular product category – fashion, home or something else perhaps? How does menswear perform overall?

MS: We are a destination for homewares which is our most popular category, with women’s and men’s fashion accessories a close second. Sales of men’s accessories and menswear represent about 12 per cent of our overall sales, and we work with some amazing independents with great men’s ranges, such as Yards Store in Manchester, Our Daily Edit in Brighton, AIDA in Shoreditch and Maze in Bristol.

VJ: You’re partnering with Jacket Required this season – what was the decision behind this?

MS: Jacket Required offers boutiques the chance to uncover a diverse and premium range of international brands. The carefully curated selection of brands reflects Trouva’s own mission of bringing together the best independent stores, run by independent buyers and curators, in the world. Jacket Required was an obvious choice as we are aligned in our passion to support design-led independent shops.

Members of the Trouva team will be available throughout the duration of the show to meet retailers. Find us in our very own Trouva Lounge – if you have a bricks-and-mortar shop and want to arrange a time to meet the team, simply email apply@trouva.com.

DESIGN MUSEUM SHOP Located at the iconic Design Museum on Kensington High Street, the Design Museum Shop showcases a carefully curated offering of homeware products. The shop reflects the values of the museum itself, with a focus on architecture, graphics, product and industrial design. Every purchase supports the Design Museum allowing it to expand on its roster of exhibitions and events.

VJ: What do you look for in an independent retailer when considering it for Trouva?

MS: As mentioned, we only accept a minority of stores that apply to join our community, as we have to believe that they are truly amazing independents, with a very strong vision and identity and run by expert curators/buyers. Stores must have a bricks-and-mortar location, with regular opening hours and probably have a loyal local following.

VJ: And finally, what plans do you have moving forward? Would you open Trouva on an international scale?

MS: Certainly. We want Trouva to become the global destination for the best independent shops in the greatest cities in the world.

Whether we’re talking about Berlin, Montmartre in Paris or Shoreditch in London, our mission is to unite the world’s greatest independents in one community and global platform.

MR MULLAN’S GENERAL STORE Mr Mullan’s General Store is located slightly out of the capital in Kingston Upon Thames, Surrey, offering a plethora of grooming products and accessories for the modern gentleman. The team source products from popular brands including Y-Studio, Armor Lux, and L.A Bruket, as well as its own Made in England brand Mr Mullans, comprising grooming products and accessories.