In Store | In London, a Cult Fashion Boutique With Lofty Aspirations - New York Times (blog)

Since opening in 2010 in a Victorian building on Redchurch Street in London’s Shoreditch district, the men’s wear boutique Hostem has become a favorite for its bold, deconstructed offerings from designers like Ann Demeulemeester, Rick Owens and Visvim, as well as its striking, somewhat Dickensian interiors. Earlier this year, the store expanded into the basement to open its Chalk Room, designed by the local artists James Russell and Hannah Plumb (a.k.a. JamesPlumb), who created a series of haunting assemblages to showcase bespoke pieces by the likes of the avant-garde tailor Geoffrey B. Small and the luggage company Globe-Trotter.

Now, Hostem’s 26-year-old owner, James Brown, is expanding further with a two-floor, 6,000-square-foot extension dedicated to women’s fashion, done once again in collaboration with JamesPlumb. Brown says the move was a natural response to the surprising number of women who’ve been visiting the store to buy men’s clothing. With its 20-foot-high ceilings, oversize windows and industrial-chic furnishings, the women’s wing — which is set to open next Thursday — feels like a contemporary departure from the throwback aesthetic downstairs. Instead of burlap paneling and salvaged wood floorboards, there are polished white plaster walls and steel parquet flooring. The shopping experience is not unlike browsing art in a gallery. White linen screens drape from ceiling to floor, framing items like a Yohji Yamamoto dress made from a patchwork of black felt squares. Nearby, hanging from hand-bent, copper-coated steel hooks, is the first for-sale collection from the emerging East London designer Faustine Steinmetz, including track pants made using lamb’s wool spun on a loom.

Brown’s next project is the Hostem Greenhouse, currently under construction on top of the women’s addition, which will host exhibits and events. Set to open next spring, it will feature a communal dining area, a landscaped terrace and panoramic views. “For me, modern luxury is about experience, something intangible outside of the product you’re buying,” Brown says. “We want Hostem to feel like you’re coming into someone’s home.” Hostem, 41-43 Redchurch Street, London; hostem.co.uk.

via fashion - Google News http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNGmBihg5-9qI2FOufp9MwuC39cRjw&url=http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/11/25/in-store-in-london-a-cult-fashion-boutique-with-lofty-aspirations/