With the depressing demise of Matches you might well be pondering where to spend your hard earned cash on thrilling designer drops now. Fear not. Just in time, Shacklewell Lane institution LN-CC is reopening its actual doors (having closed in March 2020) having had a very cool, colour-drenched makeover by set designer Gary Card (who oversaw the store’s first incarnation in 2010). The concept store is being reborn, at least in E8, anyway.
It is an interesting bet on bricks and mortar at a time when London’s retail creativity is seriously under threat. Aside from Matches, there are industry murmurs about how long Browns can survive after its parent company FarFetch was saved at the last minute from insolvency at the end of last year.
But Reece Crisp, LN-CC’s Creative and Buying Director is buoyantly looking forward to its new era, in what he admits is a ‘very challenging wholesale environment’. The designer musical chairs at the head of luxury houses has also had a knock on effect, “Product is a problem at the moment, there’s not necessarily a consistent approach from a lot of brands, they’re deviating. Everyone followed this quiet luxury trend, which I’m not sure was a trend. It’s more of a lifestyle than a trend.”
Carving out a unique identity online has been key since the store closed due to the pandemic. LN-CC styles its wares on models with faces - a small, yet critical creative decision which allows the boutique to have a different look and feel to alternate online retailers.
Leaning into these points of difference, Crisp feels that investing in the unique, experiential side of the LN-CC is the key to success. “We’ve always been in East London which has its own notorious vibe about it” he says, “but it’s important that we have these spaces where you can go and enjoy fashion, particularly if you’re an avid fan. The department stores serve a purpose and they’re really important but a [business] like ours is definitely needed in the overall retail space.”
There is something undeniably enticing about the industrial-style nooks and crannies of the shop’s easy sense of cool which feels unique in a landscape that is becoming increasingly homogenous.
“We try to differentiate ourselves” says Crisp of the store which will be open on Thursday, Friday and Saturdays. The rest of the time the space will host those all important personal shopping appointments, which for high spenders have become an increasingly critical part of the luxury boutique experience. “Our customers are definitely either trend setting or [want to be] aligned with trends” says Crisp, adding “we [also] see our customers investing in classic pieces, we have a nice juxtaposition
The famed tunnel entrance has been rendered in an blistering red, leading you into the basement space, which is divided into four treasure trove rooms housing the boutique’s mix of luxury and contemporary brands, as well as L8TE, its reimagined club space which will also host brand pop ups as well as community and party events. “We wanted to get that emotion for our existing fans and to make sure our new ones are just as excited,” says Crisp. With a brand roster including everyone from Bottega Veneta to Wales Bonner, as well as an exclusive capsule from newcomer Isa Boulder and curations by Too Hot Vintage that seems guaranteed.
LN-CC, 18-24 Shacklewell Lane, E8 2EZ (ln-cc.com)
