Designed to showcase London creatives, Atelier100 have just launched a new hyper local retail space. Having just opened in Hammersmith, the new initiative brings creative makers and manufacturers together to produce unique products all sourced from within a 100km radius of central London.
A radical experiment in designing, creating and selling products hyper-locally this is a joint venture between H&M and Ikea. Atelier100 represents a new sustainable and ‘hyper-local’ approach to retail – the project launched in April with an open call for creatives, makers and manufacturers living within 100km of central London to share their innovative product ideas.
The first local creatives have now been chosen and are in the process of bringing their products to life through the unique Atelier100 funding and mentorship programme. The aim is for the space to begin selling these newly-designed local products from autumn 2022.
Until then, the shop is showcasing a carefully-curated range of products designed and manufactured by London-based creatives. Products include everything from clothing and jewellery to homeware – all of which has been created by local London-based brands.
Now is a great time for you to discover super new cool design and also the chance to support a concept store that is hoping to inspire a more sustainable and authentic approach to high street retail in London, which everyone knows is desperately needed.
So to get you started we have selected three creatives and a product from each of them that you can buy in-store right now at Atelier100 Livat Hammersmith.
First UP we have Adam Jones and his Duck Vest, one of a kind made in SE18, from upcycled cotton and polyester. Adam Jones’ duck vest is made using a vintage Irish tea towel from the 1960s, that feels as emblematic of a grandmother’s kitchen as it does a classic countryside painting one might find in a local pub. A certain duality or contradiction is often part of Jones’ garments, which use a kind of DIY ethos that places punks and the Women’s Institute into one category.
Adam is originally from Wales studied at the Manchester School of Art and began collecting found materials during the production of his graduate collection – an aesthetic that has stayed with him.
Next, we have Gum LdN’s colour-changing rings, a new generation mood ring. Experimentation in thermochromatic materials led Gum to create its heat-sensitive colour-changing jewellery. Gum LdN rings mix non-toxic resin with a top-secret colour-changing element, and are cast in custom moulds. That secret ingredient means that exposed to body or environmental heat, rings either change from dark to light or to a new colour entirely. Each is handmade, in a process that limits waste.
Born and raised in South London, best friends Ella Rush (21) and Kiah Bibby (22) created Gum LdN during the heart of lockdown after experimenting with thermochromic materials. The pair combined their skills – Ella studies illustration animation and Kiah studies jewellery design at Central St Martins – to create handmade rings that respond to the wearer and their environment. The pair create custom moulds and use resin (alongside a secret colour-changing element) to create their jewellery.
Finally, we have Celia Calderon Asenio’s Opaque tights. By exploring and mixing different hand dyeing techniques, Celia Calderon Asensio’s creates one-of-a-kind garments that are an ode to infinite possibility.
Celia Calderon Asensio Having moved from Madrid to London to study, Celia graduated from Fashion Design with Knitwear at Central Saint Martins College of Art. Each pair of tights is dyed by hand, and embraces Calderon Asensio’s love of colour, inspired by the work of German visual artist Katharina Grosse and of Calderon’s collection of Senegalese plastic pots.
Celia´s innate interest in textiles, expertise in knitwear and different hand-dyeing techniques has led to a hosiery brand, where she has mastered a combination of different traditional dyeing techniques with a plethora of colours, in a constantly evolving process that creates endless possibilities.
The Atelier100 space features an innovative design that reflects the project’s hyper-local philosophy – this includes the use of recycled materials from Topshop’s former flagship Oxford Street space, which was purchased by IKEA in 2021.
The space has been designed with multi-functionality in mind, able to act not only as a space in which to sell products but also host workshops, talks and events. The designers have likened the Atelier100 space to a temporary exhibition space that will constantly evolve to reflect the personalities of the local creatives, their products and the local community.
Atelier100 space address: Atelier100, Livat Hammersmith, King St, London W6 9HW
Opening times: 10am-7pm (Monday-Saturday), 11am-5pm (Sunday)
For more information about the products currently available in-store, visit: atelier100.com/products
