There is an immediate sense of something more informed, of something executed with a little more elan, as you step through the doors of Hostem, a new men’s establishment in the heart of London’s East End. This enclave on Shoreditch’s Redchurch Street, is quietly assured and unique to the last.
Low on high theatrics and high on the almost antique ideal that service should be attentive and intelligent, it is devoid of shock-and-awe pop-ups and ‘concepts’ and is instead focused on catering to a considered, fashion-literate gentleman who demands a sense of depth and variety in his retail experience.
Executed with flair and wit by interior design duo Jamesplumb, Hostem showcases their mastery of restored materials, from the church pew that doubles as a front desk to the floorboards and hand-painted hessian walls. Three individual rooms, devoted to luxe streetwear, avant garde design and an ever evolving space for visiting designers will, respectively, showcase a world of talent from this menswear hub.
Jamesplumb is Hannah Plumb and James Russell, two artists under one name who work with the overlooked and discarded, taking time worn antiques and cast-offs to produce one-off assemblages, luminaires, and interiors. A couple who met in 1998 at Wimbledon School of Art studying Fine Art Sculpture - today they work together under the combined name of Jamesplumb which represents the single artistic voice that builds on their different but complementary approaches. With Hannah's desire to find life and potential in the forgotten, and James' interest in exposing hidden beauty in the everyday, they juxtapose practical function with their sculptural vision.
The project received an Inside award for best Retail Interior.
