Lestrange is opening biophilic design store in Coal Drops Yard

By

Nigel TAYLOR

Published
May 22, 2023

Menswear brand Lestrange is opening a store in the popular Coal Drops Yard retail area of King’s Cross, London. The “impact-conscious” brand, which is “rooted in the principles of biophilic design”, says the new space combines natural textures and repurposed materials“to create a truly biophilic haven for visitors”. 

With its emblematic motto ‘With Less, Do More’, the brand’s commitment is to “pursue degrowth in the fashion industry” under its co-founders Tom Horne and Will Green.

They’ve enlisted biophilic design specialist Oliver Heath to provide a blueprint for “a new reimagined retail experience” while the duo also chose to commission British designer Fred Rigby, a longstanding collaborator of the brand, to bring its vision to life. 

Design-wise, materials include repurposed felled wood from London plane trees, which “cocoons and partitions” the space while also finding new life in bespoke furnishings throughout.

At the heart of the space sits ‘The Meadow,’ a special curation of natural dried blooms and grasses, conceived by garden designer Lottie Delamain.

The main island, constructed from the plane wood with a countertop made from recycled plastic yoghurt pots by start-up Smile Plastics housing the cash desk. 

Wall finishes come from Cornwall-based sustainable brand Clayworks using a blend of unfired clays which, when mixed with minerals and pigments, “create one of the most sustainable plasters on the market”.

Throughout the store there are Japanese-inspired paper lampshades, suspended at different heights “to appear almost floating”.

Central to the space is a large ‘Cabinet of Curiosities’, designed to showcase an evolving curation of brands, artists, projects and products. Highlights include 3D printed bio-sourced design pieces from Argot Studios, wild fragrance from Haeckels, and items from Transparent, Braun, Osmose and more. 

The store will house only a small curated edit of seasonless capsule clothing alongside a selection of bespoke furniture.

Horne and Green said: “Our hope is that our new biophilic retail model, and the store in Coal Drops Yard, can act as a catalyst to open up a new conversation around retail and enact a shift in current perspectives. For us, our stores are the gateways to our universe and one of the core ways we engage and communicate with our community. We want to create an immersive multi-sensory experience that exceeds customer expectations.”