In London’s legendary district of Soho, a brand new store has recently opened its doors, cheekily looking forward to staying there for a long time. It is no other than Fiorucci, freshly re-launched on the occasion of the London Fashion Week.
The space is designed by Brinkworth, whose previous clients include brands of the likes of Rapha, Supreme and Sonos, and is featured within a nearly 500 square-metre building – a former Victorian chocolate factory – at the crossroads between Brewer Street and Great Windmill Street.
The retail store unfolds onto the ground-floor and upper level, with the showroom and press office being set in the basement.
Concurrently with the London Fashion Week, we met Janie and Stephen Schaffer, who acquired the brand back in 2015 and brought it back to life by sticking to Elio Fiorucci’s personal philosophy and dream, that of establishing a meeting place for the local creative community – exactly what the brand’s founder did in 1967, with a bunch of flagship stores in Milan, London and New York.
Random people are passing by your store’s windows and decide to step in. What shall they expect?
Two storeys crammed with dynamism and vibrant fashion. Along with spaces devoted to denim and ready-to-wear, we included a screen-printing and patchwork customisation hub: an actual piece of heaven for customers longing for tailor-made, embroidered jeans, decorated with Fiorucci’s archive legendary iconography. Are you in need for a break? If so, just hop by Fioruccino, the ground-floor cafe run by Palm Vaults, whose Hackney headquarter is just magic.
Also, the first floor comprises built-in furniture, a pivoting bed and more exclusive collections, displayed within a cozy and comfortable environment with a definitely homey feel.
Which reactions do you expect from the local creative community?
We already started off with a bang: although we opened barely a week ago, the place is always super crowded. The first-floor lounge will also stage an extensive agenda of events, ranging from live music to fashion shows and yoga classes. Just a way to spread the word about the brand’s attitude and give people a few unforgettable memories
Tell us of your ambitions.
We would love people to think as if Fiorucci never left London. This explains why we opted for an underground, vintage-looking store, in which a few of the building’s original features have been kept untouched. As you can see, high-tech devices, LED-powered lightings and movable displays go hand in hand with rough walls and old parquet flooring.
The most exciting moment since the official launch a week ago.
The moment when the wife of Elio Fiorucci, together with her daughter and grand-daughter, came to visit the shop and almost cried.
Your project is quite ambitious and the location is key. Still, modern-day UK is not a particularly captivating land to make huge investments, and yet you weren’t discouraged by Brexit. How come?
We actually though of making the most from such sea of chaos, in order to draw collective attention on something unusual, fun and pleasant…
What about your future projects?
A gift object collection and home design line featuring towels, candles and more home accessories is soon to be launched. The idea came from our customers tirelessly asking to buy our own cushions or neon signs. So we though, ‘Why not sell them’?
Speaking of objects, here people can find the world-renowned Rizzoli book dedicated to the brand’s 50th anniversary...
Yeah, it includes all seminal posters, stickers, and merchandise, along with the pictures of those stopping by Fiorucci store on the East 59th Street in New York during the 70s and 80s’ golden age. To make it special, a bunch of interviews by David Owen to 6 huge fashion icons are included: Marc Jacobs, Douglas Coupland, Maripol, David Dewaele, Terry Jones and Oliviero Toscani.
The shop is open Monday to Saturday, h. 10AM - 8PM. Sunday, h. 10AM - 6PM.
Fioruccino Cafe is open Monday to Saturday, h. 7.45AM - 8PM.
At opening: JANIE E STEPHEN SCHAFFER, CEO OF FIORUCCI
