L’Estrange menswear opens permanent store after Seven Dials pop-up

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
May 5, 2021

Cult menswear label L’Estrange has opened a permanent store in London’s Seven Dials at number 19 Earlham Street. The opening follows a stint in nearby Neal Street, in a pop-up that opened in November 2019 (although that store had been closed for months on end over the past 18 months because of the pandemic).

The new long-term location, which complements the retailer’s neighbourhood store in Notting Hill, covers 1,000 sq ft and is said to reflect the brand’s focus on a “more intelligent wardrobe, formulated with renewable, organic and recycled fabrics”.

It’s the brand’s flagship and “will offer personal appointments to allow customers to learn about L’Estrange’s signature range and receive tailored advice on seasonless looks”. The personal appointment strategy is part of the label’s overall desire to focus on experiences and educating the consumer.

The brand aims to act as a contrast to “a world of hyper-convenience and overconsumption” and wants to simplify the male wardrobe via its modular clothing system. This comprises “comfortable, seasonless and versatile pieces, all of which have less impact on the planet”.

The London-designed, European-made pieces are part of its overall approach to circularity and it’s clear that this is something on the mids of consumers too as the company was listed in the top 100 Financial Times 2021 list of the 1,000 fastest-growing European companies (it actually came in at number 90). 

Samantha Bain-Mollison, who’s Retail Director at landlord Shaftesbury, said: “After working closely with L’Estrange for several years in a supportive and flexible pop-up capacity, it is fantastic to continue our relationship with the brand and see its flagship store permanently housed within the Seven Dials community. 

“L’Estrange’s forward-thinking values and practices, particularly around sustainability and the circular economy, seamlessly align with ours as a destination. Sitting comfortably alongside an enclave of well-established names such as Carhartt, Rains and Farah, all on Earlham Street, the addition of L’Estrange bolsters our position as a leading menswear provider and puts Seven Dials at the forefront of trend-led retail, especially as the industry starts to recover post-lockdown.”

L’Estrange co-founder Tom Horne added that the neighbourhood “has historically played a pivotal role in the growth of our business”. And he said the pandemic has “accelerated the drive towards more thoughtful consumption, which is a core element of our label”.