rag & bone’s new London flagship is tucked away near Soho on Beak Street, and on Friday it became the centre of a considerable amount of activity as faces from the worlds of music, art and fashion descended to toast to the new spot. Hosted by Jefferson Hack and Marcus Wainwright, an open-bar provided Ciroc Vodka cocktails to guests throughout the night.
With music provided by DJ Kris Bones (a diaphragm-shaking set of hip-hop, Fela Kuti and Jamaican rocksteady), and canapes courtesy of HIX (another Soho haunt), this branch is hardly lacking in character – Leo Mandella aka Gully Guy Leo was present and even Goldie stopped by. If Marcus Wainwright's eye for appealing, understated clothing wasn’t already proof enough, the store’s design confirms he is clearly a man of good taste.
A personal touch is key to the store, like the stacks of Beano comics that sit next to books on Studio 54, Zaha Hadid and Andy Warhol’s Factory, or the vintage pinball machine. Die-hard Radiohead fans will instantly recognise the work of Stanley Donwood, whose woodcutting for Thom Yorke’s The Eraser album adorns one of the walls. German street art duo Herakut have lavishly decorated the women’s changing rooms upstairs, replete with a replica of an old-school photo booth – as you can imagine a big hit on the night.
The party relocated to Sun and 13 Cantons, where there were DJ sets from Little Club, Throwing Shade and Kris Bones. With improptu performances from Skinny Macho and Richard Mortimer, it is no wonder the party carried on until the early hours.
