WeSC London Concept Store Launch

It was once said that Britain is a nation of shopkeepers but with recent resounding retail successes we can now say the same about the Swedes. Last Thursday the street fashion brand WeSC (WeAretheSuperlativeConspiracy) launched its second London store on Neal Street following the one on Carnaby Street which opened last year. WeSC was founded in Sweden in 1999 and has always supported skaters, bikers, boarders and creatives (most famously the actor and skateboarder Jason Lee) creating a diverse group called the WeActivitsts. And the crowd at the store launch party was certainly an eclectic bunch. It was a perfect summers evening for a celebration with the drinks flowing and everyone entertained by DJs and live acts. We caught up with Dave Colwill, UK Sales Manager for WeSC.

Dazed Digital: What’s new about the Covent Garden store?
Dave Colwill: The launch of the Neal Street store is a launch of a global concept for us. We've got over 30 stores around the world and the concept you see on Neal Street represents the brand and it's reflected in all of the stores internationally. It incorporates the WeSC design and Scandinavian design ethic.

DD: You say the store is a marriage between street and luxury. How do you retain that streetwear credibility whilst injecting a luxury element?
DC: We take a lot of pride in our work. All of the construction of everything we do, be it a set of headphones or a cotton poplin shirt or a nice selvedge denim, is great quality and the store reflects that. We work with TEA in Stockholm and they design every concept store. How do we take that back to a streetwear ethic? We do it through our collaborations. At the moment we're working with Fats Shariff who's one of the founders of Gimme 5. Other people like Stash who we work with has a lot of credibility. It always goes back to the design directors and the brand direction committee.

DD: How do you feel about the success of WeSC headphones and where do you see the future of WeSC?
DC: We try to produce the best quality product we can. We don't wanna be the biggest streewear brand out there but definitely the best. Our headphones have given us an opening to the iPod generation and that is something that's growing and growing - it opens us up to a different consumer. But then for the cooler stores we work on really special stuff like the Fatsarazzi collab that's coming up for 2011. Working with Rough Trade or Ed Banger Records or Rush Hour really helps connect us to the underground. We can still sell to the mainstream but we always connect back and try and look after the subculture that we've come from.

DD: Are there future plans for other stores in the UK?
DC: We plan to roll out more stores in the next 6-12 months - we'd like to move outside of London for the next store. There's nothing better than having the brand product in a store, making a deep impact and connecting the consumer to the WeSC ideals which are quality, fun, punk mentality!

WeSC Concept Store 35 Neal Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9PR