18th May 2010
Sportswear International Magazine online | May 2010
SPORTSWEAR INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE
Online
Monday 17th May 2010
Sunspel to open first store on 150th anniversary…
The English heritage brand Sunspel is celebrating its 150th Anniversary in 2010. To kick off the celebratory line-up of events set to be unveiled throughout the year, the company recently opened to its first store in East London’s painfully hip area of Shoreditch. To reflect the brand’s independent status and brand values, which revolve around old-school craftsmanship and a classic yet innovative approach to design, the same attention to detail has been applied to store design as to the Sunspel product offer itself. Serving up momentous memorabilia, furniture from the Sunspel factory in Long Eaton, including an old desk and a post sorting tray, nicely complement features such as a fitting room created using a set of reworked metal and glass grates that were discovered beneath layers of paint on the shop’s facade. In terms of product range, the entire Sunspel spectrum is on offer in-store, including underwear, T-shirts and polo shirts. A range of pieces designed exclusively for the shop is also stocked, such as a stripy tee and a pair of matching undies. Pushing the brand history further, Vintage Levi’s 501s are sold alongside Sunspel white boxers – this particular detail pays homage to the classic Levi’s “laundrette” ad, where Nick Kamen removes his jeans to flash his Sunspel boxer shorts.