Blackhorse Lane Ateliers

Blackhorse Lane Ateliers is London’s only craft denim jeans maker, who also offer ready-to-wear selvedge denim jeans emphasising sustainability, community and unparalleled quality. Established in 2016 with production in their iconic factory, Blackhorse Lane Ateliers draws on the founders’ 25 years’ experience and expertise in the textile industry.

Continuing the strong relationship that we built together during the construction and leasing at Coal Drops Yard, within London’s Iconic King’s Cross development, where they pioneered an experiential retail space in an historic railway arch, Blackhorse Lane Ateliers commissioned us to acquire a ‘flagship’ London store to showcase the brand to the world. Soho was always in mind, the eternal creative and cultural engine of London, constantly reinventing itself, a perfect crossroads for a brand like BLA. Demand for Soho is fuelled by ferocious competition for spaces from national and international brands, combined with a limited supply, rents have become expensive; we had to act smart to find a space in one of the transforming ‘up and coming’ streets that weren’t at peak rent yet, but still conveyed the brand values. What makes Soho characterful and charming is also an impediment to modern retailing, townhouse-style buildings with small ground floor areas; we were briefed to find a brand showcase not a shop, a space big enough to hold everything from launch events with collaborators to evening dinners for loyal customers, and of course, selling crafted garments every day.

We needed to stand out from the crowd, and convey the brilliance of the brand, emphasising the sustainable and cultural credentials that appeal so much to placemaking landlords, and the footfall demographic they are trying to attract. We created an info-deck to present to agents and landlords, we leverage friends with influence who were already neighbours in soho, then identified and engaged the key agents, and the two largest Soho landlord estates, Shaftsbury Capital and Soho Estates.

The new Berwick Street flagship store is very Soho; gritty, food markets, porn shops, pubs, alleyways; the store has a prominent traditional shop-front with interior advantages of a big floor-plate with high ceilings, a large basement, an eclectic tenant mix in the vibrant market street, arguably at the geographical heart of Soho around the Blue Post and John Snow pubs, near Aime Leon Dore, Wolf and Badger, End, the original Aussie coffee shop that started the new coffee wave in London – Flat White, Oliver Spencer, APC, Studio Nicholson, Sounds of the Universe Records, Stussy and the new Carhartt WIP Flagship through the alleyway onto Brewer Street.

Tenant Representation Agency, Market Guidance, Location Strategy, Mapping and Demographics, Creative Writing, Info-Deck Input, Search & Acquisition, Inspections, reporting & Viewings, Measurement, Commercial Terms Negotiation, Collaborations on Legal Negotiation and Transaction Project Management, Architecture, Design & Fitout.