H&M and Ingka Group open first Atelier100 space in London
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Retail
Located at Livat Hammersmith in west London, Atelier100 is the first-of-its-kind collaboration between the Swedish retail giants and showcases creatives, makers and manufacturers who live within 100 kilometres of central London to share their innovative product ideas.
Marcus Engman, chief creative officer at Ingka Group, the largest Ikea franchisee, said in a statement: “It is a proud moment to see the first Atelier100 open its doors. Every part of the space has a story, from the locally sourced products on the shelves to the recycled material used to make the space itself. It will be ever evolving and I am excited to see how the creatives on the programme make Atelier100 their own come autumn.”
The project was established to bring the focus back towards local design and production and launched in April with an open call for designers and creatives to join. The initiative combines business masterclasses and mentoring sessions, alongside the opportunity for the chosen creatives to bring their original concepts to life.
The first local talent have been chosen and feature creatives focused on fashion, jewellery, ceramics, sculpture, and even a potato printing illustrator. All creatives will receive funding and mentorship through the programme, as well as access to the multifunctional space, with the aim to begin selling their newly-designed local products from autumn 2022.
In the meantime, the shop will showcase a range of products designed and manufactured by London-based creatives including Adam Jones, Brick Sixty, Been London, Celia Calderon Asensio, Octavia Banks and Martino Gamper.
Atelier100 space for local creatives officially opens in London
Creatives featured on the programme include Ella Rush and Kiah Bibby, students from London who create unique handmade colour-changing jewellery pieces using thermochromic materials under their brand Gum Ldn.
Commenting on being part of the scheme, Ella Rush and Kiah Bibby, said: “When we saw the open call to apply for Atelier100 we knew we couldn’t miss the opportunity. We are already so proud of what we’ve done with Gum, but through Atelier100 we will get mentorship, funding and the chance to collaborate with other creatives on similar journeys to bring our business to the next level. That’s what excites us the most.”
Other fashion names showcasing at Atelier100 include knitwear designer Zoe Horgan, textile designer and weaver Elna-Marie Fortune, and fashion designer Savvas Alexander.
Camilla Henriksson, global brand manager at H&M added: “I am thrilled to be here and to meet in person the creatives that we will be working closely with in the coming months. This is just the beginning of the journey for Atelier100, we look forward to seeing the impact this pilot has on the London design community.”
The Atelier100 space has been designed with multi-functionality in mind, to accommodate selling products, as well as hosting workshops, talks and events. The designers have likened the Atelier100 space to a temporary exhibition space that “will constantly evolve to reflect the personalities of the local creatives, their products and the local community”.
The space has also been constructed to reflect the project’s hyper-local philosophy by using recycled materials from Topshop’s former flagship Oxford Street space, which was purchased by Ikea in October 2021.
