24 Oct Boutique shop Made in H&F celebrates a year of trading
Made in H&F has celebrated its first year of business, successfully selling bespoke, ethically-sourced and sustainable products created by local makers since October 2018.
The boutique pop-up store, set up through a partnership between Kings Mall Shopping Centre, Hammersmith & Fulham Council and Hammersmith BID (Business Improvement District), was started to support local artists and bring more vibrancy to Hammersmith. Situated in King’s Mall shopping centre, Made in H&F quickly became the best place to buy locally produced art, carefully crafted and ethically sourced homewares, bespoke hats, vintage clothing, bags and jewellery.
Since opening, Made in H&F has been a roaring success and the concept has paved the way for other town centres and BIDs to follow suit. Over the past year, the store has worked with 54 local artists, fashionistas and crafts experts, and has generated more than £50,000 for the participating traders, as well as providing free workshops and sessions to the public.
One of these traders, Tia Darick of Immy London, produces a unique collection of designs and bespoke quality batik products that include homeware, clothing and jewellery. She combines Western lifestyles and fashion trends with the elegance and variety of Asian styles and traditions in her work. At one of the regular Meet the Makers sessions in the store, Tia said: “Made in H&F is an exciting pop-up Store. There is always a little bit of nervous energy on my part but that always disappears when meeting the customers which I enjoy very much. I do many Meet the Makers events at the shop.”
Speaking about the initiative Tia said: “It’s the next best thing to happen on the High Street. I am very happy that Made in H&F are encouraging sole traders and small independent businesses. It gives me a sense of optimism and encourages me to expand my business and bring new product lines to our customers. I appreciate all the support I receive from the staff who look after the Pop-Up Boutique Store And also, I am very grateful for the work that all the people involved behind the scenes of the Pop-Up Store concept do.”
Made in H&F is run by two members of staff and overseen by Luisa Martinez, Hammersmith BID’s Project Support Officer. She said: “Made in H&F is more than just your average shop. Each and every item that is stocked is carefully considered, and the shop allows our traders to have an excellent platform to sell their products.”
Patricia Bench, Hammersmith BID Director said: “Made in H&F creates a local hub for traders to sell their products and engage with their customers. This is a wider part of the BID’s commitment to bringing a diverse offer to the town centre and create a more vibrant Hammersmith.
New traders include artists Marcus Wee, Emily Jennings, Vitality Dzhalilov and Elinor Rowlands, and jewellery makers Olive Williams, Saba Hammad (Kaleidochic), Janet Akakpo and Suzette Richards-Selano. The next rotation will also include natural wellness products from Leon Acheampong (Pureté Nature), Egyptian cotton bed linen from Alena Serafy (Sabani Linens), vintage clothing from Tola Ajala-Bamgbelu (Vision Creationz) and leather goods from Yusuf Osman (Yussico).
Find out more about Made in H&F.