At a time when worryingly conservative trends seem to expand through men's sartorial tastes like devastating endemic weeds, finding a shop that bravely refuses dominant styles almost feels like reaching a safe haven where each fashion product is a manna for shoppers hungry for originality. Described as a place where art becomes fashion and fashion becomes art, with music and literature adding to the creative melange, Layers is a new conceptual store in central London that sources the finest avant-garde and artisanal men's and women's wear designers from around the world.
Swimming defiantly against a commercial current, Layers prides itself for providing products that challenge traditional notions, opting for pushing style and imagination forward. The aim of its founders is to promote new and young designers who are doing something of their own, who are not motivated by commercial success, but want to better themselves by achieving critical recognition for their work.
Both in the physical shop and in their website, the intention behind Layers is to provide a platform for emerging talent to showcase their work and engender a new outlook towards fashion. The staging of the products in the store is made in a theatrical manner that respects the value of originality and creativity, whether it is a shirt, a perfume, a pair of boots or sunglasses. For all it stands, at World Man About Town we could not be more supportive of a store like this.
Occupying what was once a well-known luggage brand store on Conduit Street, Layers gathers clothes by designers such as Collateral Concepts, Damir Doma, Devoa, Gareth Pugh, In Aische, Isaac Selam, Julius, Lost & Found, Obscur, and many others who are intent on deconstructing tailoring and traditional conceptualisations of garments and accessories. In this sense, the shop occupies a privileged position in London, alongside shops by designers with a similar artistic philosophy, including Vivienne Westwood, Yohji Yamamoto, and Issey Miyake.
A new fashion shopping experience is born in London. Long live Layers and its support for sartorial creativity!