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London Comes to Komune28 Images
Since opening Komune on Orchard Street last August, the team behind the buzzy (and increasingly TikTok-viral) new store have noticed a running theme in the New York City retail landscape: there’s a lack of representation for younger London-based designers. Komune’s core team – Alex Tao, Martin Li, Brandon Fogarty, Lia Feng and Cassie Mao – are all under 26 and committed to filling Komune’s shelves with the coolest emerging designers from New York and across the world.
When asked why London seems to currently be under-represented in New York, they list a bunch of “unsexy” answers: tariffs, shipping, and sell-through rates, to name a few. It’s a problem they are eager to address. From May 2 to May 9, they hosted a full-store takeover of London-based brands, London Comes to Komune. “We see London as the world’s foremost incubator for emerging fashion talent,” says Martin Li, Komune’s store manager. “It feels like London is more experimental while New York is more commercial.”
The atmosphere at the London Comes to Komune opening could be described as Harrods meets young indie designers. There were Union Jack banners (and t-shirts) and a bright red telephone booth. Inside, the Komune’s team were excited to bring UK brands like VeniceW, Constantinou, Eden Tan, Ko Leung, Octi and Strongthe to New York – for many of the designers, this was their first time in the city.
One of the biggest challenges young UK designers face when breaking into the New York market is communicating the depth of their work. London’s well-known fashion schools encourage experimentation, but New York leans heavily into commercial pragmatism. The Komune team believe that an experiential retailer like themselves can help bridge that gap.
After the opening, we asked London’s Komune-approved emerging designers if they think New York is ready for a UK fashion takeover.
What do you think New York could learn from London’s emerging designers? And vice versa.
I think young designers both in London and New York face the same struggles: maintaining financial stability and longevity in the current climate. I am very grateful to receive support from the BFC as part of their NEWGEN initiative in the UK, and I think emerging designers in New York would really benefit from a similar system. I think it is fair to say both LFW and NYFW really suffered post-pandemic, and the NEWGEN programme has really helped young designers showcase their work again. New York designers should have the same support, especially in the early years of establishing themselves.
Do you think New York is ready for a London fashion takeover?
I think it is more about building a stronger bridge between the two as opposed to a takeover. In recent years, there have been a lot more designers from both the US and the UK showing in Paris or Milan, and while that is a great moment for any emerging designer, it would be great to see more within our own cities.
What do you think New York could learn from London’s emerging designers? And vice versa.
VeniceW started in New York in 2018, and we presented our first collection here in 2019. Being back in New York now almost feels like revisiting VeniceW’s past life. I feel like the markets in New York and London are quite similar. Emerging designers in both cities are focused on staying independent, working at a slower pace, but still dreaming big.
Do you think New York is ready for a London fashion takeover?
I think globalisation has made fashion feel less mysterious nowadays. Cities and fashion weeks used to play a much more significant role – they were landmarks. You’d see a brand through the lens of its city, with brands promoting the cities and vice versa. But now, the internet has taken over all of that.
Eden Tan – The Bootbag25 Images
Is this your first time in New York?
Komune NYC are the first stockist globally that I have entrusted with my products. It is quite an honour for them to platform so many young designers, especially considering the lengths they would have had to go through with the new Trumptariffs.
What do you think New York could learn from London’s emerging designers? And vice versa.
New York has such a prevalent cultural identity; it seems to be always ready for anything, but will happily chew you up and spit you out, and that’s what makes it such an exciting place for young designers to find out what will stick and what will miss.
What do you think New York could learn from London’s emerging designers?
London is so intensely connected. It’s easy to develop a cult following and grow with our customers. London’s always been rough around the edges, and that gives us a lot of freedom to experiment.
What do you think are the biggest roadblocks for young UK designers here?
This is our first time being stocked in a New York brick-and-mortar space; it’s terrifying, but it feels very natural to expand in a city that also values emerging brands. Our biggest jump has been communicating our research and storytelling to a whole new cultural audience. Coming from the British countryside, we hope the slow-paced rural lifestyle can still have its place in a city. Komune made the most sense to us as our first step into New York, due to their narrative-driven system, we really feel like we’ve arrived with the right people.
What do you think New York could learn from London’s emerging designers? And vice versa.
The stores here [New York] are really supportive of younger designers–not just selling stuff, but doing events that build a community around their brand. In London, maybe they would do it with more established brands, but I can’t think of that many times when it’s been a super emerging brand.
What do you think are the biggest roadblocks for young UK designers here?
The biggest setback is financial. Things in dollars seem more expensive. There’s a kind of pinch with the prices, whether you’re selling to a store or directly to a customer. While I ship to New York often, I don’t really know, in terms of style or who that person really is. I would love for more people to come to my studio and buy in person.
What do you think New York could learn from London’s emerging designers? And vice versa.
I think each city has their own uniqueness that’s important to preserve. I’m hesitant to say without much experience in the city, but it seems like things are more fast-paced in New York. If that’s the case, it could be a great place to learn how to adapt and stay afloat in an environment that’s always changing.
Do you think New York is ready for a London fashion takeover?
Why not? A cultural exchange is fun! New York seems like a city that is ready for anything. When arriving in any new location with a different culture and customers, we’re trying to consider what the best approach is to communicate the brand in a way that makes the most sense. From my understanding, New York has a big appetite for newness, so I think it’s important to keep things feeling fresh. This can be a challenge for a young brand with less resources, but a good practice to learn.
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