Martine worked at Plastic People in Shoreditch in 2006, and the owner's bottom line for music was 'integrity and quality'. We're pretty sure she's that exact same owner in her own company now. We hope we are too.
She described a night called 'Forward' where sometimes only 10 people were on the dance floor, but it was the most focussed 10 people ever, and it didn't change the vibe of the 250 cap venue. Most places would read that as a failed night. They read it as the point.
It took us back to Topshop, when Tara from design would walk us through whatever subcultures were bubbling up. Nu Grave, Nu Rave boards anyone? The Horrors, The Klaxons. Hats off to Jane Shepherdson, Jacqui Markham and Nick P for giving culture that kind of space. We wonder how much of that still happens in buying offices today, when so much is filtered through digital lenses.
Fashion is what you soak in, feel, and pass on through how you make others feel.
The fashion world is a strange place. Amazon buying the Met Gala, Galliano at Zara, SJP at Primark in NYC. The list of money brokered disappointments goes on. We were chatting it all through with the brilliant Philippe Pourhashemi yesterday. Staying steady, true to your 'Sound Values', is so vitally needed. We needed last night.
Positive Retail puts culture at the heart of our marketing. What's going on in the world, what are we responding to, what are we feeling? Not what can we flog. Rhianna Cohen has been with us pretty much from day one and our conversations matter so deeply to us. Never a strategic hire. Natural alchemy. Thanks for your brain Rhi.
It's why we're doing our Summer Series of micro raves in Dalston with Foundation.FM. More soon. Music brings everyone together, and there's nothing like a tune to take us somewhere better.
Martine said it best: 'in the best clubs you all dissolve into one.'
If anyone needs a banger for today then crank this….Martine’s last track.
