Getting Primitive

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IMG_7089 >> The combination of cult Soho shop Machine-A's closure and having come back from Tokyo inspired and brimming with excitement over the finds there, visiting Primitive London, a relatively new shop set-up buried in the arches in Hackney was a pleasure indeed.  It has the scatty opening hours that you'd expect of a hole-in-the-wall space, open on an appointment-only basis from Mon-Weds and then 12-8pm from Thurs-Sun.  Owners Andrew Green and Lui Nemeth have brought over the Japanese designers which they were exposed to during their time when they lived in Tokyo as well as picking out truly new designers from London that are in their experimental debut stages.  This somewhat fills a Machine-A shaped hole except it is Primitive's ties with Japanese designers that makes it an exciting prospect on the Kingsland Road stretch.  Like I said, my Tokyo trip has made me all the more grateful to see designers like Balmung and Banzai on English shores.  Andrew actually Andrew actually does the London shots for the Tokyo-based Street magazine.  Fun fact.  Street magazine have staunchly shot all their streetstyle pics with the very old Fujifilm GA645 medium format camera and have only just recently switched to digital.  Or err… maybe not so fun unless you're a camera geek.  

The first thing that caught my eye in the high-ceilinged but narrow space was Joseph Nigoghossian's installation 'First Kiss', where from a film, he took 100 digital prints to created 100 t-shirts on which, kisses melt with flowers and dancing lights…

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You can also get these young lovers pashing on a pair of printed shorts and trousers too…

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Then the hand of Banzai came looming over me as it happily reminded me of my jaunt to Kita-Kore, holing it up in Rachel's store Ilil, the only other stockist of Banzai…

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More Banzai madness…

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Nothing can top this plush tiger-backed Banzai jacket that I first saw at Ilil…

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Another designer Primitive have brought over from Tokyo is Balmung whose work I saw at Candy in Tokyo…sci-fi, manga and other magical forces seem to inspire Balmung's creatively crazed work…

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Ambush, Japanese rapper/MC Verbal and stylist Yoon's product line seems to have 'cult street accessories' written all over it….

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Another Kita Kore reminder with these customised vicious glasses designed by Rachel at Ilil…

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Primitive also has a roster of London-based labels that I for one have never heard of making me feel a little bit small and stupid, something which I frequently felt when I went to Machine-A to discover some new names.  Primitive shows me the light by stocking printed bodysuits by Bergman Neceva…

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…perforated black suede power pieces by Ava Catherside…

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…plastic-baubled pieces by Strnge…

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…and leather accessories by Ruri Tayama.

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Here's Lui and Andrew the owners…

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In addition to new labels, I also discovered with a pair of novelty sunnies (Primitive stocks a few vintage pieces too including bits of Ann Demeulemeester and Dries Van Noten…) that my cartoon character destiny is most definitely…

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…a deranged panda bear.  A Saturday afternoon well-spent me thinks…

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32 comments

  23. I really like this post. It’s never boring when you know fashion can pop up in some unlikely places. Those sunglasses are amazing and they look very cool on you, Susie 🙂

  24. love the panda sunnies. does anyone know where to buy them online? please..XO

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