Atelier100 launches Hammersmith store for London-based designers and creatives

It began with a conversation between two Swedish retail giants about shared challenges and a common goal to find and nurture the best creative talent.

Both Marcus Engman, Chief Creative Officer at IKEA's Ingka Group and Camilla Henriksson, H&M’s Global Brand Innovation Manager concluded that there was a real case to be made for working closely with emerging London-based creatives with diverse skill sets and cultural reference points to maintain a connection with their audiences.

The resulting product was Atelier100 - the first joint retail venture between the world’s largest furniture retailer and one of the largest global fashion businesses. Atelier100 aims to showcase local designers, makers and manufacturers living within 100km of central London.

Dubbed "by Londoners, for Londoners", Atelier100 officially opened its doors at Livat Hammersmith, West London yesterday, following an open call to creatives in April to stock the shelves of its "hyper-local and sustainable ideas factory".

Additionally, creatives chosen will receive mentorship from industry leaders, and funding of up to £10,000 to help bring their ideas to life. The first batch of 13 creatives include designer Adam Jones, known for his upcycling and beer-inspired pieces, colour changing jewellery brand gum.ldn, furniture designer Martino Gamper, marbled clothing label Octavia Banks.

Designed with multi-functionality in mind, the Atelier100 space uses materials including lighting, shelving and mirrors that were sourced from now-closed H&M and Topshop stores, including the Oxford Street flagship.

The space also acts as a hub for the Atelier100 creative community to host workshops, talks and events.

Speaking to TheIndustry.fashion, Engman said: "When you meet people, you get to learn about problems and possibilities. Camilla and I had a shared view that we saw would be a problem for both Ikea and H&M in the future, and that is our ability to reach out to creators. We are both dependent on having the best creators of the world to work together with us. So how do we make that happen for the future? Atelier100 is about opening up new possibilities for creatives, exploring how we can develop exciting products and services for the future.

"I think the creatives in London and the mentorship programme can offer us fresh views and perspectives that we can't see. When you work within big companies, you think that you see from answer because you have been part of that process. But I think that a lot of ideas come out of circumstances, alongside the willingness to be bold and take risks."

On the 100km radius rule, Atalier100 said it keeps the scale of its platform compact, which "allows the creative community to comfortably work together during the prototype phase, retain those relationships and go on to build successful and sustainable businesses together in the future".