Hostem is a clothing boutique based on Redchurch Street in Shoreditch, east London. The store stocks a carefully selected range of mens and womenswear from brands and designers whose work is characterised by a sensitive approach to materials, and a focus on the importance of process and craft. The store’s four floors have each been refurbished according to these same principles, to create a distinctive retail experience.
The brand identity for Hostem builds upon this sense of precision and narrative, using fine serif type and an off-monochrome palette. We commissioned art writer Patrick Coyle to create a series of texts around the theme of nature, germination and evolution. These were used in a variety of compositions across the stationery and printed materials. For the labelling and packaging, we devised a system incorporating unexpected materials, taking a step away from the conventions of luxury retail. Staff were encouraged to emboss the packaging themselves, adding a further element of craft to this part of the process.
