LONDON — LN-CC, the Hackney-based concept store with a global e-commerce operation, will celebrate its 15th anniversary with a series of activations during London Fashion Week and beyond.
There will be events featuring Yohji Yamamoto and his daughter Limi Feu; Lacoste l8te — a collaboration between the French brand and the New York-based artist Frank Dorey; exclusive drops from Rick Owens, Rier and Our Legacy, and in-store installations featuring London-based emerging talents.
Envisioned by its founder John Skelton as a one-of-a-kind blend of fashion, music and art, LN-CC, or Late Night Chameleon Café, was London’s original experimental retailer, offering a curated fashion selection and a space tunnel-like installation by set designer Gary Card.
The niche retail concept has since morphed into a cult online destination under the ownership of e-commerce service provider The Level Group, which brought the once-struggling LN-CC out of administration in 2015.
A look from the Lacoste l8te.
Courtesy of LN-CC
Perhaps because it made its mistakes a decade ago, LN-CC has now found its groove as a fashion-forward platform that’s part-boutique, part-creative agency, and part-cultural activator.
According to Cristian Musardo, founder and chief executive officer of The Level Group, LN-CC, in many ways, is “the last man standing” in the independent retailer space. It has remained stable in size and is profitable despite a sharply contracting market over the past 18 months.
Musardo said that was achieved by a curated brand mix that drives sell-through and margin. Due to The Level Group’s support, the retailer can also deliver a decent e-commerce experience at a fraction of the cost some competitors pay.
The Level Group is a global e-commerce services provider with more than 50 clients, such as Prada, Ferragamo, Ferrari, Intimissimo, and Calzedonia, in the luxury and contemporary space, and is the owner of fellow multibrand platforms that include Frankbros, Scarosso and LaDoubleJ.
A Rick Owens look exclusive to LN-CC.
Courtesy
“We have been disciplined about keeping our overheads low, and streamlining our operations across the board. The outcome is a healthier cash profile, a more resilient business, and the ability to honor our commitments to brand partners. We have virtually no bank debt and no overdue payables with our brand partners,” added Musardo.
In addition to e-commerce gains, media and creative revenues are also growing quickly at LN-CC. Musardo believes that independence, focus and point of view are advantages in a consolidating landscape.
The reopening of its upgraded physical space in Dalston, East London, in March 2024 has expedited its activation pipeline, with brand partners showing great interest in connecting themselves with the LN-CC community IRL.
“What sets LN-CC apart is how we connect culture and commerce. We don’t trade products in isolation; we build narratives with the brands and creators shaping the moment,” he added.
Looking ahead, Musardo said the ambition is to cement LN-CC as the independent platform at the intersection of fashion and culture, while growing profitably, expanding creative and media footprint with activation-led experiences.
The LN-CC store in Dalston, East London.
Courtesy
According to Reece Crisp, buying and creative director at LN-CC, the online business is evenly distributed between Europe, North America and Asia, while the U.K. represents around 10 percent of its revenue.
Top-performing brands on the platform tend to be those that are protective about distribution, such as Miu Miu, The Row, Moncler, Rick Owens, Stone Island, Lemaire and Toteme.
But Crisp said the trick to staying competitive is not only about brands with good numbers, but also about gut instinct for what’s next.
“The data side of it always drives you to an extent that’s always there. It guides us in appointments and with trends. On the other hand, it’s the impulse that you get when you’re putting these collections together. Whenever we’ve been approaching the market, it’s always been about taking educated risks and having a real sense of what we think an LN-CC should stand for,” said Crisp.
LN-CC, from the very beginning, has been closely associated with supporting emerging talents. While it’s become much harder to scout designers who have not been stocked elsewhere, Crisp and his team have signed on three young brands — Ed Curtis, Gina Corrieri and Eden Tan — to offer them a proper introduction to the market this fall.
LN-CC 15th anniversary posters seen on the streets of London.
Courtesy of LN-CC
Crisp said he was impressed with how Curtis has been developing his signature swirling details on hoodies into shirts and accessories for his pop-up. The Tottenham-based Corrieri, who is known for reworking vintage and secondhand materials into size-inclusive looks, has designed an exclusive capsule, including a few special tartan pieces.
Tan’s award-winning Central Saint Martins graduate collection, featuring whole rolls of fabric attached to the garments, has earned him a great deal of media attention in the past two years. His LN-CC pop-up will feature backpacks repurposed from alpine-style jackets and ladies’ handbags made from leather high heels.