Bolongaro Trevor (London, UK)

The great thing about the UK is that it hasn't just given us a great number of innovative and creative designers, but it's also one of the few places where even high street brands are known to push the envelope instead of just following existing trends. One of my favorite retail labels has always been All Saints, known for their cool and edgy 'grunge meets glam' style. But as the brand became more and more popular and its founders Kait Bolongaro and Stuart Trevor became more wary and tired of (as the JC Report puts it) the 'homogenization and mass production of a post-millenial high street', they sold their stake in All Saints and founded Bolongaro Trevor instead - as an antidote to your typical retail brand if you will.

A selection from the FW09 lookbook (images: Bolongaro Trevor).

The aim was to provide consumers with consciously designed limited-edition clothing. If you're sick of seeing your neighbor or colleagues sport the same Topshop dress you just bought, you might want to give this brand a try. Even though Bolongaro Trevor is now available in several countries (including the U.S.), clothing and accessories are still produced in limited quantities as higher-end labels would do. The All Saints aesthetic remains to an extent: you'll find a lot of edgier, asymmetric or distressed outfits in the collection - but the quality is much better and as such, the pricing is marginally higher as well. While All Saints will still look visibly 'high street' in some cases, Bolongaro Trevor's pieces can easily be mistaken for designer. In fact, the first few items I held in my hand were a dead ringer for Vivienne Westwood's Anglomania line. Not surprisingly, the brand has a huge following with everyone from Agyness Deyn, Daisy Lowe or Courtney Love declaring themselves as fans of the label.

Overview of the front area of the store (left). A selection of memorabilia and a cool scarf (right).

Make no mistake though: even if the goal was to create a more sophisticated brand, the style is still very young, fresh and not boring in the least. The first collection was for AW07 and since then, the label has been careful to embrace the trends without following them too closely. You will find plaid skirts, but the asymmetric tulip-shaped cut will be different from what any other company is doing at the moment. Likewise, ruffles are given a more playful ballerina-inspired makeover or in some cases a harder edge, as seen on the ruffled leather pencil skirt. Currently Bolongaro Trevor only has one flagship in the world - located in the heart of London just off Carnaby Street. Considering how interesting the pieces are, I wasn't surprised that the store itself was pretty quirky as well.

The FW09 collection in-store (left), a leather jacket and a burgundy bag (right).

The shop is divided into two areas, the first of which looked pretty unspectacular, except for the few taxidermy birds I found sitting on random shelves. This is the area where the mainline collection is housed. The layout was quite straightforward and if the lighting had been harsher, you might have mistaken the interior for an American Apparel outlet. Taking a closer look though, this store is nothing like AA of course. For starters, walls are adorned with various antique-looking paintings. Curtains of the changing rooms feature the Union Jack and memorabilia such as a vintage pin-up calenders are strewn around the store. I spied some great leather jackets and skirts, beautiful silk dresses and a lot of cool draped tops.

A few examples of taxidermy in the front area (left) and a great selection of belts and bags at the cash desk (right).

The more interesting decor can be found in the back room which is home to Bolongaro Trevor Resurrection. The theme seems to be taxidermy, with everything from a giant swan to tiger heads displayed in various glass cases. There were more old paintings and antique statues or other trinkets and a small amount of religious memorabilia - many of these were for sale, though a lot of the taxidermy was just decoration. Most of these items I was told are by the artist Sophie Dickens (the great, great, great, granddaughter of Charles Dickens) and it's the store's intention to display and sell works by other artists as well in the future.

The 'Resurrection' range in the back room (left) and taxidermy at its finest (right).

Old paintings and more vintage clothes (left) and antique religious memorabilia near the sale section (right).

According to a press release, the interior is "a magnetic magpie in a junk yard store, fused with a Frankenstein disregard for rules/correctness.... all elements recycled and forced together by the mind of a mad man", i.e. it's a little crazy. All the 'Resurrection' clothing here is vintage and stems from the founder's 15 year archive. Pieces include Victorian lace bodices, Napoleonic battle jackets and even bus driver uniforms. Some of the vintage also come courtesy of Pearl Lowe who's collection is now available in-store. Because the items are carefully selected, you won't have to sift through a lot, which is great for someone like me who usually gets overwhelmed in London's huge vintage emporiums.

More taxidermy and a few old wooden dolls...

Towards the end of this room I also found a few racks with discounted clothes from last season. Definitely a good place to look, as I sighted a lot of great tops and skirts in my size but for only a fraction of the original price. If you can pry yourself away from the distracting decor, I'd also look out for the impressive selection of belts near the cash desk at the front and some of the men's scarves which again feature the Union Jack symbol.

A few men's tees on sale (left), a cheetah head and a swan (right).

Despite the fact that the store looks quite packed, it's actually very easy and pleasant to browse. The junkyard vibe only applies to the glass cases and displays, but the clothes are always easily accessible. Highly recommended if you love All Saints but need something a little more unique or different. Bolongaro Trevor is also available at Urban Outfitters (UK) and other shops around the world, but the great news is that you won't have to leave your house to shop their collections, as they've just launched their online store. Unfortunately the Resurrection range isn't available via the web, but I'm sure their regular range of clothing will make up for it.

Address: 61 Broadwick Street., London W1
Opening Hrs: Mon-Sat: 10:00-19:00, Sun: 12:00-18:00
Bolongaro Trevor Homepage