10 years of Machine-A, the London store fostering wild fashion talents – DAZED
Tue 14 Mar
Nestled among the neon lights of the gay sex shops and massage parlours of Soho’s Brewer Street, Machine-A has been standing strong for a decade.
Founded by Stavros Karelis in 2013, the humble fashion haven has become a go-to for those seeking out intrepid young designers and established names alike. From Maison Margiela, Comme des Garçons, and Raf Simons, to Bianca Saunders, Coperni, and Bad Binch TONGTONG, Karelis has stocked them all.
“Sometimes I can’t really believe it myself, that we’re still here and growing after ten years,” he admits, soon after toasting the store’s anniversary with a raucous, Adonis-fuelled party at landmark club Fabric during London Fashion Week. “I never imagined it in the beginning, I didn’t think that far ahead!”
With the original idea taking root in 2009, Karelis took up residence in a temporary space and spent the next couple of years forging relationships with fledgling designers and fine-tuning the future of what would come to be a permanent home. “[That first store] had great energy, but it wasn’t exactly what you’d call a retail space and it wasn’t very refined,” he says, “but it did give way to the birth of the actual Machine-A.”
Though it’s a little less rough around the edges these days, that original essence of experimentation remains. The store is stocked instinctively, with rails bursting with clothes by Craig Green, Kiko Kostadinov, A-COLD-WALL*, Ottolinger, and Martine Rose, menswear and womenswear congruously rubbing lapels – a straightforward concept, perhaps, but even in this era of supposed ‘gender-fluidity’, a rare and welcome shopping experience.
Showcasing graduate designers is also top of the agenda for Karelis, who often scoops up their collections right off the runway. Though there are a handful of indie boutiques that have joined Machine-A in the decade it’s been operating, stockists are still extremely limited. “How is it possible in a city like London, where there is such a vast amount of young talent, there was not a space to spotlight their work,” he asks.
Today, Machine-A has not only become a hub for upcoming labels to sell their wares, but a space Karelis gives over to get them on the fashion map. Going beyond the rail space he allocates them, he also offers up Machine-A itself for presentations and parties, and allows them carte-blanche when it comes to the windows. Walk by the store on any given day and you’re almost certain to spot an installation worthy of an Instagram story.
Now, Karelis closes the chapter on the past decade and looks ahead to the future, starting with a trip to Shanghai to visit the first Machine-A outpost, which opened last year. “It was something that I really wanted to do for a very long time, but making that step is huge,” he says, suggesting more global stores are on the agenda. “I’m a big believer in the physical space and creating a great synergy between London and Shanghai has made me want to see Machine-A in a few other key cities around the world. But I’m not thinking about an empire – I want to do it in an honest way that resonates and inspires.”