Immediate Boarding - London

Immediate Boarding - London

London Calling?  with Sadiq Khan, the London mayor, announced new London lockdown plan with tougher restrictions in the capital, taking your night flight and head to Heathrow is not a wise decision, in this case, we dedicate the last week of mind travel to London, bringing you our British products from our selection.get ready for immediate boarding, mate.


GARBSTORE

Garbstore is in fact the home brand of a multi-brand store, Couverture and the Garbstore. 

conceived as a creative concept by Emily Dyson-Paley and Ian Paley in 2008. the store housed in a three-story converted period townhouse, this Notting Hill style haven transports you through an eclectic edit of womenswear, menswear, accessories and homewares with a gentle, welcoming ease.  sounds a bit like kapok, maybe that's one of the reasons why we like Garbstore.

Ian Paley, one half of the founder at Garbstore. 

Garbstore has a fanbase at kapok over the years.

the brand gained a notable footing in the menswear industry, with the brand’s distinct affiliation to utilitarian. their purpose-built attire proved to be high in demand, in which their aesthetic became more apparent.


STEPNEY WORKERS CLUB

founded in 2018, the East London based Stepney Workers Club is run by Simon See (brand manager) and Roger Pereira (head of design). the creative duo have sourced their inspiration from around a hundred years of British work and sportswear, honing in on the timeless styles of the workers sports clubs that were popularised throughout the 1930’s.

SWC is an East London brand inspired by the inclusive culture of traditional Workers Sports Clubs. the brand message “Freedom of Sports, Freedom of Thoughts” and the handshake symbol represent the timeless, genderless vulcanised classics that have been adopted by varying sub-cultures over the decades. SWC is a free thinking approach and spirit that feels relevant again today.

“Freedom of Sports, Freedom of Thoughts” is the brand's motto

Roger Pereira, head of design at SWC

the forward thinking brand use to represent their philosophical ideas of inclusivity in all of their pieces. their staple silhouettes are perfect for daily wear, drawing on notes of the canvas shoes worn by countless subcultures throughout the 1900’s while equally combining a vulcanised sole made popular by more contemporary brands such as Vans.  this combination of contemporary and heritage transcends into their production methods, some of which are of a bygone era - setting their vulcanisation process apart from those of today's traditionally modern designs.

the key for their design concept is keeping it as true as possible to the original 1950s/60s footwear construction techniques whilst making it unique with the proportions, shape and sole foxing dimensions. SWC have a promising future ahead, having already been cited by Hypebeast as one of the top five emerging sneaker brands to look out for.


ALEXA CHUNG

Alexa Chung is a fashion brand, born in London 2016, the brainchild of Alexa Chung, the human, born in Hampshire, 1983. 

with nearly a decade’s experience in designing clothes for other brands, and with the idea of starting her own label warmly incubating in her mind for some time, Alexa decided to take the plunge and launch her namesake Alexa Chung, and so returned from New York to creatively direct a business distinctively tied to her British roots.

in 4 years, Alexa Chung created a hit brand with strong London vibe and eccentricity.

our kapok ladies gets the brand spirit immediately.

at the heart of the brand, Alexa’s vision: to create clothes that people want to wear. combining Parisian chic with a New York edge, as well as the very British sense of humour, it is inspired by everything from Jane Birkin’s insouciance to David Hockney’s stripy sweater.

Alexa Chung prides itself on its unique approach to making clothes, combining distinctive fabrics and prints with classic tailoring alongside more feminine designs. the result is a carefully considered, alluring combination of prim, racy and rock ‘n’ roll, where frivolous party pieces interact with grown-up tailoring and classic silhouettes. 


MIISTA

Miista was founded in 2010 in London’s East End by Galician born Laura Villasenin.  the brand was launched with the intention to play with shapes and materials without sacrificing quality, wearability or price - and have been designing shoes from our East London studio ever since. 

MIISTA's materials are locally sourced from Italy and Spain.

Galician born Laura Villasenin, founder of Miista

Miista unites Laura’s nostalgia of her rural Spanish heritage with a modernist female sentiment, translating cinematic, surreal, and retrospective inspirations into timeless styles rendered in Italian leathers and unexpected materials. it’s a pastiche of all those childhood memories of a beautiful farm on the Atlantic coast of Galicia, dropped like a stranger into a contemporary East London setting.  

MIISTA brings together opposites in deliberate juxtapose; embodying an elegant balance in the unusual through an informed marriage of design, material and craft. all materials are locally sourced from Italy and Spain. the core of their vision and success relies on the craftswo/men in Alicante, Spain, home to a highly skilled shoemaking community that has been upholding tradition since the 19th century. 

their aim is to continue creating, designing and locally crafting beautifully made products, while we also work with other stakeholders to improve the state of the world.  

For Art's Sake 

Founded in 2016, For Art’s Sake is one of the most exciting eyewear brands to come out of London. loved for its bold details and a light-hearted approach to luxury, FAS lives by the phrase ‘Designed to Delight’ – seen in everything from their striking art deco-inspired stores to our blue velvet packaging and the charities they support (with every purchase you make, they donate a pair of glasses to someone in need through Restoring Vision and plant a tree with Trees for the Future).

Yannis and Xiwen, founders of For Art's Sake

24 gold plate temple and chain adorned with pearls, For Art's Sake glasses is luxurious.

Partners Yannis and Xiwen came up with the idea for FAS on a holiday to Greece where they couldn’t find a stylish pair of sunglasses at the right price point. they set about creating a brand that combines affordable luxury with exceptional handmade quality and after a lot of late nights, FAS snowballed to success in under four years.

For Art's Sake lenses are made from premium nylon and are 100% UV protected. This means 3 things: they're super lightweight, ultra durable and designed to look after your eyes. their bod designs often include 14k gold plate, palladium and plant-based acetate with jade stone as nosepad, adding touches of luxury in the material used. 


LONDON UNDERCOVER

finally, nothing captures the London state of mind better than the notorious weather.

established in 2008, using age-old techniques, London Undercover's umbrellas are made with only the finest materials and highest quality craftsmanship. each piece is designed and built with a contemporary approach by people who understand the needs and requirements of men and women in the modern day.  an obvious canvas for expression, London Undercover opens up the possibility to explore, enjoy and take pride in what is undoubtedly, the most iconic, indispensable and quintessentially British accessory.

a good umbrella is one of the life hacks to survive in London.

Jamie Milestone, founder of London Undercover

merging both timeless and forward-thinking design with materials selected not only for their aesthetic and strength but their longevity and environmental sustainability.  in keeping with the British ecological ideology, they consider all aspects of product and process with a fresh environmental approach.

since its inception, London Undercover has collaborated with the likes of A Bathing Ape, Carhartt, Fred Perry, Monocle & Vans (to name a few) and continue to stock in high-end stores such as Liberty, Matches, Selfridges, The Conran Shop and kapok in Hong Kong, where quality and contemporary design is key.  working with such brands continues our passion for promoting beautifully made umbrellas to a new generation of style and quality conscious individuals.

"with the celebration of Britishness at the core, London Undercover continues to bring the humble umbrella to life."




get ready for boarding and fly to your nearest kapok stores.

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