Every other weekend – or thereabouts – a figure behind one London’s best-loved independent labels has been making an otherwise faceless lane behind the Old Street roundabout a mecca for London’s fashion set. That person in question is Jake Burt, better known as half of the duo responsible for Stefan Cooke – the other, of course, being Stefan, his partner in both work and life.
Why a steady stream of the city’s finest stylists, editors, art directors, photographers and, indeed, fellow designers find themselves in a whitewashed exhibition space nooked below the Stefan Cooke studio has little to do with the work Burt creates for the brand. Rather, they congregate there for Jake’s, a retail and design project that the designer launched back in November.
As with much in the wider Stefan Cooke universe, the premise of Jake’s is a little esoteric – and proudly so. Open on a relatively ad-hoc basis, the space serves as a forum for wares born of a growing collective of independent creative projects. On and around the scaffold pipe-supported, dalmatian marble-effect slab that makes up the room’s centrepiece, you’ll find coin-studded leather bags and accessories by Six95, an initiative by freelance bag designer Sally Kite; Nina’s Karten, an artisanal greetings card label that, just before Christmas, had created a darling edit of fabric bows embroidered onto card; a series of vintage handkerchief bag charms by Stefan Cooke (the man, rather than the brand); and, of course, intricately wrought garments by Jake’s, Burt’s label that gives the occasion its cause.
Beyond shopping, though, it’s also just a nice place to linger – as many attendees do, making the most of the free coffee on tap and the series of (sadly, but deservedly, not free) scrumptious bakes by Spring pastry chef Louis Thompson that feature at each iteration.
So where did the idea for this decidedly niche shopping-cum-hangout experience first germinate? As with many great fashion innovations, Tokyo. “Me, Stefan, [stylist] Alice Goddard and [photographer] Theo Sion were all there in August,” Burt recalls, “wandering around this neighbourhood called Kōenji, which is really well known for its bro-y vintage menswear shopping.” While wandering the warren of niche Americana and rockabilly shops, “we just kept stumbling across these amazing concept stores, like Doma Building,” spaces that place as much, if not more, emphasis on precise curation and presentation as on trying to shill stock.
The experience resonated with Burt deeply. “After living in London for so long, where retail’s often felt like a bit of a bad joke, I suddenly felt that I was experiencing retail that was really engaging, and that has a little cult following around it,” he opines. “I’d been thinking about doing a shop for ages, and after that, I just suddenly felt like it wouldn’t be impossible to do it back home.”
More than a chance to flex his retail instincts, Jake’s has also offered Burt an opportunity to demonstrate his design interests and instincts beyond the remit of Stefan Cooke. “I think a lot of what I do with Jake’s are ideas that aren't necessarily relevant for Stefan Cooke, but that I still want to articulate,” he says. “Granted, Stefan Cooke is still very niche, but Jake’s is extremely niche, and it’s catering to a much smaller crowd of people. With Stefan Cooke, there’s perhaps more importance placed on distilling a really distinct sense of identity into the work, whereas Jake’s is my design aesthetic expressed in a really abrupt way.”
Though it may be for a smaller crowd, Jake’s has certainly garnered an eager audience. In a recent drop, an edit of coldwashed marbled jersey hoodies with spliced, striped hoods flew off the rack within hours of opening. And while I visited the space, figures like the designer Chet Lo and creative producer Callum Kamara were spotted poring over Russell Athletic joggers and hoodies screenprinted with harsh Helvetica graphics and roomy leather tote bags.
Indeed, the crowd for Jake’s so far has been pretty self-selecting – in large part because it is currently exclusively promoted via Burt’s personal Instagram account (and now by this feature). As with all good things in this town, though, word will surely soon spread to fans of directional independent design, great baked goods, and far beyond. “Jake’s is just such a beautiful idea, and I love everything you find here,” Lo says. There’s such a great mix of different artists and designers. And also, the cakes really are that good!”