Osman has an incredibly exciting approach to market retail, because the brands ethos is so deeply rooted in the importance of collaboration with and appreciation for creatives and intellectuals out with fashion. For this reason, Osman has two brand stores, which are creative spaces that so often become platforms for collaboration and celebration. House of Osman is the flagship Atelier come Boutique that doubles as an exhibition space for the Fiorucci Art Trust curated by Milovan Farranoto. This collaboration in itself is a materialization of Osman’s annual magazine, ‘The Collective’. House of Osman is run on an appointment only or event basis, and he often has appointments there with the creatives who wear his garments such as Beyoncé, Thandie Newton, and Emma Watson. In these fittings he sketches and collaborates with his customers to develop the Osman design narrative and work out where the brand is going next. The shop becomes a base for appreciation of the customer and the art behind the clothing. In contrast with this private show room, Osman’s other shop is a Covent Garden town house that creates a more relaxed space that presents both the entire current ready to wear and resort collections, with archive pieces. A considerate use of bold colour throughout the shop represents the ‘chic, utilitarian’ vibe that Osman comes back to for each collection.
The concept of a market space that combines active, living artistic process with a shopping experiences is so important. It takes the fashion industry in the direction of providing everyone in the production line with a genuine identity. However, the fact that House of Osman is so exclusive, and elite, starts to pull away from that. While it celebrates the talents and abilities of such a range of people, it doesn’t provide anywhere near as big a range of customers the chance to experience that wonderful atmosphere. Even if a customer might not be able to afford a fitting, they deserve the chance to explore such a wonderfully curated building, and actually communicate with a creative who is seemingly so inspired by muse culture. While the House of Osman achieves a marketing outlet that I really want to experience for myself, and the sentiment is wonderful, it’s as though this atelier is on a pedestal that doesn’t allow Osman to reach so many appreciative people or for those people to reach Osman.
Osman does also retail at Browns, Selfridges, Matches, Harvey Nichols International, and Galeries Lafayette, it seems a shame to only allow a handful of people to experience his full vision.