New kid on the block, and one to watch, Tom O’Dell has opened his first lifestyle emporium O'Dell’s (originally named as Sticks and Stones) in the hip and happening area of East London’s Shoreditch. Situated in a genteel tree-lined avenue amongst other like-minded independent boutiques, Tom has curated a simple, white-washed space, stocked with a range of menswear, lifestyle accessories and homewares. Wanting to offer more niche brands than other retailers, and to present these in a minimalistic, organic environment was Tom’s mission. I recently visited O'Dell’s and asked Tom about his new project…
What is the idea behind your shop? O'Dell’s is a carefully curated selection of products from skilled makers and brands, that sit within a relaxed and friendly shop in the heart of Shoreditch. I want to focus the selection of merchandise on menswear, lifestyle and homeware products. I have tried to introduce products that are exclusive to O'Dell’s and have an interesting story behind them - items that I love and hope others will love them. The store design allows the products to be the main focus, I have been in to many stores over the past years where they are themed, and I felt this took away the focus from the most important thing - the product. I am very particular when it comes to my merchandising - everything has a place, and not one product takes centre stage over another. I like things to be in straight lines as you will probably see from my Instagram feed. The only props I like to have within the display are green plants, as this just adds a hint of colour to the store and gives me something to look after until I get a shop dog!
What was your background before you got into retail? I have worked within menswear since I was 15 years old as I started working at weekends in a wonderful menswear store in my hometown of Bedford. The store had been in the heart of Bedford for over 100 years, and I gained valuable experience from the skill of altering a suit, to knowledge of fabrics and cuts. I moved to London for university where I started to work at Lizard menswear in Richmond every Saturday. I have always been attracted to independent businesses and Lizard is one I will always be grateful to, as I had the chance to work with an experienced team, and sell menswear brands from Paul Smith to Oliver Sweeney Shoes. I also worked within PR and Marketing for a while, and as a Store Manager, and then in-house for Nigel Hall, where I looked after the brand’s website, marketing and seasonal campaigns. Nigel Hall gave me many fantastic opportunities and taught me the importance of good quality products, sticking to your ethos, and how to develop a brand. After five great years at Nigel Hall, I thought it was the right time to go it alone and start my own business, and quickly O'Dell’s was born.
Which brands do you stock? Many of the brands are exclusive to the store in London. From the UK, I have beautiful handmade woollen rugs from Pimlico, leather wallets, organic menswear grooming products, independent magazines and books, handmade wooden brushes and a selection of beautiful shoes. From Europe, I have jeans, knitwear, watches and handmade sunglasses, and from the USA, I have ceramics, leather accessories and my best seller…the soy wax candles.
How do you want to develop the shop? I want to discover new brands and introduce them to the store each month. I also want to grow the brands website and look to work with small independent labels in the area of wholesale and distribution, allowing them to use the store as part selling space/part showroom. I would also like to work with third parties such as boutique hotels to help them source products outside of the UK and hope to one day open a store near to me in South London!
Do you sell online? I will be selling online from next week. The website will be an extension of the store with the images displayed on the site exactly how they are within the store. I haven’t really seen this online (maybe for a reason!) but it’s something I’m going to try and see what people think. Rather than shoot on a background, the store fixtures and fittings and surrounding products will act as the background. I hope this will allow people to feel that although they are shopping from the comfort of their home, and they are still able to experience the ethos of O'Dell’s.
Can you tell us about Calvert Avenue where you are situated? From the first time I walked down this road, I always thought it reminded me of New York, a city I have good memories of. I also love London and I really think it is one of the best cities. I feel privileged to live and work in it. I love the fact that although this street is in the heart of Shoreditch, it has a sense of community, and an old fashioned, traditional feel. Everyone has benches outside their store - which allows people who might be shopping or picking up their laundry, to have a sit down for two minutes for a chat with a local, or just to gather their thoughts. I am lucky enough to be able to work with my friends at Luna and Curious, the shop next door - Rheanna, Karou and Polly have been ahead of the game for the past eight years and I admire how they run their business and the types of brands and makers they stock.
O'Dell’s, 24 Calvert Avenue, London E2 7JP.
All images © The Lifestyle Editor
