Some kind of alchemy is afoot. Something brewing, formulating from deep within London’s East End. In an unassuming space, something brilliant this way comes. This Winter & beyond sees Hostem play host to cult collaborator & fashion innovator, Doctor Romanelli’s Prescription Shoppe.
Bringing his brand of ‘personalization & customization’ to the UK, Dr. Romanelli (aka DRx), the L.A based designer who began experimenting with customized clothing and has naturally evolved to develop a unique process of collaborations with established brands.
Dr. Romanelli’s Prescription Shoppe, complete with separate entrance on Chance Street, E2 features a collection of unique fittings that evoke the sense of an old world pharmacy. The world according to Dr. Romanelli is one in which, as a sartorial surgeon, he stitches together and cross-breeds clothing to create individual pieces, tailored hybrids, using what has gone before as a skeleton on which to infuse his renegade style panache.
‘My work is about storytelling’, says Romanelli who has collaborated with brands as diverse as Converse, Levis, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Fraggle Rock and Dunhill, each of them seeing him re-work what has gone before to create something entirely new. 2006 saw the launch of his ground breaking 181 Martel retail space/gallery in LA that houses all of his sought after goods.
The Prescription Shoppe will welcome a host of collaborations, some of which are listed below and debuted for the first time between Dr. Romanelli and an array of style boundary breakers.
Toying with notions of Americana, Romanelli and Hitoshi Tsujimoto’s cult brand Real McCoys mash US pop culture with military accents, with Romanelli snipping, splicing and dicing the garment to reinvent each piece to his trademark technical accomplishment.
Similar sartorial deconstructions and re-workings have been formed with Japanese work-wear brand Anachronorm creating crisp cotton and denim Americana inspired items.
DRx and LA-based, recycling-savvy fashion brand A Love Moment bring us “Doctor Love” a collection of reconstructed one off cashmere pieces.
The Doctor’s fruitful frisson between Brooklyn-based graffiti artist Jose Parla, created the love child June 13th – An exclusive collaboration project between Jose & Dr Romanelli. The June 13th project introduces a number of unique collaborations with innovative brands back in 2006. In particular, soon to arrive for Christmas, the joint effort with Cire Trudon, creating an exquisitely packaged, unique scented candle for the world’s oldest candle manufacturer, founded in 1643.
A series of collectible bronze figurines also feature, the spoils of a venture between Dr. Romanelli and ultra-lux, achingly cool sunglasses purveyor Oliver Peoples to create the set, named Dr. Goodfellow.
Introducing to the UK for the first time, the Prescription Shoppe will offer a selection of handcrafted & premium accessories from traditional American leather brand Parabellum. Combining military grade ceramics, free-range 15 year old American Bison and supple lambskin, Parabellum aims for “the perfect union between luxury and utilitarianism”.
The marriage between Hostem and the good doctor is all the more harmonious given their dual interest in enriching the fashion experience.
For those of a sartorial malaise, the Dr. will see you now.