Mercantile Blog

"Androgyny - the combination of masculine and feminine characteristics".   This season sees British brand Native Youth introduce gender neutral pieces into their A/W collection. Key pieces include the Apex Parka, an oversized olive coloured parka coat and the Altair puffer jacket with a long line fit and padded to keep you warm. Offering something for the transitional months, the raw...

Born in Västerås Sweden, Maya Njie (pronounced 'Maia En-jai') moved to London in her late teens. Her background lies in surface design and photography, which she studied at the University of the Arts London. To further communicate her work, she began experimenting with the sense of smell as an added medium.     Inspired by an old family photo album...

Just Female AW 2017 collection. Oskara Tigers. "Patent leather, bulky knits, electric colours and sleeved statements. Inspired by the Japanese city Oskara, where youthful, energizing vibes run through the streets. Oskara Tigers is a story about the geometric buildings, the distinct colours and the girls strolling through the street". This season the Just Female collection is set in Oskara, Japan....

For Autumn / Winter 2017, RAINS pays tribute to the icons of our time. As a move on from the existing collection of iconic raincoat styles, a number of iconic newcomers have been introduced to the collection including new interpretations of the bomber, the parka, the mackintosh and the coach jacket.  In keeping with their continuing aesthetic, the A/W 2017...

 Not just for the Summer season, floral takes on a dark edge with a palette of anthracite and inky blue. Following on from the mini trend of Summer Gothic, floral print with a dark background continues to work hard to provide interest well into the Autumn months, especially when teamed with a loose, flowing silhouette and delicate details.   Rosa...

Custommade introduces the Pre collections with its trademark Scandinavian loose and easy to wear separates.  A pale green tiered silk skirt is styled with a textured knit, a pretty powder blue ruffle top elevates everyday denim and a stunning gold lurex and shimmering electric blue dress appears alongside touches of semi-sheer ruffles, pleats and intricate print. With the potential to...

The Mercantile London are particularly proud of the most recent addition to our womenswear brand mix, as this designer is very much part of The Mercantile family, having worked at the Spitalfields store in its early days. RCA graduate Queenie Chan founded her contemporary womenswear brand Quin in 2016 and the Pre Fall collection which has arrived in-store and on-line...

As part of our current young designers series, focusing on fledgling businesses we took five minutes to sit down with Elodie of Frankie. French born designer Elodie is now based in London, producing pieces from discovered vintage tapestries and treasure-finds. Each of which is completely unique and made with "great love".     Sum up Frankie in five words ? Handcrafted,...

Sun-parched landscapes showcase a bleached out palette with contrasting vibrant tropical print. Americana classic sportswear appears alongside Artisan embroidery on simple loose shapes. Colours include khaki, teal and cobalt with classic stripes and washed out mini-checks on soft cotton. Click on image to shop   Inspiration images via Star Mela. Follow Star Mela here        

We're proud to be an independent store in the vibrant, creative community of Spitalfields. It's the people we meet who make our work so rewarding, the customers, our suppliers large and small, our team of staff and our neighbours on Lamb Street.We photograph the clothes ourself on real people we know and love,this is a dedication to the lovely individuals who bring...