Journal

  International Women's Day on March 8th celebrates the achievements of women and promotes gender equality and empowerment, and supporting or purchasing from women-led businesses can play a small part. Below we chat to Alice Creator and Director of Shyla London about her jewellery brand, her experiences and advice for other women looking to start their own businesses, as well...

  Facing the task of choosing a meaningful, low impact gift within a budget can be overwhelming. However, with a store packed to the rafters with innovative, independent brands and a strong focus on the crafted and sustainable, we hope this selection below may spark inspiration for those on your list.   Best For: Design Enthusiasts Who Prefer Clean Beauty...

  With a strong sense of identity, a legacy of heritage crafts such as dying, spinning and weaving, combined with leading talent in modern design we take a look at our stores selection of independent fashion and apothecary brands based in Scotland and Ireland. Founded in 1986, Eribe is a knitwear design house and manufacturing company  based in Melrose, in...

  New season collections are beginning to arrive and Danish brand Stella Nova welcomes us to the world of the Tailors Wardrobe in which we get to dress up and embrace the sculptural details, be seduced by the bold splash of color-blocking and get ready for contrasting styling. Black and white are used for a sharp look, but also paired...

  Dzidzia Wilk was born in 1988 in a small town called Mettmann, near Dusseldorf in Germany. Dzidzia’s Polish roots explain her name; Dzidzia means baby in Polish. Now living and working in the East London art scene, Dzidzia finds herself  between the cultural influences of Germany and London. Following study at art school, Dzidzia went on to study Art...

    Rita Row was born in Figueres (Girona) in June 2013 and is the brainchild of two halves: Imma Serra and Xènia Semis. From its beginnings, the brand established a clear objective: to craft elegant and functional clothing. Rita symbolizes a woman in search of comfort, quality and style; this fictional character acts as a muse to the designers,...

  Since it's beginnings in 2012, Louise Mischa has been a story of adventure, friendship and family. Intricacy in detail, fabrication and crafts are signature to this French brand that use travel and comfort as their main inspiration. These are clothes you wear continually but never want to wear out as you'll be lost without them. Through each collection, Louise...

  Bon Parfumeur is a niche perfume house that offers clean, genderless and eco-responsible fragrances. Created and made with local suppliers in France (the design begins in Paris, the juice is from Grasse, the bottle from Normandie, and production is in Chartres)  local manufacturing allows the brand to minimise transportation costs while fully valuing French fragrance know-how. Even though the...

  Often overlooked, bar soap may not at first glance seem that exciting, but many well-being and apothecary brands are taking on the challenge to elevate this every day essential into a chance for a little self-care, and the ultimate relaxation. Dook (meaning to submerge) is an award-winning artisanal company based in Edinburgh, who have elevated the humble bar of...

  Lab Tonica is a contemporary wellness brand which aims to take herbal remedies out of the cupboard and onto the cosmetic shelf. Encompassing a perfect alchemy of design, ancient recipes, scientific methods and accessible formats, Lab Tonica brings the healing power of plants to a new, modern audience. Every sip of the brands tea, smudge of balm, drop of...

  After the excess of the Christmas season, it always seems relevant to return to a back to basics approach, wanting to refresh what we currently have in our wardrobes and questioning the longevity of future purchases. With this in mind (and one eye on warmer days) we have a quick round up of three styles from one of our...

  As with our year round approach, this Christmas we are choosing to encourage slow and considered gift giving. Below we start our suggestions for considered Gifts  with the idea of gifting 'a moment of calm'. These well-being suggestions are from small, creative companies that will help to create a soothing mood at home, when travelling or the office with...

  From a new generation taking the design lead in a Scandinavian jewellery brand, a sustainable candle company celebrating Irish design with twenty years of small batch production, to a family business drawing on their Basque heritage to produce hardwearing rainwear, these are just three of the new brands that have been selected for the Autumn Winter season here at...

  Not just for the party season, metallic was seen juxtaposed with daywear across many of the autumn/winter collections. Whilst silver and gold always dominant in the winter months, fresh eye-catching deep greens and ocean blues also made an appearance. The trend carries over from the usual party dresses into tops, pants and outerwear, so can be easily dressed down...

  London based brand Damson Madder believes that you shouldn't have to choose between your wardrobe and the environment. That’s why they have put sustainability and transparency at the core of everything they do. Their aim is to ensure that every garment they make features as many sustainable attributes as possible. Damson’s aim is to be as open about the...

  AUTUMN WINTER 2023 Baum Und Pferdgarten Inspired by Wes Anderson’s film The Royal Tenenbaums, the Baum Und Pferdgarten Autumn Winter 2023 collection explores the iconic style of each character. The film has delivered styling inspiration that is now timeless, such as Margot Tenenbaum’s mink colour coat and tennis dress combination, Chas Tenenbaum’s red tracksuit and Richie Tenenbaum’s tennis-wear-made-formal look....

  Maison Matine, are a fragrance brand created by a new generation of committed French perfumers and new to the Mercantile this summer. Maison declare it's time for "no more opulence and sexism, now it's time for simplicity and diversity" in fragrance. They are a brand in search of independence from the traditional world of perfume and have a strong...

  With the launch of the 23 Summer Sale, now is the perfect time to review your wardrobe and see where you need to invest. The following styles are ones that we consider reliable building blocks and to which you can add throughout the years.  A tight edit of quality staples you repeat wear is the best way to both...

  Summer style that works on the beach doesn't always translate back into city life once you are home, but with the ethos of only investing in hardworking pieces, we take a look at the summer classics that will work from the beach to the bar to sightseeing and still make it easy to own summer style when back in...

  With the power to instantly transform the atmosphere and mood of a space, welcome in the spring season with a fresher and lighter scent for your home. A stylish finishing touch and a great new home gift, there are a range of home fragrance options to suit. Whether you are looking for an instant mood lift with a home...