Bristol is the hang back and take it slow centre of western Britain. MARIAN BUCKLEY soaked up some calm vibes in a cool space dedicated to fashion.
Collective market places have been a feature of British cities for over a decade. Liverpool has Quiggins, Manchester the legendary Afflecks Palace and Bristol has BS8. Located in the heart of the city's student district on Park Street, the shop's lurid sign is a kitschy Barbarella meets Barbie effort with lashings of pink and silver. Perfect for arousing idle curiosity and pulling in the punters.
BS8 is just 18 months old and a relative newcomer to the Bristol fashion scene. Currently, it houses eight independent fashion outlets, a café, record shop and a hairdressing salon. On the ground floor, 'Keep Your Pants On' greets each visitor. This understated but supremely funky menswear outlet includes a selection of Dexter Wong, Pearce, Brother Nation and the newly-launched 'Kypo'. "I wouldn't have been able to launch my own label if I hadn't had the retail space here," explains 'Keep Your Pants On' proprietor and Kypo designer Luke Bream. "Eighteen months ago I had no design experience at all. When I started here I was simply a retail outlet for other labels. With the help I've had from the other designers I have managed to create my own label - it's great."
BS8 is an ideal starting point for young labels looking to develop a market without risking the huge capital investment required to open a shop. At Harry Coal's menswear you can pick up a fine selection of Josef pants and Intaglio shirts, opposite Box Boutique specialises in clubwear clothes for women and has its own range, 'Box Attire'. Mrs Jones will sort you out with Diesel womenswear, Free and Hysteric gems while Bedec caters for your jewellery and hair accessory needs. At the back you'll encounter the fantastic bargains on offer at vintage clothing outlet, Sobey's. Here you can pick up an original Ben Sherman for a mere £7.50 and there's a huge array of genuine Harringtons and 70s sportswear. Nip into Café Cuppa for a quick refreshing beverage - every Saturday they feature a DJ mixing live on the decks for your aural pleasure.
Upstairs 'Apartment' womenswear invite you sit on their pink furry sofa whilst browsing a selection of Shield and DJ At Work. Fat Cat records spin the decks here and will help the uninformed out without free advice on the hottest tunes. On the upper floor, Bladerunner Hair Salon offers a minimalist decor with a celebration of yellow on the walls all bathed in light. While downstairs in the bowels of this fashion feast, sits a lonely lady keeping watch over 'The Boot Room'.
To be fair, the basement is due for a re-haul and will soon feature other retail outlets. For now, the Buffalo Boots girl is peddling her cobbling wares all alone. There are three shelves of the latest Buffalo lines - all wickedly good and designed to get you from A to B whilst attracting maximum attention.
There are also plans to move the café upstairs and exhibit the work of local artists and photographers. "Bristol is a slow place," says Luke. "It takes a while for things to catch on but we're getting there." Bristolians, get thee down to BS8 and show this design collective some support.
BS8 is at 34 Park Street, Bristol. Telephone 0177 930 4836 for details.