The next chapter
When we moved over from our original space in London Fields to our new home in Stoke Newington we had hoped that it would see us right for a good few years ahead. If anything it felt like we had found our spiritual home, a space which had almost a hundred years of motorcycling history within its walls was too perfect, things like that just don’t happen in East London anymore.
We enjoyed five good years, weathered through the pandemic and came out stronger then ever. Alongside the Cut and Run Hair salon we grew our community in the yard to include Zippo records and the Ecstatic Peace Library, an experimental music store by Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth) and Eva Prinz. Besides becoming good friends our respective businesses brought together a diverse crowd and together it created a unique and vibrant community.
It was October 2021 when new traffic measures were introduced in Stoke Newington that things started to change for us. You could now neither pass through the main street nor could you turn off the high street into our road, essentially we were land locked. The impact was felt across the entire area and it came with a huge drop in footfall, the high street started to resemble a ghost town during the week. Those that would have stopped by on a daily basis, grab a coffee and hang in the yard started to thin out.
It’s always a hard decision, and from our first little arch, into the second and finally Stoke Newington I have become incredibly attached to the spaces we’ve taken over. Each has required extensive refurbishments to bring them to life. My favourite was transforming a neglected ally way into a stunning garden of winding ivies, olive and fig trees, all donated and kept in giant pots. Tending to the garden required an hour of watering and trimming a day, but for the short time it existed it was the best place to be on a sunny afternoon. What I am sure of, is that every time we do move we find a place that outshines the last.
Whilst we are coming close to the completion of our new location until its signed off we need to hold steady on revealing exactly where it will be. What I can tell you is that we are moving more central, still in the east but closer to the Shoreditch and infinitely more accessible. The new location will allow us a step change to refine what we do and clarify further where we see our place in things.
Bolt was always conceived as a concept store, more interested in the sub-cultures of motorcycling than the machines and merchandising. It was about distilling the very best in terms of style, culture, art and design, the essence of motorcycling in its purest forms. It was also very much about community rather than being part of a scene, however it transpired it had to be tangible, relevant and built on a foundation of authenticity. As we move forwards our vision is clearer than ever, we want to continue to do these things only better.
The bricks and mortar retail store has never seen harder times but it is something I champion for good reasons. If you’re selling rare, exclusive or original products you want your customers to experience them in their entirety, to appreciate the quality and detail. The retail experience leaves little room to hide, its as authentic as it goes.
Over the past decade we have sourced an evolving set of unique brands from around the world. Almost all of the brands we stock are owned by motorcyclists themselves, and the garments they make are inherently suited to life on the road. There are other stores that specialise in protective motorcycle clothing and the moto-lifestyle brands out there but this was never something we wanted to pursue. Rather our taste are for heavy leathers, selvedge denim, work wear and military, both suited to our lifestyle and riding motorcycles.
The new store will welcome a range of new brands that we have sourced both locally in the UK and further afield in Japan. I always judge our value in our difference from others and we continue to curate our range to our own distinct style. We will be starting to build a range of footwear, including our own BOLT boots, alongside some great socks from Japanese brand Decka.
Over the past decade we have built up strong and exclusive relationships with many of our current brands and will be working to strengthen their offerings. There is a wide range of new styles coming from Aero leathers, including their shearing Grizzly and Flight jackets. Another brand that we feel is unsurpassed in its field is Heimat Textile, a german knitwear company and we will be seeing an expanded range of the finest merino and wool garments coming this Autumn.
Something that we feel strongly about is being able to offer the same excellent standard of quality across different price points. As clothing manufacturers ourselves we tend to look beyond the brand and rather focus on the fabrics, means of production and the integrity of company. We are proud to be the first stockist world wide for the inspired brand Bzen and to be their exclusive retailer in the UK. Based in a small and highly skilled workshop we are able to work closely together on production, even to the point that we have made one off garments for our customers. What we particularly love about bzen is there passion for experimentation. Initially enthused by their unique vegetable dyes using everything from turmeric to green tea, we are now in awe of their double dyed denims. The beauty of these techniques is how they change over time as they wear in, giving you an organic depth of colour and texture.
Our interests have always extended beyond clothing and the new store, with its increased prominence, will allow us to do a lot more. We will be working with different artists to curate a range of exclusive items from ceramics to prints, books and photography.
We are hoping to relaunch in November and it will be accompanied by a party. Whilst the shop is moving we are keeping our Bouverie road address which will be our social space, a place for our mechanics workshops and regular events over the summer. In the mean time keep an eye on our website to be the first to see all the new stock as in comes in, and instagram for future updates.