Carnaby bags unique Rolling Stones store

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Aug 24, 2020

Carnaby Street is continuing its links both to music and youth culture with news that it will see the opening of a wold-first Rolling Stones flagship store.

RS No. 9 Carnaby will open on the street in London's Soho, a fitting link-up given that the band shot to fame in the same decade that Carnaby Street became a cultural destination as well as a shopping one.

It has been created in partnership with Bravado, Universal Music Group's merchandise and brand management company, and will feature exclusive new fashion and merchandise under the RS No. 9 Carnaby brand from September 9.

In a prepared statement, the band said: “Soho has always encapsulated Rock 'n' Roll so Carnaby Street was the perfect spot for our own store. We are confident this exciting project that our friends at Bravado have created will be an unrivalled experience for everyone to come to London and enjoy.”

Of course, it's a difficult time to be opening a new shop with the tourism flow on which London's West End heavily depends having slowed to a trickle. With this in mind, it's important that the products will also be available online. 

But the shop could be well positioned to take advantage of the eventual recovery with Carnaby having been a key tourist destination pre-pandemic and also being a popular shopping spot for office workers and locals.

The collections available at the store will include exclusive and contemporary collaboration pieces “for fans of all ages, including men's, women's and children's fashion and accessories”. Glassware has been developed with Baccarat engraved with the Rolling Stones tongue. The store will also feature chairs and scarves from The Soloist, and raincoats and hats from premium Swedish raincoat brand Stutterheim.

Additionally, it will introduce Stones Red, the official colour from Pantone linked to the band's logo. A collection celebrating the Rolling Stones official Pantone colour along with exclusive limited-edition vinyl will also launch with the store.

The band’s music will play in-store and the shop-fit follows the brand colours of red and black, while the glass floor features lyrics, and the fitting rooms are adorned with album artwork.