In the perpetually morphing landscape of London fashion, few design duos have cultivated a world-building acumen quite as formidable as Emma Chopova and Laura Lowena-Irons. Since establishing their namesake label in 2017, the dynamic best friends and creative partners have consistently defied traditional presentation formats. They have transformed ordinary sports halls into high-octane pep rallies and reconfigured minimalist galleries into surrealist mini-golf courses. These imaginative backdrops have always been populated by garments that celebrate audacious juxtaposition: tumbles of Victorian-style ruffles, painstaking needlepoint dog motifs, and heavy vintage charms that jangle rhythmically with every step.
Yet, for all their conceptual runway spectacles and critically acclaimed books, Chopova and Lowena-Irons have just achieved the most significant milestone in their brand’s near-decade history. Tucked away on a quiet side street just a short, unassuming stroll from the bustling thoroughfares of Mare Street and Bethnal Green Road in East London, the designers have officially opened their very first permanent physical retail space.
Esquewing the sterile, corporate slickness of a traditional flagship, the location has been christened the Chopova Lowena Clubhouse. Presided over by its whimsical mascot, Petal, the store is not merely a commercial retail environment. It is an immersive, fully realized manifestation of the brand’s eclectic, subversive, and profoundly nostalgic universe. From the moment visitors cross the threshold, they are pulled into an idiosyncratic dreamscape constructed from Polish pine, brushed steel, and vintage ephemera—a testament to what happens when two fiercely independent designers take complete control of their physical destiny.
Detailed Chronology: From Concept to Brick-and-Mortar Reality
The journey toward the opening of the Clubhouse spans nearly ten years of relentless creative output, culminating in a concentrated, high-intensity construction phase that brought the designers’ fever-dream aesthetic into three-dimensional reality.
Building the Dream: A Labor of Love
While the physical store looks as though it was conjured straight out of an avant-garde cinematic set, its materialization was remarkably grassroots. Remarkably, Chopova and Lowena-Irons built the core of the infrastructure themselves, leaning heavily on the talents of David Pringle—a designer, art fabricator, and Chopova’s partner.
"We designed a lot of it together, but he actually built almost everything himself!" Chopova notes with visible pride. Lowena-Irons adds with a laugh, "It’s a crazy thing to be able to produce this whole thing single-handedly with help from two people who have no idea how to build anything."
The resulting interior is a masterclass in whimsical spatial design. Stepping inside feels like stumbling into an eccentric collector’s cabinet of curiosities. A broad wooden bench is boldly flanked by a brushed steel horse’s head. Twisted, wrought-iron railings—reminiscent of gothic estate fencing—come stocked with flocked poplin dresses. A hulking, antique cabinet bed cleverly conceals the store’s modern till system.
Further anchoring the space is a sprawling Polish pine display system. Punctuated by secret doors, glinting brass horse ornaments, and eerie cut-outs, the system offers glimpses onto hidden screens depicting miniature digital figures of girls seemingly "trapped" within. It is a disorienting, delightful trip that mirrors the ever-shifting historical and folkloric references at the core of Chopova Lowena’s design ethos.
Opening Night and the Community Initiation
The culmination of this intensive building phase was celebrated with an exclusive opening event that set the tone for the brand’s future engagement with its community. Last night, the Clubhouse welcomed its earliest supporters, close friends, and loyal followers to toast the dawn of this new chapter.
In true immersive fashion, attendees were not merely handed drinks; they were issued official Clubhouse ID cards upon entry, cementing their status as card-carrying members of the brand’s expanding universe. The launch party served as a living, breathing preview of the camaraderie the designers hope to foster permanently within the space—a celebration of independent fashion, enduring friendship, and collective identity.
Supporting Context & Metrics: East London’s Independent Renaissance
The debut of the Chopova Lowena Clubhouse does not occur in a vacuum; it is strategically anchored within one of the most vibrant and rapidly evolving retail corridors in the British capital.
The East London Design Cluster
By planting their flag in Bethnal Green, Chopova and Lowena-Irons are joining a formidable ecosystem of independent London-based brands and innovative multi-brand retailers that have transformed the neighborhood into a destination for progressive style. The Clubhouse joins a prestigious local map that already includes cutting-edge names such as Waste!, Jake’s, Kiko Kostadinov, Story Mfg., Twos, and APOC Store.
"It’s a really great community to be a part of, and we really wanted to be close to that," Lowena-Irons reflects on the neighborhood’s appeal. "It really feels like there’s this new thing happening, this new walking route of stores that’s so fun. When we did [secure the location], it made us feel like we loved London again."
Vertical Consolidation: Studio, Atelier, and Clubhouse
Crucially, the Clubhouse is just the most visible tip of a much larger operational iceberg. The retail floor sits directly above the brand’s new creative nerve centre, while their primary atelier is housed in a nearby building. This vertical consolidation represents a major structural maturation for the business.
For the designers, keeping their creative studio, production spaces, and retail storefront in close proximity fulfills a long-held ambition. It allows them to break down the barrier between designer and consumer, letting them seamlessly transition from sketching collections downstairs to greeting customers upstairs.
Official Statements: In the Words of the Designers
The motivations driving Chopova and Lowena-Irons run far deeper than standard retail expansion. For them, the Clubhouse is an emotional and creative sanctuary designed to honor the fierce loyalty of their global audience.
A Sanctuary for the Cultish Audience
"We’ve long felt that a natural progression for the brand and business would be to have a place where people could physically experience the clothes," Emma Chopova explains. For nearly a decade, the brand has cultivated a deeply devoted, almost cultish following characterized by individuals who instantly recognize one another on the street.
"When you see someone else wearing it, you feel a connection, and it creates a sense of community," Chopova observes. The Clubhouse provides a physical manifestation of that invisible thread. "We can meet people trying on the clothes, stage fun events and make sure that people experience the Chopova Lowena world the way that we want to. We get to do anything we want with it, really."
Expanding Creative Boundaries
Beyond fostering community, the store unlocks radical new avenues for design experimentation. Because wholesale demands and mass production quotas often restrict what can be safely pitched to global department stores, the Clubhouse offers an autonomous testing ground.
"We’re already inspired to do so many things we wouldn’t normally, perhaps knowing that they wouldn’t land with wholesalers, or we couldn’t make enough of them," notes Lowena-Irons. "The store gives us the freedom to make things that are completely for ourselves. We can make special things that would be really expensive at retail price and sell them at a price that we control."
Future Outlook: Customization, Connection, and Inclusivity
As Chopova Lowena looks toward their upcoming London Fashion Week presentation for Spring/Summer 2027, the Clubhouse is poised to become the beating heart of their brand operations. The strategy moving forward relies on a brilliant balancing act between high-end bespoke offerings and accessible entry points for younger fans.
The Skirt Bar and Bespoke Offerings
At the pinnacle of the store’s retail experience is the Skirt Bar. Centred on an authentic haberdashery unit painstakingly restored by Lowena-Irons and covered in over a thousand vintage stickers sourced from global collectors, the bar invites customers to co-create their own iterations of the brand’s iconic carabiner skirts. Shoppers can customize everything from the color and width of the deadstock leather belt down to the minute details of the beads lining the fabric’s pleats.
While these bespoke, made-to-order pieces command premium pricing reflecting their craftsmanship, the designers have been equally intentional about ensuring no fan is priced out of the Clubhouse experience.
Pocket-Money Nostalgia and Accessible Merch
Drawing inspiration from her own formative memories, Chopova reminisces about visiting the legendary Marc by Marc Jacobs store in New York’s West Village during her teenage years. That adjacent sister store offered iconic, low-cost keepsakes—like the famous "Protect The Skin You’re In" t-shirts and campy lipstick pens—allowing young fashion enthusiasts to feel connected to a luxury brand without breaking the bank.
"Being able to go to this sister store and access this product at a more accessible price point, you still felt you were part of the thing," Chopova recalls.
Channeling that exact ethos, the Chopova Lowena Clubhouse stocks an exclusive capsule of merchandise. Featuring the mascot Petal in various playful guises alongside witty, pun-laden slogans, the collection spans tees, baseball caps, underwear, socks, and bandanas, serving as accessible touchpoints for the brand’s broad community.
Beyond Retail: Events, Book Clubs, and Dating Nights
Crucial to the Clubhouse identity is the promise that spending money is not a prerequisite for entry. The space is designed to celebrate themes of modern girlhood, domestic comfort, and shared intellectual pursuits. A robust calendar of community programming is already in development, featuring intimate drinks evenings, book clubs, and even specialized dating nights designed to introduce like-minded creatives to one another.
"It’s a club that welcomes everybody!" Lowena-Irons emphasizes. "Friendship is the basis of this brand, and friendship is a huge thing that we stand for."
In a shifting retail climate where physical flagships often struggle to justify their existence through sales alone, Chopova and Lowena-Irons have redefined the store as a cultural clubhouse. By anchoring their creative vision in genuine human connection, artisanal craftsmanship, and uncompromising whimsy, the duo has not just opened a shop—they have built a permanent home for the modern romantic.
Visitor Information:
- Location: The Chopova Lowena Clubhouse, 84 Teesdale Street, London, E2 6QA.
- Opening Hours: Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM; Sundays from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
