LUNCH CONCEPT is a season-less concept store for fashion, jewellery and accessories. LUNCH is focused on promoting slow and sustainable style, hosting a number of new independent designers from across the world who offer made-to-order or small batch production pieces.

Q How did Lunch Concept (as an idea and reality), come to be?

A We'd spoken a lot about creating something together and had never really nailed the idea down until the first lockdown. We used the time to really assess the market, did our research and thought hard about what kind of values we wanted to put in place, then LUNCH was born. Transferring from idea to reality was a very long-winded process, we experienced a lot of delays and issues due to COVID-19, but we are both very grateful we were given that time because things developed and improved - we went from just a regular concept store to something wholly more considered. I think that came from the amount of reflection and reading we were able to do, given everyone was so digitally oriented whilst in lockdown. We only work with independent designers that offer either made to order or small batch production pieces, and our focus is on curating a selection of investment wear that promotes slow fashion.

Q What role do art and curation play for LunchConcept?

A Art and curation is the most integral role in who we are and what we offer. We both come from very visual backgrounds, Bethany through her design studio and SYN Magazine and Tamara through her styling work, and these visual backgrounds fed into the coreconceptofLUNCH. We wanted to create a platform that was symbiotic, commerce and photography wrapped in one, whilst it nurtured and promoted independent designers. Art and curation are also integral to our journal, which we release weekly.

Q What is LunchConcept Store looking for in new designers?

A Accessibility is of strong importance to us, so designers that offer a good range of sizing and have a branding rooted in diversity and inclusivity are immediately attractive to us. Outwiththiswearealwayslooking for designers that push the boundaries of occasion wear. We like bold statements, but wearable ones and fabrics are also something we really appreciate (especially when they're recycled, upcycled or of ethical origin).

Q What are your thoughts on the future of traditional retail?

A Creating LUNCH CONCEPT stemmed from us determining that traditional retail needs a big change. Our research indicated that people were tired of the lack of representation on online commerce platforms, which was one thing we wanted to focus on - casting has been really important to us, and is something we continue to strive to be better at. Wealsofoundthatpeoplewantsomething different now than what has been previously offered by traditional retail, we like to think that LAUNCH is a good intermediary for these customers. There's a greater interest now from consumers about the source of their clothing, which is why we're proud to host such a variety of small and ethical designers.