Soho has long been known to be a breeding ground for underdogs to thrive – from chefs to fashion designers, artists to entrepreneurs – this square mile of London is the hub of alt-hyphen!

What’s also evident of Soho is its ability to reinvent itself. As fast as the older iconic establishments such as I Camisa & Son are bringing their shutters down for good, fresher façads are opening up their doors, appealing to younger and diverse audiences. The balance between old and new is still in limbo, and many die-hard Sohoites would argue that Soho has lost its essence from the old days. Last night’s preview of a new arrival to the community, Nothing, offered fresh context; a futuristic dimension to Soho’s identity which has yet to be tapped into – Alternative Tech!

Nothing Opens its debut shop in Soho

Clean, minimal, alternative-tech. These are the first three words that come to mind when I think of Nothing, and from the launch preview last night, I’m not far off.

“2022 has been a milestone year for Nothing with the launch of our first smartphone, Phone (1), as well as Ear (stick), so we are excited to open the doors of Nothing Store Soho to get even more people hands-on with our products.” said Carl Pei, CEO and Co-founder of Nothing. 

For opening day, the first 100 visitors to Nothing Store Soho will get a chance to buy one of #the100 laser engraved, limited edition Ear (stick). Each customer will also be offered exclusive branded merchandise. From 11:30am on Saturday 10th December.

The 785 square foot custom-built store will be open seven days a week , and stock Nothing’s Phone (1) and Ear (stick), plus merchandise and limited edition run of products. It will also house curated collections from fashion and design brands as well as audio inventions from Stockholm-based collaborators Teenage Engineering. 

Nothing Store Soho is said to become ‘a playground for ideas; a meeting place for the brand’s community.’ The compact, flexible space focuses on high-quality materials and small details that reflect Nothing’s transparent product identity. The store will also host community events, workshops, public events and special product launches. 

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A specially commissioned 4,000 flip dot system wall is in place that can be programmed on the spot to create a constantly revolving graphic story. A transparent retro-style phone booth has been installed, where Nothing’s Phone (1) will operate as the official store helpline.

The ground floor centre piece is a custom-built demo table with hidden drawers that swing out to reveal optical jewellery boxes. Downstairs will act as a white box gallery-style space with exhibitions and events.

So, is the future of Soho Alternative-Tech and Design?

Two words that fit like hand to glove; future + tech. There’s not one without the other. For me, with one-foot pro innovative change; diversity, youth culture, representation, and another very much traditional; print (it ain’t dead folks!), it’s exciting to witness a young tech company find a place in Soho to call home within walking distance from their multinational conglomerate competitors. Now that’s bold!

Innovation thrives in Soho, the hub of alternative fashion, food, culture, music, identity etc. And it can only continue to be so if spaces are made available to the underdogs. So who knows, in a decade or two to come we could be calling Soho ‘the home of alt-tech, est 2022‘!

I left the Nothing launch last night releasing a hopeful sign of relief. It’s not yet another Pret at least… Welcome to Soho Nothing!

“We are excited to welcome Nothing to our Soho community of innovative design and independent retailers. The design-led British brand is a great addition, and we are pleased to see them operate the only technology store in the area” said Samantha Bain-Mollison, Retail Director at Shaftesbury.

Share your thoughts in the comment box below!

Written by Kai Lutterodt | @the.soho.girl (I’m delightfully dyslexic, please excuse any typos)

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