Desert Island Stores: Ryan Llewellyn-Pace, founder of Hay Life Clothing
Ryan Llewellyn-Pace is founder of unisex lifestyle brand Hay Life Clothing that has an underlying objective of highlighting the importance of unisex to the fashion world.
Rather than it being seen as a fad he believes it is a necessity in order to reduce waste and increase efficiency. He is also the CEO of Pace Partnership and was previously MD of Barbour.
The store you remember from childhood?
Hamley’s – It was all about the experience, fun and excitement. The atmosphere was infectious: always buzzing with parents and children in the store. As a child it couldn’t have been a more exciting place to be.
Most inspirational store to your career?
Never Miss a Retail Update!Selfridges – Still the best store in the world for me, offering the perfect blend of experience, discovery and the ‘wow’ factor. You can lose a whole day there between the cinema, great eateries and the very best of fashion. The Yellow Drop area was a great addition for them to segment the younger trending brands, with the skateboard ramp being a first of its kind.
In terms of my career, one of the best implementations I was involved in – from concept to execution – was the Barbour factory concept that gave the shopper the ability to get their jacket re-waxed and tailored to their needs alongside the very best of what the brand had to offer.
Most frequently used store?
John Lewis – ‘Never Knowingly undersold’ and the trust factor of the brand have been important over the years. It also has an extensive range from electricals, fashion to home – perfect as a go-to for gifting.
The store you wished you’d created?
Colette in Paris – One of the first stores to do a ‘true lifestyle edit’ from fashion, home and even books.
Your overall favourite store?
Selfridges.
The store you’d like to take to the desert island?
Out With Style – with everything you need for the outdoors with brands such as Snow Peak and Nobis, it would have everything I needed to survive the elements.
