HYPESCAPE streetwear concept store
challenge
Marlow (UK) has always had charm. independent stores, art galleries, a quaint high street—but for the 'cool' kids, there was nothing. no scene, no culture, just preppy menswear and a sea of women’s boutiques, lovely in their own right but duplicated. we saw a gap for something curated, edgy, immersive. so in 2021, we brought the hype to Marlow and made HYPESCAPE come to life.
image sourced from MyMarlow article
insight
streetwear isn’t just for the youth, it’s a culture that speaks to individuality, rebellion, and taste, regardless of age, and this vibe lacked a central hub, somewhere that spoke their language. in a town like marlow, even with the exception, style often leans classic or commercial. we wanted to create a space that didn’t just sell clothes, but curated an attitude—for the collector, and the kid experimenting with his first pair of jordans, and the 30-something creative who refuses to tone it down.
impact
in under a year, we grew to over 4K followers through organic content and community engagement. we became a staple, the local consignment spot for urban pieces, while cultivating genuine relationships with customers. even when we made the call to close for personal circumstances, the vision remained a blueprint: what happens when vision meets culture. HYPESCAPE wasn’t just a store, it was proof of concept.
creative direction
I led the visual identity of the brand, from styling each collection drop, curating our product assortment, to merchandising the instore vibe to feel like a streetwear playground. every rack was intentional, every detail part of the story. think stacked sneakers, clean visuals, bold signage, and limited edition pieces. online, I built and ran the Instagram account, shaping a gritty, hype driven aesthetic that spoke directly to our audience.
a play on words.. bending ‘escape’ to reflect our vision to create an immersive space and ‘hype’ a key term in streetwear culture signifying buzz, scarcity, and product obsession.
featured in local press, read this article by MyMarlow.
image sourced from MyMarlow article