Things and People
Way back when we were 10, we photographed 10 iconic customers with 10 purchases over 10 years. We called it 10x10x10. Now we're 20 the idea has grown, doubled even in maths terms, and become 20x20x20.
What's the Story?
We always intended to mark our 20th with a publication of some kind. Our 10th Birthday was a brief, but obviously immaculately formed, 16 pages. Here's to 20 Years of Shopkeeping has proved to be a rangier effort, running to 74 pages and featuring all sorts of different stories from interview and fashion shoot to exclusive products and Unsung Heroes with a fair amount of banging on about the delights of retail and the particular joys of life at The Hambledon. We felt it was really important to focus on the supreme importance of customers to life here. We decided to revisit our original 10x10x10 piece and commissioned sister Sandy who shot the original story to photograph a further 20 customers. Sandy has form in this regard. Our original 1999 commission has been beautifully refashioned and reworked into the touching and beautiful www.thingsandpeople.com.
What's the Idea?
One of the great joys of retail is finding beautiful things and creating a beautiful space in which to sell them. One of the great privileges of retail is the opportunity it offers to meet and know interesting people. These relationships, built up minutely over years, are sometimes friendships, sometimes fleeting contacts but they are one of commerce's best rewards. But the subsequent relationship between new owner and lovely object is something we rarely see. 20X20x20 gives us a voyeuristic treat into the new homes of the original Hambledon purchases. What life does a Hambledon purchase have after it leaves the shop? We are nothing if not nosy and we wanted to satisfy our curiosity.
Who are the Customers
In short, they are people who we really, really like. They are customers who seem to have embraced the very idea of The Hambledon. They are true friends of the shop. In some cases they are past staff of whom we can't quite let go. In some cases they are people we have known for decades. In some cases they are family (literally blood relatives, not the broader Hambledon family of whom we love to speak). In some cases they are very young: we hope they will become dear customers but it's a little too early to tell. I hope they are iconic in the sense that they represent different ages, backgrounds, careers and interests. And we hope you enjoy having a virtual glimpse into their homes.
The Publication
This story, and all the others included in the publication, are available to read online. To find a real, actual paper copy, come in store.
