Jawara Alleyne Introduces 7.5, a Conceptual Retail Space in Bethnal Green
London’s fashion map has gained a new and unconventional landmark. Caribbean designer Jawara Alleyne has opened 7.5, an appointment-only concept store in Bethnal Green, positioned not as a traditional boutique but as a shifting, experimental platform.
The discreet location, set within a building on a street that escaped wartime bombing, reflects Alleyne’s interest in spaces that appear frozen in time. Entry is deliberately controlled: visits are arranged in advance through direct contact, ensuring the experience is carefully staged rather than left to chance.
7.5 is designed to operate in flux. Rather than presenting a fixed retail identity, the space will evolve constantly, shaped by whatever collaboration, installation, or intervention is taking place. Alleyne’s aim is to blur the boundaries between showroom, gallery and studio, establishing an environment that resists predictability and encourages discovery.
The name carries layers of personal meaning. The “7” nods to Alleyne’s birth date and its recurring role in his life, while the “.5” signals an in-between quality—something adjacent to what is expected, yet slightly removed. The absence of a number on the physical door only enhances this sense of mystery and transition.
Alleyne’s upbringing between the Cayman Islands and Jamaica also informs the concept. The space draws inspiration from Caribbean design traditions, including Tropical Modernism, where natural elements are integrated into architecture, as well as the cultural practice of repurposing unfinished buildings into communal hubs. These influences underscore 7.5’s fluidity and its refusal to conform to rigid definitions of retail.
Alongside a continually rotating stocklist, 7.5 provides a permanent home for Alleyne’s Untitled collection, allowing the work to be encountered in its intended physical form. The initiative speaks to the designer’s critique of mass-produced uniformity, positioning his project as an alternative that prioritises tactility, individuality and authorship.
For its first chapter, the space launches with a collaboration benefiting the Carnival Village Trust. The initiative, developed with artist Alvaro Barrington, builds on their history of working together and reflects a shared commitment to cultural storytelling and community engagement. Contributions from artists including Peter Doig, Rachel Jones and Denzil Forrester further anchor the project in the intersection of art, fashion and diaspora heritage.
With 7.5, Alleyne extends his practice beyond garments into an evolving environment that challenges the conventions of luxury retail. By merging personal mythology, Caribbean spatial aesthetics and collaborative experimentation, the designer is positioning his new venture as both a creative statement and a cultural intervention.