London has never been short on creative collisions, but Basic.Space is betting on a particularly good one. Taking over The Old Selfridges Hotel on June 13 and 14, the platform’s first international IRL event brings together an eclectic mix of design, art, fashion and sound under one sprawling roof. Think Completedworks jewellery, Samuel Ross furniture, Telepathic Instruments synths and collectible design from Carpenters Workshop Gallery, alongside a line-up that reads like a speed-dial list of the world’s most interesting creative talent.
Founded by entrepreneur and chairman of Design Miami Jesse Lee in 2018, Basic.Space is a California-based digital marketplace that has spent the past few years carving out a niche somewhere between luxury marketplace, cultural platform and members’ club. Obsessively curated and unapologetically commercial, it has become known for bringing together fashion, design, art and technology in ways that feel less like traditional retail and more like a snapshot of what’s happening right now. Following successful events in Los Angeles and New York, London was the obvious next stop.
Alongside Lee is creative director Juliana Salazar, and together they have transformed the former department store landmark into a three-day showcase of established names and emerging voices. Ahead of the event, we caught up with the pair to talk about London’s enduring pull, building a retail experience that feels more like a cultural happening and why now felt like the right moment to bring Basic.Space’s distinctly internet-age approach to shopping into the real world.
Jesse Lee, Founder of Basic.Space
Why did now feel like the right time to take Basic.Space internationally, and how did you land on London as the host city?
I’m not sure that there’s ever the ‘right’ time but there were several reasons that led to us choosing London. First off, it’s one of my favorite cities in the world yet I hadn’t visited in a while until last year, when I went twice. One of those trips was in June when the weather was amazing and the energy amongst everyone I spent time with was super positive, optimistic and inspiring. It also helped that Selfridges had reached out to us after our New York edition last November so I want to give them credit for encouraging and supporting us in this new endeavor.
How has Basic.Space changed since starting back in 2020? What are the biggest lessons you’ve learnt in that time?
In many ways, we haven’t changed much at all considering we always sold a mix of design, fashion and art (both pre-owned and new); hosted IRL pop-ups even back in 2020 with Harmony Korine, Virgil Abloh/Vitra, etc. What we’re doing better now perhaps is that we are doubling down on what makes us different – partnering with the best-in-class designers, artists and creatives both online/offline. Our way of contributing in this slop era is to focus on highlighting the truly innovative and talented individuals; help consumers discover, purchase and own something great.
Now that Basic.Space is well-established in both the physical and digital realms, where do you see the project going from here, say in five to ten years time?
We’re all guilty of over-using the word ‘curation’ and now ‘taste’ is the popular term, especially in the world of AI. What they both really mean though is trust. We want to continue earning the trust of customers by providing the absolute best experience both online and offline. If we do that, Basic.Space will become the most trusted place to buy something cool, special and unique.
Juliana Salazar, Experience Producer for Basic.Space London
Where do you start curating the selection at Basic.Space? Is it a methodical hunt or something very instinctual?
It happened quite naturally to be honest. I am constantly discovering new things and will always file them away for when an opportunity like this comes along. When Jesse approached me for this project I was so excited because beyond Basic.Space already having an amazing curation and network of partners, there is so much talent in London – emerging and established – it was great to have a canvas where we could bring together all these amazing creatives. Obviously there is a reason as to why we are putting this huge thing on and in that sense it’s methodical but at the same time everything developed quite instinctually.
What makes Basic Space so unique in your eyes? What does it offer that’s different to other brands and platforms you work with?
What’s special about Basic.Space and what I find rare these days is a company that genuinely wants to champion and platform creatives. Not only do they provide a space, they also bring a great community and network that could really be significant for a younger artist’s career.
Who are you most excited to be presenting with this edition?
It feels wrong to choose a favorite, but I’m so excited about Jobe Burns. I discovered him last summer and it has been amazing to see how much he has accomplished throughout the year. Also Jabez Bartlett. I’ve been a long time fan of his work with Phoebe Philo and when I saw he was debuting furniture I immediately reached out.
Photography courtesy of Basic.Space.
