Freight
If you’ve ever visited the East Sussex town of Lewes you’ll know that it hosts many stylish independent stores, ones that you won’t find on every high street. I love the diversity that Lewes has, it is a beautiful place to visit.
One of these stores is Freight, a favourite of mine not only because the products that they sell are exceptional and work perfectly with my pared back style, but the atmosphere created is one of calm, like spending time in a friends home. Also I never leave empty handed, the well curated house-hold goods are exquisite and I really can’t resist having them in my own home. They have an on line store too, perfect for when you are wanting that unique item that only Freight can deliver.
I had a chat with owner Helene who runs the store with her daughter Adele about how Freight came to be.
Helen previously had a shop in Lewes called ADAMCZEWSKI that she opened in 1999. With similar principals to those Freight has now, the shop was all about finding useful things for the home that weren’t so easy to find pre-internet days. She sold products such as string, brushes and ceramics; anything that worked with the shops ethos with it’s own classic style. This chapter closed in 2010 to explore greener pastures.
Fate took a guiding hand and in 2014 the shop which Helene still owned became unexpectedly vacant again just before the Christmas period. Helene’s daughter Adele thought it would be wrong to just leave it empty and sad looking due to it’s prominent position on the high street. An opportunity not to be missed they quickly put together a temporary store naming it POPINSKI, partly in homage to the old shop that had previously been there and the fact it definitely was a pop up.
Having worked so hard to set up the temporary store full of new products they found themselves discussing and analysing the nature of shop keeping. They came to the conclusion that just filling shops from trade fairs was a bit boring and that the more interesting and challenging route to take would be to design and commission their own products by working with makers and manufacturers. They wanted a collection that would stand the test of time and that would be an ongoing response to how they wanted the collection to grow. Recently they have added a knitwear collection which couldn’t have been further from the original concept but after meeting with some knitters and really liking the Shetland yarn they used, they were inspired to trial it. A decision well made as the knitwear has proven to be rather popular and Freight are now in the process of adding to the current collection.
It’s also so important to this dynamic Mother and daughter team that they are not designing for design’s sake. Freight products have to be functional, durable and of a very high quality. They follow no one else’s rules, don’t follow trends or the latests fad fashions and subsequently their stock change is of a slower nature.
This is why I love them, you know what you are investing in when you buy anything from Freight. I cherish the items I have, all of which enhance my home enormously. Simple earthenware storage jars made in Stoke on Trent, Spanish boxwood carbon steel knives that are sharpened by hand using artisanal techniques established by the original founders, a deliciously scented soy wax candle with scents from narratives drafted and worked on with a perfumer, making them unique to Freight.
I can’t recommend this beautiful store to you highly enough, if you get the chance to pay a visit and experience it yourself then all the better but for now do drop in on line to see their wonderful products, I know your shopping basket won’t stay empty for long.
* with thanks to Freight for letting me put this post together. Product photography by Susan Bell and Benedict Stenning
One Comment
Nicky
Beautiful. I saw some photos of Lewes the other day as one of my Aunties visited another Aunty there & it looked absolutely beautiful! Adore your pared back style!