Lone Design Club's 'Local hero' Brighton store opens with Eterna as first resident

Fashion Network

5 days ago

Lone Design Club (LDC) and Ingka Centres have opened their previously flagged Local Hero location in Brighton, a pioneering pop-up retail space now open in Churchill Square.
It's a continuously evolving space that the concept store retailer and the IKEA-linked shopping centres company have created to 'offer innovative brands the opportunity to rent fully equipped retail spaces for short-term, flexible periods'.
The first brand to move in is Eterna (it's taken the space for the next three months), the newly-launched sister company to local Brighton business and sneaker reseller OG Kicks. Founded by local entrepreneur Ryan Jackson, it 'brings together a curated selection of sneakers, activewear and essentials from trusted brands'.
So what is Eterna getting from its residency? Apart from a prime location, the space comes with a full suite of essential amenities, including a POS system, tills, rails, display shelving, and digital screens, so brands can be up and running within hours of moving in.
The next 12 months will see the space rotating a mix of local, and established fashion, lifestyle and sustainable brands.
LDC said Local Hero is 'a launchpad for the future of retail, a cutting-edge retail hub designed to empower brands, providing a seamless, high-impact space to test, launch, and connect directly with customers in one of the UK's most vibrant coastal cities'.
Its CEO and founder Rebecca Morter said it's also about 'rewriting the rules of retail — creating spaces that are accessible, dynamic, and designed for the next generation of brands. Together with Ingka Centres, we've built a model that makes it easier for independent businesses to thrive on the high street, and for landlords to activate their spaces in a more meaningful way. Brighton's creative energy makes it the perfect launchpad for what we see as the future of community-driven retail'.