Ethical Fashion Brand Kotn Opens First European Store In London

Forbes

24-05-2025

Canadian-based clothing and homeware brand Kotn is opening a new store in London, its first location outside Canada and the U.S. Known for its high-quality apparel and home goods, Kotn has made a name for itself as a sustainable brand that puts community at the heart of everything it does — all communities: from cotton farmers in Egypt to the schools it funds with every order and the consumers hosted in its retail spaces. With this new location, the brand seeks to become a third space for cultural gatherings and community-building in Shoreditch, one of the most vibrant areas of London, honoring its guiding values around culture and connection.
To mark the store's opening, Kotn is hosting a series of events on May 30 and 31st that celebrate the brand's cultural roots, while forging connections and fostering the sense of community that is so close to the brand. It has designed a gathering experience inspired by traditional Arabic gathering spaces, where a curated group of London creatives and tastemakers from music, fashion, art and media are brought together and immersed in an intimate, warm, Cairo-inspired space. In addition, Kotn is organizing a block party with food, drinks and music that is open to all but will also welcome a series of influencers and other personalities close to the brand. While the first event is designed to create a really well-crafted, immersive experience that honors the brand's cultural heritage, the second aims to be a neighborhood event rather than a proper brand activation, aiming to echo the blend of cultures London —and the Shoreditch district specifically — and Kotn bring to the community.
Rather than a marketing tactic, these activations are designed to give consumers a taste of what the brand genuinely stands for and the authentic community-building it forges. ' Our approach has always been about doing things that excite us and feel good, and through that, finding others who feel the same. That's how genuine communities are formed — through shared interests, values, and a shared vision of the world we want to help shape. It's that natural alignment, rather than a calculated strategy, that makes community such a central part of who we are as a brand,' shares Rami Helali, Kotn' co-founder and CEO. The sense of gathering physical retail can unlock is one that is making its return but is actually the essence of the channel, something that Helali believes since beginning to grow the brand's offline presence in 2017.
Few brands approach culture and community so organically. But for Helali, community is a natural way of life that's inherent to the Arabic culture, so thinking of how to engage with consumers in a way that is enjoyable, authentic and genuine comes naturally. It is what has always influenced the brand's approach towards physical retail: stores aren't just locations where products are displayed and purchased, but embody third spaces for individuals to interact with Kotn beyond its products. Events are often held at its stores, with brands or individuals welcome to use the retail space as a venue for cultural gatherings. For example, Indian-Canadian poet Rupi Kaur hosted an open-mic at Kotn's Lower East Side location last year to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of her now bestselling poetry book 'Milk and Honey'. In that sense, Kotn stores are not just retail locations but spaces for cultural expression and warm gatherings.
This hosting mindset has inspired the brand's next milestone: the launch of its first hospitality concept, Beit Kotn (which means House of Kotn), also in London. In addition to the retail space, the brand will open a hotel on the floors above comprising a few rooms. With a collection of homeware, opening a hotel that features the brand's collections is a great way for individuals to discover and interact with products differently. But that's not the main reason why Helali decided to venture into hospitality: 'Hospitality has always been on our minds — even from day one. Our brand has always been about more than just physical products. It's about the values of the Middle East: warmth, generosity, community, and intention. So hospitality felt like a natural evolution.'
Here again, the minds behind the brand are approaching new ventures in a way that feels completely organic. While we see many fashion brands going into hospitality retail to attract consumers and create new types of interactions, many are executed with a clear marketing angle and designed with social media reach in mind. Kotn's interest in opening its first hospitality concept goes far beyond that and doesn't need much explaining given the brand's constant focus on being a cultural bridge and source of gathering for its community. 'It's not just about the design or the products in the space, but how it's integrated into the community. We want guests to feel connected — to local businesses, creative leaders, restaurants — and to the rhythm of the neighborhood. Hospitality is a way for us to bring people into our world, rooted in quality, connection, and culture,' Helali says.
Kotn's new store opening and expansion into hospitality marks a new chapter for the brand. Choosing London as its first European store was no coincidence: like Kotn, the city is a melting pot of cultures, home to vibrant communities, which deeply resonates with the brand's mission to foster conversations, connections and cultural dialog. Kotn's approach to physical retail is one that can inspire many peers, not just as a marketing tool but as a guiding principle for every brand touchpoint and interaction with consumers. By redefining retail as a cultural space rooted in neighborhood life and communities, the brand is reminding us what retail is truly about: cultivating human connection.