Essentials: John Park of Concrete Studio

The driving force behind creative brick-and-mortar Concrete Studio and director of Natural Selection Denim, John Park has his foot firmly planted as one of Britain’s brightest multidisciplinary creatives. Opening its doors to the creative community of East London, Shoreditch, Concrete Studio has seen fledgling success, hosting a number of menswear brands – Côte&Ciel, Stutterheim, Common People and Dehen - that share the same vision and principles as Park. In addition to showcasing a plethora of luxurious products, Concrete Studio acts as a mainstay for consulting, branding and marketing services. Park’s business expertise also serves his subsidiary label Natural Selection Denim. This brand was inspired by Charles Darwin’s “Origin of Species by Way of Natural Selection” and its concept of constant evolution in a highly competitive world. Providing subtle, clean-cut yet distinctively characteristic selvedge denim, the brand’s affinity for meticulous detailing over quality fabric reflects Park’s overall workmanship and, to a greater extent, his Essentials.

The use of the Côte&Ciel backpack, iPad case and denim pants may nod at the entities of his enterprise, yet Park’s appetite for boutique brands is seen in the Il Bussetto card holder and Blue Blood wallet. For on-the-go meetings, he keeps a Leuchtturm1917 diary, while a choice of various Japanese fabric cuttings and chalk illustrates his work in progress. For audio pleasure, he employs Bowers & Wilkins headphones alongside a Jack and Jones portable speaker. Like many who enjoy adding seasoning to their food, Park knows best to keep a bottle of Sriracha chili sauce close, relish an after-meal cigarette, then work it all off with a quick game of football.