Luxury fashion retailer Matchesfashion.com is creating more than 150 jobs with the launch of a London photography hub at Here East, on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
The online retailer is transforming a 24,000 sq ft unit at the Stratford arts and innovation centre into a creative space for photo shoots and editorial projects.
The move, which will bolster its studio output by 50% to around 2,000 products per week, comes amid reports that the company is in talks with investment funds which could see a valuation of £600million.
Chief executive Ulric Jerome said: “This move to Here East, and our investment in a new creative hub, will help us to achieve our plans to generate even more innovative and engaging content for our brands and our customer.
“This is yet another exciting step forward for the business as we continue to scale Matchesfashion.com.”
The studio will have 20 photography bays and video sets, as well as a fashion media space for producing editorial for 450 brands.
A new creative hub
Here East, the former Olympic broadcast centre, has been targeted as a home for the creative industries, particularly fashion.
Justine Simons, the Mayor of London’s deputy mayor and head of culture and creative industries, said: “London is home to leading fashion colleges, is renowned for growing the next generation of talent, has wonderful established brands and is a world-leading tech hub.
“I’m thrilled to see Matchesfashion.com expanding with a new state-of-the-art studio in the East London fashion cluster.”
Matchesfashion was founded in 1987 by Tom and Ruth Chapman when they opened their first store in Wimbledon. The firm is based in London’s Shard and sells high-end brands such as Gucci and Burberry.
In June, Ford announced it would be opening an innovation centre at the former Olympic broadcasting hub, looking for “smart mobility solutions” for Europe.