A Home for Makers and Misfits: In Conversation with Joe Corré

With London Fashion Week around the corner, Treehouse Hotel London welcomed entrepreneur and creative disruptor Joe Corré for a conversation on creativity, craftsmanship, and independent retail. Best known as the co-founder of Agent Provocateur, Corré has spent decades challenging convention and reimagining creative spaces. The son of Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren, he grew up among rule breakers and original thinkers, an influence that continues to shape his work today.

His latest venture, Light House Soho, brings independent designers, artisans, vintage specialists, and makers together under one roof in London’s West End. Part shop, part creative hub, it champions a more personal approach to retail and the people behind what we buy. Treehouse London guests can discover it firsthand through exclusive private shopping appointments.

As London Fashion Week turns its attention to the city’s creative scene, we sat down with Corré to talk about what makes London different, the challenges facing emerging talent, and why craftsmanship and human connection still matter. He also shares what it takes to create spaces where independent ideas and creativity can thrive.

Beyond Fashion with Joe Corré

From co-founding Agent Provocateur to creating Light House Soho, you’ve built a career around challenging convention. How have your experiences in the fashion industry shaped what you’re creating today?

I've spent a lifetime challenging convention through creative solutions, as a witness, participant, and instigator. Early on, I realized that to be truly effective, you have to learn how to bridge the gap between chaos and order. You need to know how to present something in its best light, deliver a retail experience like no other, embrace the chaos, and never take your eye off the prize.

I've never really been interested in fashion itself, except perhaps to offer a perspective on what not to do. I love clothes and dressing up, but I'm more interested in ideas and how to use or manifest them effectively. To me, success is creating something greater than the sum of its parts.

London has long been known for its rebellious and experimental approach to fashion. What makes the city’s creative scene so distinctive, and how do you see it evolving?

London developed an infrastructure in the postwar period and, over the following fifty years, became a city that was ready and eager to support creative startups across the spectrum, from music, design, and fashion to theater and nightlife. Affordable workspaces, a lower cost of living, free universities, creative education, and student grants all combined to make London a creative hub and a magnet for talent from around the world. Because of the limited size, scale, and fragmentation of traditional industrial and commercial support structures, creative ventures were often low risk and high opportunity, allowing ideas developed in London to be exported globally.

As many of those conditions have disappeared, or are disappearing, including independent retail, small- and medium-scale production, free education, and affordable living, it has become far more difficult to nurture and grow new ideas. Many creatives now find themselves navigating a landscape they neither understand nor relate to. For London to continue evolving, we need to replace or reinvent some of those structures and pathways. Creativity needs support, and right now, it needs help.

Light House champions emerging designers and artisan makers. What do you look for when selecting talent, and which new voices in fashion are exciting you right now?

I'm always looking for a high quality of execution, people who truly know their craft and combine that expertise with creative flair. They also need to be able to create a special experience, one that connects the product to the customer in a meaningful way.

I'm endlessly curious about the creative process and how people bring their ideas to life. What interests me most is understanding how they manage to create something greater than the sum of its parts.

Made-to-order is central to the Light House experience. Why is reconnecting customers with craftsmanship and the people behind their clothes so important today?

Artisans put a great deal of love and personal pride into their creations. A made-to-order piece is an exchange of those qualities between maker and client. It's an opportunity for both sides to form a relationship, and for the customer to acquire something that feels deeply personal to them. It's a process they participate in. Something they help shape. It's an experience you simply can't get from large brands or online shopping.

With the ever-changing mix of designers, artisans, and vintage specialists we bring together under one roof, the possibilities are endless.

Treehouse London guests have exclusive access to private shopping appointments at Light House Soho. What can they expect from the experience, and what makes exploring the store in this personal way so special?

Guests can expect a friendly and professional team dedicated to helping them discover unique and exceptional pieces. Whether they're looking for something ready to take home or would like to meet with a specific artisan or specialist, we'll guide them through the entire process and ensure they feel looked after every step of the way.

At the same time, they'll gain access to an ever-evolving program of designers, pop-ups, themed markets, exhibitions, and events that make Light House Soho one of London's most exciting creative destinations.

Experience London's Independent Fashion Scene

Curious to see another side of London fashion? Treehouse Hotel London guests receive priority access to Light House Soho's personal styling appointments and made-to-order services. Explore the offer and discover what awaits behind the townhouse doors.