‘Hackney Road has long been important to my family,’ explains Sim Takhar, whose grandfather ran and operated a small shoe factory on the street from 1975 until 1990. ‘He worked his way up in the footwear industry to eventually supplying the likes of Barratts and Fenwick.’
Today, Takhar’s new concept store is located half a mile to the east on the very same road where her grandfather started his business in the 70s. Opened in June 2017, The Old Bank Vault has breathed new life into 283 Hackney Road, a store-cum-warehouse previously leased by her parents, the owners of shoe brand London Rebel.
‘Number 283 was acquired by my parents in 2000 when I was 12 years old, and as a result my siblings and I spent many of our school holidays there helping mum and dad out answering phones and labelling shoeboxes. It was here that I really started to appreciate how awesome it was to be growing up in London.’