Tour de Stance: BikeStormz saddles up with the us sock brand to launch latest exhibition in Covent Garden

Friday 9 August: Internationally renowned US sock brand, Stance, has hosted the launch of the BikeStormz Photography Exhibition, in collaboration with photographer Adam Corbett at the brand’s debut store in 3 Neal Street, within the Mercers’ estate.

Running from August 9-15, the photography showcase comprises Corbett’s long-standing documentation of the BikeStormz youth movement since its formation in 2015. Operating under the mantra ‘knives down, bikes up’, BikeStormz provides an alternative to violent crime, while encouraging positivity and peace amongst young people. The exhibition at Stance celebrates this unified message, the distinct characters and the sense of togetherness that this bike culture brings to the community. 

Simon Taylor, Property Director of The Mercers’ Company, said:“We are always looking to bring exciting new dimensions to the Neal Street experience, which Stance is continually delivering with its dedicated gallery and event space. The brand’s creativity and commitment to the community is a huge benefit to the Mercers’ estate and we are proud to support both Stance and BikeStormz in this meaningful endeavour.”

Rich Philip, Director of Marketing at Stance Europe, added: “Following our exciting conversion from a pop-up to a permanent tenant in this space, and the huge success of our first exhibition earlier this year, we are thrilled to launch BikeStormz to the Stance community in central London. BikeStormz is a brilliant social enterprise and we are proud to host Adam Corbett’s latest work.”

This event follows the news that the internationally renowned New York dance shoe brand, LaDuca, has signed for their first UK site at 37 Drury Lane, Covent Garden and that luxury British footwear and handbag retailer, Russell and Bromley, will be launching a new 3,461 sq ft London store at 107 Long Acre, Covent Garden, this autumn.

Ends 

For further information, please contact Amy Cassidy and Yasemin Kiani at Aver via: amycassidy@averpr.com or yaseminkiani@averpr.com

Notes to Editors 

About The Mercers’ Company  

The Mercers’ Company is a 700-year-old livery company focused on being a philanthropic force for good. 

Each year our aim is to distribute £15 million to charitable causes. Our giving is focused on Young People & Education, Older People & Housing and Church & Communities. This allows us to create positive change across generations, giving those we help the chance to live a fulfilling life now and in the future.

The Mercers’ support 180 individual charities annually and provide high-quality accommodation to 215 residents in our six almshouses, work closely with our associated schools which educate 18,000 children, and appoint 88 charity trustees and school governors. 

About Stance 

Embracing “The Uncommon Thread” as its mantra, Stance took one of the world’s most boring apparel categories and turned it into one of the most exciting in just a few short years. Stance’s founders saw a category that had been ignored, taken for granted, and dismissed. By breathing life into something that had been overlooked, Stance ignited a movement of self-expression and innovation that has now extended into its men’s underwear, women’s intimates, and dual-gender t-shirt collections. Stance’s complete offering of superior basics serve as canvases for self-expression, and can now be found in over 60 countries on those who are comfortable being uncommon.  

The backstory 

As people began taking notice of how Stance was turning the sock category on its head through art and design on the fashion side, the company’s relentless focus on innovation and material science began to earn it major recognition in the performance and sports worlds as well. Stance’s eight-year journey is marked with impressive milestones and multiple firsts for any brand, regardless of industry.   

On the fashion and lifestyle side, Stance has released an impressive list of projects and collaborations, including having Rihanna as a contributing creative director, and collaborations with brands like Maharishi, Neighborhood Japan, Libertine, New Balance, and Modernica. Additionally, projects with legendary cultural influences like Mark Gonzalez, TDE, and artists like Kevin Lyons and Mister Cartoon, provide a glimpse into the work that has made the brand a go-to choice for original thinkers and creatives. 

On the performance and sports side, Stance was the first brand to have its logo appear on any piece of the NBA’s official uniform. It was named the league’s on-court sock for the 2015 and 2016 seasons, and was worn in every game by every player in the league for those two seasons, and is still designated as the official casual sock of the NBA. A year after Stance made its mark in the NBA, the brand was chosen as the official sock of Major League Baseball, and is currently worn on-field by every team in MLB. 

Throughout its eight years, and because of its uncommon approach, the company has drawn an iconic group of personalities to its roster of ‘Punks & Poets,’ including RunDem founder, Charlie Dark, NBA legends and future legends Allen Iverson, Dwyane Wade and James Harden, two-time Masters Champion Bubba Watson, world-renowned mountaineer and photographer Jimmy Chin, back-to-back World Surf League Champion John John Florence, Transworld Rider of the Year Louif Paradis, and US track-and-field pioneer Lauren Fleshman. 

To learn more about Stance, visit www.stance.com, or follow @stanceeurope on Instagram or @stance on Facebook.