Written by Menswear Style in Stockists on the 31st May 2017

London-based start-up Bombinate has been entrusted by 30 premium brands to spearhead the lifestyle movement towards quality craftsmanship. We’ve been there, you’ve been there. Whether it’s music, paradise beaches, or the finest bar in town, making new discoveries isn’t always easy. Whereas Shazam or Spotify might have your back in your pursuit of good music, there are no cheat codes when it comes to small, high quality craftsmanship brands. So how can you find them?

A new destination for quality 

Shoreditch-based start-up bombinate.com has been entrusted by 30 premium brands to spearhead the lifestyle movement towards quality craftsmanship, with the aim of putting brand heritage, savoir-faire, and products’ unique stories into the online limelight. A year ago, fed up with the difficult and time-consuming task of finding true high-quality clothing and accessories online, childhood friends, Massimiliano Gritti and Elliott Aeschlimann, embarked on a 12-month journey across the UK and Europe to find brands that were genuinely championing quality.

A very careful curation of brands 

Through careful curation of the finest European menswear brands, Bombinate has created the first online destination entirely dedicated to quality. Brands that successfully match their selection criteria are welcomed to the Hive, and showcased on Bombinate’s state-of-the-art website, where the products, craft and stories behind the brands are highlighted and respected. Nobody was currently providing premium artisanal brands with an online destination where labels felt comfortable showcasing their products and stories. They are unlikely to sell on Amazon and they don’t want their brand image associated with high-street retailers in other marketplaces. These brands are often absent from the traditional online retail circuit as they do not fit into the next hour delivery model. Achieving quality takes time and this leaves them with no other options.

A platform for modern artisanal products  

“Often, people associate craftsmanship with an old man in a dusty workshop. After travelling throughout Europe in search of talent, we discovered that craftsmanship is perpetuated by dynamic and passionate brands that have never been so numerous,” say Founders Massimiliano Gritti and Elliott Aeschlimann. According to popular research by Mintel, the menswear market has seen rapid growth in recent years and has surpassed womenswear in terms of growth. The rise in popularity of independent menswear hotspots in London, such as Redchurch, Chiltern and Lamb’s Conduit street, is only testimony of how many men are waking up to authentic clothing and accessories.

A selective community of like-minded brands 

More than a marketplace for quality, brands on Bombinate benefit from the selective community of like-minded individuals, with opportunities including collaborations, cross-promotions, and influencer outreach. “I was impressed by the number of brands that answered the call to join Bombinate. I think there is a growing number of such brands out there that are eager to reach beyond their respective niches without having to compromise on what makes them special, and Bombinate offers this window.” - Fabio Attanasio, male fashion influencer and co-founder of The Bespoke Dudes Eyewear, one of Bombinate’s partner brands.

Bombinate has taken up the mission to redefine quality, a word that has lost touch with reality in recent years. From Italian-made swimwear to UK-made grooming accessories, these once unreachable products and brands are now only one click away on Bombinate.com.

This Shoreditch start-up, Bombinate, is owned by Massimiliano Gritti and Elliott Aeschlimann and stocks new brands such as The Bespoke Dudes Eyewear.