On Saturday, February 9th, 2019, Leica Camera UK will move their Mayfair store to a new flagship store in North Mayfair at 64-66 Duke Street, Mayfair, London W1K 6JD. The new location will include with first Leica Gallery in the UK and extensive Akademie programme:
Leica Camera to open impressive new flagship store in Mayfair with first Leica Gallery in the UK and extensive Akademie programme
London, January 2019. Leica Camera is delighted to announce the opening of a larger flagship store in Duke Street, Mayfair on 4th February. The store is the new hub for those interested in seeing and creating great photography. Customers can experience the full range of Leica cameras and sport optics, alongside the opportunity to discuss product features and techniques with Leica’s in-store experts. The new store will also be home to the first Leica Gallery in the UK and the Leica Akademie photography training centre. Bringing the world of Leica under one roof, the Leica Store Mayfair will provide a 360 experience for photography amateurs, enthusiasts and professionals. Designed to focus on the customer experience, the new store will be the UK destination to learn about and experience the highest level of photography.
Leica, as one of the world’s most prestigious and respected camera manufacturers, has a unique heritage defined by over 100 years of innovative craftsmanship and knowledge, leading to the foundation of a loyal client base who appreciate the discreet design and hand-built nature of its products. Jason Heward, Leica UK Managing Director, explains, “For more than a century Leica has been inspiring creativity and helping people to become photographers. Our stores are destinations where we can connect on a deep experiential level through our galleries and our Akademie. You will come to the store to see great photography, or attend a workshop to discover how to take beautiful images. This is what Leica does and has always done. Leica is photography”.
One of the highly anticipated features of the Duke Street store is the first ever Leica Gallery to be established in the UK, which will exhibit work from some of the world’s photography greats. Exhibitions will feature celebrated photographic icons who have been dedicated Leica users for decades, alongside contemporary, up-and-coming photographers. The Leica Gallery will also host powerful collections of work from winners and participants from the renowned Leica Oskar Barnack Award competition, which is held annually. The new store will open with the first UK exhibition of the 2017 winner of Oskar Barnack Newcomer award, Sergey Melnitchenko.
The store will also be home to the Leica Akademie, which will offer an extensive schedule of photography workshops for photographers and enthusiasts of all skill levels (note: owning a Leica camera is not a prerequisite for attending a workshop – cameras are provided for attendees). Following in the footsteps of the original German Akademie, which dates back to 1934, the Leica Akademie offers a collection of workshops designed and curated to inspire and educate a new generation of photographers to help capture the ‘decisive moment’ through a Leica lens.
Courses will range from bitesize, 1-hour workshops aimed at beginners and enthusiasts looking to master the basics, to longer, more intensive experiences spread over several days and guest-hosted by Leica photographers and ambassadors. Whether it’s street photography, portraiture or even food photography that you’re looking to develop your skills in, there will be courses available for all. In addition, the Leica Akademie will be offering one-to-one, bespoke sessions.
In celebration of the new opening, the Leica Akademie will be offering free photography workshops to the public from 12th – 24th February. The exciting programme will include courses focusing on analogue photography, flat lay and styling, street portraiture, event and wedding photography – to name but a few – and a range of taster experiences with selected camera systems for those wanting to discover a particular Leica model.
