Muirshin Durkin Is A Top Shop

Golborne Road is a long-time love, my sister and I spent our teenage years strolling up and down, hoping to find some sort of deal, perhaps a new jumper or a bashed-up bag. As the years went on, Golborne Road grew up, as did we, but I still make a pilgrimage there every couple of weeks. With its age, it has added some shiny new fillers, more expensive shops and restaurants that cater to the wealthiest among us. So when I came by Muirshin Durkin, I felt an intense bubble of excitement. It's a shop full of promise; art covers the walls, the floor is taken up with furniture, and the racks burst with clothes. For a magpie, obsessive shopper and deal hunter, this place is a genuine gem; that's why we had to have it as a Top Shop!

What made you start Muirshin Durkin?

In many ways, the shop was born of covid. I was halfway into another project of shipping the furniture to Japan. I did three containers out of there while setting it up. But due to the travel restrictions that happened, I had to shelve it for the moment. Muirshin durkin was what new challenge that was possible here in London. The next challenge is to open a MD in Tokyo at some point and combine the two, I love a ridiculous idea!

How Would You Describe The Muirshin Durkin Style?

The style changes frequently, but I love to buy collections and rework with original materials into desirable pieces. The bread and butter o the shop are mostly Belgian items which are simple, nice, quality pieces.

Your favourite thing in the area?

Probably the market, because I'm a market man at heart and don't really feel I belong in a shop that much. But I love the mechanics behind it. And the surprise people have that the shop is well-curated and that I have learned something in my time doing the business, but still as happy to throw some junk on the market and sell it for whatever it makes.

Favourite thing about running a shop?

I love that the shop has opened up new avenues for me to be able to charge enough that we can invest more into projects I make. I do it because I love it rather than for the money, but it is a wonderful way of earning shopping tokens to do more of what I love. I like the challenges of running a small team and the learning as we go about marketing etc.

The worst thing about running a shop?

Staffing has been challenging and most complicated to find the right people. I hoped to open a second store a year after Golborne, but I've realised it takes time to get it perfect first. We're now getting there, and It's great working with a little team and seeing people enjoying their roles.