Port Street is one of the Northern Quarter’s most atmospheric, architecturally speaking, and Bionic Seven occupies one of the cutest terraced stores on the road. Established in 2003 by fashion enthusiasts Nick Rhodes and Imran Kazmi, this vintage shop has one primary goal — sell incredible, ethically sourced menswear from across the UK, USA, and Europe. One of the first of its kind in the vicinity, what began as a trailblazer has since become a bonafide institution, renowned for mint condition collector’s items, American and European workwear classics, and much more.
Hand-picked items from Aquascutum and LL Bean, to Fred Perry, Ralph Lauren and Champion adorn the rails, which are split between outerwear, sweaters, denim, shirts, military pieces, and t-shirts, all washed clean and ready to don the moment you step out of the changing rooms. An emporium of garment gems and delights, it’s the kind of place you can spend a half hour and wind up walking away with a German flektarn camo combat parka, 1990s United Colors of Benetton cord bucket hat, 1970s Ellesse smock cagoule, and Pendleton Woolen Mills four-pocket virgin thread cardigan.
The team’s collective eye for style really sets Bionic Seven apart, and explains its longevity — most of the items are timeless but never, ever bland, and certainly reflect the personalty and atmosphere of the shop itself, which is the epitome of NQ cool. A place where Italian language movie posters for The Deer Hunter hang next to sheep skulls, checked flat caps and black baseball caps. Or a selection of one-off bags, many made from old jackets and other found materials, making for a completely unique accessory you won’t see anywhere else. A real asset to the retail offering in this corner of town, as a result it has firmly established a regular customer base, which also says a lot.