About Us

Patina is Leicester's only independently owned and run streetwear store. We are brothers Christian and Christophe Eldridge, born and raised in Leicester, of British-Filipino descent, and shaped by a 90s upbringing built around Hip Hop, trainers and bikes.

We opened our doors on August 20th 2024, and in August 2025 we celebrated our first year. We're coming up to two years in business, something we're genuinely proud of as an independent in a city that has seen too many good stores close their doors.


Where We Come From

Leicester gets a hard time that isn't always fair. The closure of Wellgosh and Pilot left a real gap in the city's independent fashion landscape, one that a couple of short-lived reseller shops couldn't fill. We're not here to replace what was lost, but we are here to carry something of it forward.

Christophe spent over two decades at Wellgosh, starting on the shop floor at 17, developing the footwear offering, and eventually buying for the store for more than twenty years. In that time he built relationships across the industry that most stores simply don't have access to.

Christian studied Product Design at the University of Hertfordshire before working as a creative across design and advertising, and launching Crispy Designs, producing motorcycle graphics and brand work. Christophe studied Graphic Design at Camberwell College of Arts (University of the Arts, London), worked as an illustrator, then came back to Leicester and to retail.

Patina is the next chapter.


What We Stock and Why

We carry a curated selection of clothing, footwear, skincare, fragrance and vinyl toys. The brands we stock, from Patta and By Parra to Carhartt WIP, Obey, Gramicci, Service Works and Heresy, are chosen because they can sit comfortably next to one another without looking the same.

We think about price point seriously. The cost of living crisis is real, and accessibility matters, both in terms of design and what things actually cost. We want the selection to feel considered and not exclusive for the sake of it.

Relationships drive a lot of what we do. Brands we believe in, people we've known for years, and a genuine understanding of what works in the city.


The Store

We're a small, intimate space in the heart of Leicester and deliberately so. You may not have heard of every brand we stock, and that's part of the point. We drew inspiration from the original Wellgosh at the top of The Silver Arcade: the kind of place where the music matters, the conversation is easy, and you don't need to buy anything to belong.

We're known to have a beer or two on the bench outside. Friends spin records on a Saturday. If you walk in and like the tunes, that's already a win.

In the Community

Patina isn't just a shop, it's a lifestyle and a commitment to the city. We've taken the store to HK Curated Space, Night Market at the LCB Depot, and Midlands Makers. We'll be at Midlands Makers as part of the Leicester Food Festival in August 2026, with more to come that we're not quite ready to announce yet.

Find Us

We stock brands you know and brands you're about to discover. If you're in Leicester, come in. If you're not, you can shop online.

Proud stockists of Carhartt WIP, Patta, By Parra, Obey, Heresy, Gramicci, New Balance, Saucony, Metalwood, Service Works, Wasted Paris and (MALIN+GOETZ), among others.