If nothing else, new menswear boutique Base Kingston is a lesson in utilising space. For the eye hardly notices that the room is no larger than 350 sq ft and that’s just what musicians-cum-co-directors Jason Panton and Cezar Cunningham wanted to achieve.

“The floor space is small and the roof is high,” shares Cunningham who is also a design architect, “so we played up the vertical element to trick the eye that the space was larger than it really is.”

But wait, the Upper Manor Park boutique has more.

Ceiling-to-floor wooden shelves and minimalist approach to accents also give the illusion of room. Throw in funky garbs mixed with South Beach-ready wear and the result is a party-hungry bachelor’s dream.

Because of their respective commitments to music, Jason and Cezar understand too well the importance of clothes that transition from the stage to the dance floor. And to put it in words, both prefer the kind of roots-meets-artsy-meets-playboy style, borne out in Panton’s I&I wear.

“People would always compliment us and say, ‘we think you’re fashionable’…” Cunningham shares, but adds that the enquirers would hit a blank when it comes to finding similar pieces locally for their own wardrobe.

“We’d always have to wait to go abroad before we can find really interesting and cool stuff,” the singer tells SO.

And thank heavens that, as this new retail space blossoms, all that might just change.