Hirst is allowed to open an art shop... after he passes interview

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The millionaire artist has signed a 10-year lease on a shop in Marylebone, which will open this spring.

The former enfant terrible of the Brit Art movement had to be interviewed by the building's owners before being allowed to move into the development.

His shop, which has the same name as his publishing company, Other Criteria, will open in Hinde House, at the southern end of Marylebone High Street.

It will sell artwork, T-shirts, postcards, plates and books featuring Hirst's work. Works by up-and-coming artists including Michael Joo, Matt Collishaw and Thomas Scheibitz will also feature.

Among the Hirst items on sale will be an 18-carat gold charm bracelet featuring different types of pills as the charms. It costs £250,000, while a set of 12 plates decorated by the artist costs £10,000.

The "Happy Head" - a plastic skull covered in gloss paint - is on sale for £25,000 plus VAT, while a roll of Pharmacy wallpaper, featuring rows of brightly coloured pills and tablets, is on sale for more than £1,000.

Hugh Allan, one of the directors of Other Criteria, said: "Art has to be experienced and the shop is where people can experience it in a democratic atmosphere rather than a West End gallery." Hirst, 42, is believed to be paying £90,000 a year in rent for the 1,250 sq ft corner unit in Hinde House.

Spencer & Green, the owner of the building, described the move as an "important letting for London's West End".

A spokesman said: "Damien Hirst was approved as a celebrity letting for his new retail concept Other Criteria following interview."

The building will also house a Browns Bride shop and a Oui-Set women's fashion store. Developers hope the redevelopment of Hinde House will help make the area as soughtafter as the northern end of Marylebone High Street.