Déjà Vu Antiques
Deja Vu antiques and gift shop owner, local DJ, and business consultant, Matt Hull-Tullah, shares the excitement of living and working in St Leonards on Sea.
Matt came to Camber Sands six years ago with the sole aim of learning to kitesurf. “I chose the worst week possible as there was no wind whatsoever!” says Matt. Instead, he made a chance visit to St Leonards to meet up with fellow gay adopters that resided in the town, and quickly came to love the place so much an offer was put in on a flat by the end of that week. “I can now just walk out opposite my flat and ‘waltz on the waves’ with my kite and board. How lucky am I?”, he exclaims! “Just as long as the wind direction and tides are right!”
Following a few years as a DFLer (Down from London), Matt combined living in North London, commuting to Berlin to head up the Global Delivery for Mercedes Benz advertising and weekend visits to St Leonards. “My background is in advertising, digital marketing, and digital product development”, explains Matt. “Pretty full-on stuff working for some top brands, as well as leading international teams in top agencies. I’m now a consultant and advise companies on marketing operations, production, and delivery.”
Matt now lives full-time in St Leonards. “Last year, I decided to make a life change. My two boys have grown up and it was time to shift gears”, says Matt. “Alongside being a consultant, I investigated a few business ideas in the town and settled on taking over a long-established antiques business in Norman Road, St Leonards.”
Now rebranded as ‘Deja Vu’. Matt has injected new energy into the space. As well as antiques, Deja Vu now sells a range of gifts, curiosities, work by local artists, and what he calls ‘objects of desire’. Given Matt’s background, there is now an onsite presence too. “I love sourcing new things, whether they be vintage furniture or eclectic items from around the world”, states Matt. “ I love colour, vibrancy, and humour. The economy over recent times has been tough. We need inspiration. Bold, not bland!” exclaims Matt. “Things should “never be ordinary, they should always be extraordinary!” Customer reaction so far has been fabulous.
Matt has also revived his passion for DJing. With over 30 years experience, Matt cut his DJ cloth as a student during the heady ‘Madchester’ years. Matt has since DJed in some of London’s top clubs. “DJing at Fabric was amazing”, Matt says proudly. “The sound system is one of the best in the world, and to be on the same bill as my DJ icons like Norman Jay, what more could I ask for?” Playing out as ‘DJ Matt Adore’, he has recently DJed at Queer on the Pier, Trinity House, BlackBox, Marina Fountain, Crown House, as well as more regularly out on the street at Sturdee: On the Rocks and at the fabulous Disco Roast at Supernature. As with the shop, you can expect to hear Matt’s eclecticism. “I love to throw in wild card tunes” explains Matt, “and old-school ravers need old-school DJs to get a proper party started!”
“I love St Leonards!”, states Matt. “It’s like ‘Shoreditch by the Sea’. I love its grittiness and burgeoning artistic community. There’s always something amazing happening. The people come from all over the world and businesses are so creative and resourceful. The energy is infectious and the imagination, endless.”
