W2 emerged towards the culmination of the Comme des Garçons Guerrilla Store Project in October 2009. As the final installation in the Guerrilla Stores series, its primary goal was to introduce Comme des Garçons products to a city with limited access to them. Housed in a 19th-century cow shed located in a historical Glaswegian lane, its success in providing a space for customers to immerse themselves in fashion, music, design and more ultimately resulted in an indefinite extension of the partnership with Comme des Garçons.

The original concept for W2 was developed by David Mullane, one of the most influential figures in Scottish and British Fashion for over 40 years. David, one time Merchandise Director of The Warehouse - a hugely influential store based in Glasgow - has been central to the development of style in Scotland.

As the buyer who wrote the first ever order for Ann Demeulemeester in Britain, not only did he introduce the other Antwerp Six designers at their launch in 1986, he also brought Comme des Garcons, Yohji Yamamoto and Jean Paul Gautier amongst many other, now famous names, to the country. His contributions were immortalised in 2011 in the book “The Inventors of Tradition”.

The store underwent a transformation into a complete menswear concept in June 2010, breaking away from the traditional Guerrilla Store model. Since then, the focus has been maintaining the reputation for exceptional personal service by utilizing in-depth product knowledge, with a careful curation of product-driven brands that continue to inspire the store.

As of April 2023, a new chapter begins at W2. Under new leadership, the store aims to position itself at the forefront of independent contemporary fashion retailing in the UK, offering an updated brand mix, a comprehensive e-commerce infrastructure and a carefully curated in store experience. Although W2 is updating its approach, it will continue to build on its strong history as a brand.