WORLDWIDE READING, COLLECTING, TRAVELING LISTING THE BEST OUTPUT FROM THE EDITORIAL SEARCH
Amen, Madrid. A corner in Malasaña, the ‘barrio de las Maravillas’
A former printing house, renovated as a DIY project, named Amen – a sign of gratefulness for having gotten all the work done. Few lines by Rocío Mendivil
Par Store, Taipei, Taiwan. Underground Concept Store Scene in Taiwan
Located in Chifeng Street of the Zhongshan District, alongside a variety of other creative outlets and collectives, Par Store is known for their laid-back sense of style and business etiquette.
The Italian craftsmanship: new opportunities through e-commerce platforms
Mirta Retail deals with the distribution and sale of Italian handicraft products: the founders Ciro di Lanno and Martina Capriotti talk about it
Glein, Vienna. Searching for truth within materials and ideas
Investing in craftsmanship and in the quality of materials allows the brand to endow its products with simplicity and functionality, prioritizing comfort and balance whilst evoking the appeal of the classics
Paro, New Delhi. The Indian subcontinent was a collection of kingdoms owned by the royals
A lady sits at the center stringing jasmine flowers with the scent of the blossoms permeating the store – showcasing a live narrative of slow-living. In conversation with founder Simran Lal
Chandal, Barcelona. A shop in El Born to explore what the world has in store
Hunting for objects that integrate functionality, beauty and responsibility in their production is what the store’s owners have been doing since 2008, allowing Chandal’s perspective to grow with them
Mano Plus, Penang. Repurposing localities to match its identity
Remaining independent is at the fundamentals of Mano Plus. Social media presence is how it grasps audiences to its environs. The products displayed are produced in Malaysia
Schwesterherz, Berlin. Pieces that have been in German or Hollywood based productions
The identity of Schwesterherz is ingrained with femininity. The brand is a means for individuals to give back to the women in their lives, regardless of the relationship
Amodo, Berlin. Where small-scale production and object-based narration intersect
Sharing the stories behind their item selection is part of what the owners do – through a perspective that prioritizes awareness towards an object’s origin, materials and making
Hen’s Teeth, Dublin. Products need to remain design-led and uphold aesthetic
A conversation taking place about the lack of cultural-spaces in Ireland led to the Kickstarter campaign that raised €47,634 from 594 backers
YME Universe, Oslo. Inside a building from 1844 described as Paris in miniature
Located between the Royal Palace and the Parliament in Karl Johans gate 39. «Oslo is segregated. It is a question if you are from the east or west side and our shop is situated in the middle»
Claymen, New Delhi. Clay is the antithesis of the rigidity and perceptions of an adult-mind
Characterized by its imperfections, irregularities, a crack here, a dent there, created as a result of producing by hand. «The impression of beauty today is that of perfection, but with clay you don’t get perfect result»
Barefoot, Colombo. Facilitating the elevation and empowerment of women in the workplace
A collection of buildings around a Twenties townhouse. The front of the store holds the handwoven fabrics, textiles, linen, clothing and patterns of Dumbara weaving, which hang through the metal structures
Idli, Jaipur. Boxed and unable to pursue one form of artistry at a time
Hand-painted by Thierry Juorno, the archway is adorned with palm leaves and a red colored tent, clothes hang on the rails and hand-crafted furniture, designed by him, are spread across the store
Sauce, Dubai. Online spaces have become rudiment to retail strategy
Growing up in Lebanon during the civil war, co-founder Ghandour’s childhood informs Sauce’s philosophy. «I had to put my battle shoes on when the retail markets changed in Dubai»
Obataimu, Mumbai. Bringing sleepwear outside of the bedroom
An ideology of slow-production with the Japanese philosophy of Wabi-Sabi that encourages finding beauty to embrace the cycle of growth and decay
Ilaika, Kuala Lumpur. A single-floor store is stretched over ten feet
Concrete floors and wooden furniture blend in with the surrounding to avoid overpowering the items on display. Items carried are products that are based across East and West Malaysia
Helen Yarmak, New York. The sea can represent homecoming and longing
Specializing in one-of-a-kind jewelry, cashmere and accessories to provide people with pieces to display their identity. Helen Yarmak looks to the sea for inspiration
Kulture Shop, Mumbai. Supporting and bringing together India’s graphic artists
Mumbai’s abundance of visual stimulation influenced founder and CEO, Arjun Charanjiva through movie posters, album covers, comic books and advertising posters
The Feeting Room, Portugal. White stone walls and exposed wooden beams
Concept stores converse with the genii locorum. Amongst shoes, dresses, accessories and home decor is a tribute to emerging Portuguese
Cinnamon, Bengaluru. India’s craftsmanship refined to display the yesteryear
A spice plant in the retail industry. The pursuit of Radhika Poddar in establishing Cinnamon as a venture to sell the products she would like to buy
Vernakular, Kuala Lumpur. Dials to allow the integration of watches into Generation Z
Paying homage to concept stores like Colette, Dover Street Market and The Store X Berlin, Vernakular has embodied a dual identity within a store, with its walls that emulate a Yin and Yang spirit
Paper Boat Collective, Goa. On India’s West Coast, lies a hundred-year-old Portuguese villa
«One cannot visit, except for a stopover. It sucks you in and people spend forty-five minutes to an hour exploring». In conversation with founder and curator, Bhagyashree Patwardhan
Gnomo, Spain. Customers enter the store with the intention of visiting the owners
Returning to using ceramics, wood and paper found in design elements and objects within the wholesale. Their prospects are attributed to investing in quality goods
Mietis, Barcelona. Opposing fast-fashion by eliminating the structure of the seasons
«If you want to control the quality of the product you need to be close to the manufactories», states co-founder and creative director Maria Fontanellas
Wentz, São Paulo. Forms found in nature as a way of designing
Guilherme Wentz expands the experience with the environment. Having decreased access to technology in Brazil, the brands product design is manufactured by family companies in the country
Misci, Brazil. On reclaiming identity and carving a path for change through design
«I was surrounded by women in my youth. It became occasional for me to listen to their stories and be involved in their lives. I started to be a designer there». In conversation with designer and founder, Airon Martin
Dot Concept Store, Istanbul. Bringing together over 100 Turkish designers under one roof
«A museum-style exhibition place that supports and promotes designers. It makes no sense to me to take money from people that don’t earn». In conversation with Yasemine Aydan
Song, Vienna. A change of location marks the concept store that refuses to sell online
A 500 square meter space dedicated to the taste of South Korean born Myung-il Song who moved to Austria in the early Ninety’s, is postulating a reformatted retail experience
Hutspot, Amsterdam. A platform that provides everyday products adding meaning to a routine
A former bed and mattress shop converted for two entrepreneurs who decided to launch a concept shop for startup fashion brands. In talks with Arjen Roos
Serendeepity, Milan. A concept store on the ashes of a historic record shop
An opportunity for the music community to come together and interact – Nicola Mazzetti represents an independent record store in the heart of Milan
Casa Cavia, Buenos Aires. A rationalist villa in the ‘district of wonders’
Conceived by Norwegian architect Alejandro Christophersen, the villa was declared as a landmark of Buenos Aires’ heritage in 2011, and was restored by British-American studio KallosTurin in 2014
Troquer, Mexico City. Intellectual architecture reshaping the retail therapy experience
An online fashion retailer selling second-hand luxury. Lucía Martínez-Ostos and Ytzia Belausteguigoitia began a store as a business centered on the two friends’ local network
New York / Beijing, 3standardstoppage. Piercing the art bubble and evolving past standards
3standardstoppage breaks through the existing methodologies of art, design, and fashion and builds a bridge of dialogue between the United States and China
50m, London. Carving out a place for ethics in the fashion retail market
An ethical marketplace: founders Merrit, Smyth and Seun on the problem of labels being shut out of the physical retail space by unfair rents
VAO Concept Store, Dubai. Virtual reality is the future of fashion retail
Communicating the brand DNA through e-commerce and social media platforms by creating engagement as the world moves closer to multimediality
L’Arabesque, Milan. Modernist reverence for the past
L’Arabesque is an ode to that golden era of Italian culture, a love letter to Milan’s history. «Time, in the world of art, fashion and design, does not exist: everything returns in other forms»
X BANK, Amsterdam. The first cement building
Change doesn’t necessarily mean renouncing one’s roots. A former bank in central Amsterdam is now a hotel, art gallery, store and spa
Spinnaker Boutique, Liguria. An expression of luxury on the Ligurian Sea
«Today, women dress men and vice versa, streetwear influences the classic. If everything is subject to rules, breaking them is the norm. Is this not the prerogative of art?»
Macondo, Verona. Predicting season trends for a broad-based clientele
With a hint of surrealism, the store is named after the fictional town in Gabriel García Márquez’s masterpiece, Cien años de soledad
Bikini Berlin. Fusing urbanistic with sustainability and change as a principle
The concept of a sustainable shopping mall makes its way to Charlottenburg’s center, uniting history and modernity and fusing urbanism with social networking
Bjørk, Florence. In balance between selection and mutation
Owner Filippo Anzalone explains how he matches a selection of international brands to an assortment of niche magazines
UCCA Store, Beijing. An inside-out museum experience
Split into two floors, the ground floor is dedicated to the merchandising, but also to the limited-edition artworks, that let visitors bring a piece of art directly home
Biutiful Shop, Annecy. A mix of antique and new inside and out
Often referred to as ‘the Venice of Savoie,’ this lakeside Alpine town is treasured for its sloping hillsides and the canals that wind their way through the streets
Holypopstore, Rome. Know-how in the retail world
A physical and virtual container that combines art, culture, and underground fashion owes its success to its contemporary vision and know-how in the retail world
Tom Greyhound, Paris. Under the spotlight in a post-Colette world
Amongst the Marais, in 90 square meters of Parisian brick & mortar, is Tom Greyhound—the multi-brand designer concept store in a post-Colette Paris
Sugar, Arezzo. Can a store change the appeal of a city?
Towns scattered around the country are rich in terms of historical buildings, more accessible in terms of costs and perhaps even more hungry for fashion
Darial, Barcelona. A multidisciplinary space by Djaba Diassamidze
In a new wave of thinking about brick and mortar retail, reimagining the physical store, creating spaces where merchandise and art collide
The Broken Arm, Paris. The blurred line between art and life
Simplicity of materials can draw attention to garments, artwork, literature and music on display: thinking can matter more than buying, according to the trio Joste, Lafarge and Steinmetz
House of Toogood, London. Not a ordinary store
If in London the designers painted the walls in white, Faye Toogood chooses mud-colored walls and metal cages as bookcases
Chez Dédé, Rome. Italian attitude and French allure
Painting, photography and a collection of objects picked up around the world – or designed by the artistic duo who launched the Roman concept store founded on culture and memories from the past
Nous, Paris. The heirs of Colette
New openings around the world for a store that was raised from the ashes of the French boutique. The opening of a second store in Paris a year after the first, on the opposite side of the street
Micamera, Milan. In conversation with Giulia Zorzi
Milan: The most well-stocked photography bookstore in Europe. Photos lose their identity as standalone works,
a photo book is a book in which the principal message vehicle is the image.
The Woods Gallery, Paris. Hidden on Montmartre’s most-concealed street
Mail carriers cannot find the address to this modern-day Wunderkammer where each figure finds its own beastly and colorful avatar
The Shop at Bluebird, London. When a concept store becomes a shopping mall
From King’s Road to Covent Garden — the central London flagship store is an ode to design, hosting exhibits, selling fashion and design, and South American and African Crafts
Modern Anthology, Brooklyn. A hub for boys and craftsmanship
Collecting what the “Brooklyn guy” would gravitate towards, once he acquired disposable income and a more refined appreciation of craftsmanship, details and materials.
HAN Kjøbenhavn, Copenhagen. The Strive for authenticity
HAN Kjøbenhavn has become a member of the Danish fashion industry, offering an alternative image of Denmark
Browns Fashion, London. A new breath of life for old Mayfair glory
Browns London stands out as the first multi-brand boutique in the British capital.
Modern Society, London. Embracing the eclectic spirit of Shoreditch
The interiors of Modern Society recall a lounge designed in that shabby-chic style that was all over London in the nineties and which still dominates certain circles
Rare Market, Seoul. A potential market for independent brands
A bridge between Europe and Korea, an exporter of new talents: nestled in Seoul’s most affluent neighborhood, a concept store that scouts and selects cutting-edge brands.
Laforet Harajuku, Tokyo. A crisis of subculture
What has become of Japanese subcultures? In Laforet, in Tokyo, they still exist. History shows us how culture has always dominated markets in the long run, according to cycles
Dover Street Market, London. A constant of chaos
The rent had risen by 200% – Rei Kawakubo left Dover Street, although it was the London street that had launched the concept store, accounting for 35% of its turnover.
Voo Store, Berlin. The philosophy of an entire district
A place that tells the story of a district in Berlin: the Müjdeci brothers’ Voo Store has 50 employees from 22 different countries. Danish design, rough walls and bare brickwork.
The Apartment by the Line, Los Angeles. A bridge linking online and offline sales
A concept constructed around the consumer: a house with lounge, bedroom, walk-in-closet—almost all of it for sale
