A Thing for Concept Stores

September 9, 2017September 8, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

According to the web, the sophisticated term ‘concept store’ is a place where new ideas are put together in a bid to enhance the shopper experience and sell a wider selection of goods to the client. What’s more, many concept stores offer ‘experimental’ elements such as a café or exhibition space, building a connection with shoppers seeking a particular lifestyle. Although that sounds quite exhaustive, concept stores are my favourite type of places, as you can truly explore and try out different smaller brands, rather than one established label – and all that under one roof. Here are the four concept store I’ve recently visited while staying in Antwerp and Berlin.

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Damoy is Florence Cools’ world. Here, she curates and sells brand-treasures coming from Belgium, France, Sweden and Denmark that have a kind of modern-romantic knack. Among the racks at her second, newly opened boutique in Antwerp, you will find a local favourite knitwear brand, I Love Mr. Mittens, but also such Scandi-chic pearls as Cecilie Copenhagen. The interior – lovely, warm minimalism – is more than remarkable.

Steenhouwersvest 46 / Antwerp

I know and admire Graanmarkt 13 for years. At the end of a small old square, there it is: a large, cozy space called just like its address. Designed by Vincent Van Buysen, filled with natural light and eclectic furniture, we’ve got the most charming place in the whole Antwerp. The store lately had a transition moment, when they switched from such renowned brands like Marni and Isabel Marant into timeless and more niche ones like Lemaire or Sofie D’hoor. The aim was to stop being a victim of fashion industry’s pace of endless trends and collections, and to stay true to personal style and love for quality. While the store itself is already a fantastic place in its concept, Graanmarkt 13 is also a beautiful restaurant serving organic food (downstairs) and a far-fetched apartment for rent (top floor).

Graanmarkt 13 / Antwerp

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In the heart of Kreuzberg district, Voo Store defines the word “cool“. The concept store – hidden in a former locksmith shop patio – is an industrial space selling brands like Raf Simons, J.W. Anderson, Acne Studios, but also a selection of Prada’s menswear collection. You can relax and read niche magazines, while taking a sip of delightful coffee from their Companion Coffee place located in the other part of the store.

Oranienstraße 24 / Berlin

The Corner is Berlin’s classic. Combined with installations coming from local artists and a book / beauty section, The Corner has every brands you will love this and the next season: Raf Simon’s Calvin Klein, Jacquemus, Balenciaga, Vetements and many, many more. But also, such ultimate favourites like Céline or Dries Van Noten. Just around the corner (no pun intended…) there’s their menswear shop, while near Kurfürstendamm you’ve got one more location, but smaller, with a more off-duty selection.

Französische Straße 40 / Berlin

Photos by Edward Kanarecki.

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American Horror. Calvin Klein SS18

September 8, 2017September 10, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

First thing you notice in Raf Simons‘ spring-summer 2018 collection for Calvin Klein is that he’s the man of consistency. The first looks – the new CK uniforms – were the cowboy shirts in heavy colour block, the same as we’ve seen in his debut collection last March. The shoes haven’t changed dramatically, too. The venue took place in Calvin Klein’s headquarters and it was again covered with Sterling Ruby’s installations, but the main motif was actually quite disturbing- knife and blood. Were horrors and criminals on Simons’ mind?

At Klein, he’s a fan for American symbolism, and thrillers are very well rooted in American cinema – wherever we speak of mid-20th century or 2017. To grasp the idea of crime-drenched drama in his new season evening wear, he pulled off 50s looking ball gowns (surprisingly constructed using vinyl). Some of the leather coats looked as if they were blood-stained, which gave the audience a thrill. Horror film vibes got even more serious when latex gloves emerged down the runway – the high fashion reminiscent of Jason’s mask from Friday 13th, some noted. But that wasn’t the end of the American obsession. For this season, the brand collaborated with Andy Warhol Foundation on prints, using some of the lesser known elements of the artist’s works on trousers, t-shirts and dresses. Simons shakes things up again, in a very sinister (even as for him) manner.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

What’s Hot (8.9.17)

Image | September 8, 2017September 6, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

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You Do You. Tom Ford SS18

September 7, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

Wherever I look, I see a long feature about the importance and potential of Tom Ford. Business of Fashion did one recently. New York Mag had it in August, exclusively sharing bits on the designer’s work behind the spring-summer 2018 collection. All of the magazines praise Tom Ford for his work at Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent, for his venture in the film industry (like Nocturnal Animals) and most of all, his own brand with commercially succesful beauty line, men’s ready-to-wear and growing womenswear. Is Tom Ford’s PR working night and day, lately? Or maybe just in the year of 2017 the fashion industry decided to agree on one thing – Tom Ford is boss. And his fashion, season-to-season, wherever he designs, says you do you. Really, no else does Tom Ford as well as, gasp, Tom Ford.

There were rumours that Ford is planning to do a loud 90s revival – and that was certainly true. Backless jumpsuits, shoulder pads in denim, killer puchsia and lots of bling-bling were present, giving New York fashion week a glamorous kick-off. Don’t think it was nostalgic, as nostalgia in fashion often ends looking dusty and pretentious. That was a sleek line-up of ultra-glossy and great-body-demanding clothes, with no deeper meanings. That’s a collection that you look at with a relaxed, optimist eye at the beginning of the fashion month triathlon. Surely not like at a show of the last few days that you would confuse with Balmain and rather skip. But still, Ford is in a very, very good form, and what’s more, on his own terms.