Interior

Saint Laurent Rive Droite

| Design & Culture by Ed

The place where the Colette once used to be, now is the location for Saint Laurent Rive Droite. Thought up as a retail destination, it’s the concept store curated by Saint Laurent’s creative director Anthony Vaccarello. The Rive Droite name takes its inspiration from Saint Laurent’s Rive Gauche, the line that introduced Yves’s unique way of combining prêt-à-porter and luxury fashion with the opening of his first boutique in Paris back in 1966. The store space is built around the idea of a cultural experience, showcased through different events such as exhibitions, performances and artistic exchanges. The products on sale are also exclusive to the space, offering rare books, vintage record players, condoms, skate-boards and toy cars. I went there to see what all the buzz is about. It’s a chic store, filled with French design classics and gorgeous clothes, that’s for sure. But then, it feels like another YSL store. So when I read that “it’s better than Colette”… well, it’s definitely not.

213 rue saint Honoré

All photos by Edward Kanarecki.

(P.S. If you are inspired by my Parisian coverage, I’m really happy about, but please have in mind that now isn’t a safe time for any sorts of travelling. Stay at home!)

Dover Street Parfums Market

| Design & Culture by Ed

25 years after the launch of the first Comme des Garçons perfume, 15 years after opening the first Dover Street Market in London, Comme des Garçons opens Dover Street Parfums Market in Paris. It’s a place you never knew you needed so much. Located two minutes from Musée Picasso, this outpost of DSM is dedicated to beauty with a selection of perfumes, cosmetic and make-up brands from around the world. From avant-garde independent young labels (Kerosene, 19-69, Ormaie…) to the most established and classic references, it’s an explosion of scents, sounds and textures. Skincare, body and hair care products are also part of the proposal, with a majority of sustainable and organic brands aimed for all the human spectrum. It’s about authencity, diversity, originality and inclusivity. Special guests include Gucci with its Alchemist’s Garden line; Byredo’s unique corner; events by MAC cosmetics (and their Instagram-big Comme Des Garçons tattoo kit available only here); Julien D’Ys’ hair installations; and Thom Browne who is about to launch his very first perfume range entitled 09.27.65. Dover Street Parfums Market has no commercial visuals, logos or gifts with purchases. As for the interior, Rei Kawakubo designed a forest of pillars with egg shaped shelves carved within them. Mainstream beauty stores and department stores are becoming even more bleak and charmless in my eyes now.

11 bis rue Elzevir / Paris

Sottsass’ Carlton Shelf

| Design & Culture by Ed

Carlton room divider, designed in 1981 by Ettore Sottsass, in wood and plastic laminate. The vivid colors and seemingly random interplay of solids and voids suggest avant-garde painting and sculpture. The ultimate dream, seen at The Store X Soho House in Berlin.

The Row Stores

| Design & Culture by Ed

There’s quite a lot of The Row on the journal this week. Blame it on Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen‘s universe, which is so, so… perfect. Their Los Angeles and New York stores aren’t any news, but posting about them is pure pleasure. Getting the details right is pretty much a full-time occupation for the Olsens. You know that from seeing their collections, for both, women and men. You realize it even more once you see (or are lucky enough to visit) their store interiors. In Los Angeles, the space unfolds at ground level in a personal, quiet way, where one minute you can’t tear your eyes away from a cashmere robe, only to have some exquisite chair begging for your attention the next. As Ashley put it in her own words for Vogue, “in Los Angeles, it’s all about mid-century homes and growing up, it was glass and water and trees.” They opened their second store in New York, the city where the designers are based. Having lived in New York now for 12 years, the Olsens wanted the store to very much feel like a home. Located in a townhouse, with a Jean Michel Basquiat canvas on the wall for instance, it’s a sort of dream-house filled with the finest garments. Induldge yourself in all this The Row goodness by scrolling down to the stores’ images…

8440 Melrose Place / Los Angeles

17 East 71st Street / New York

All photos courtesy of The Row.

 

Lemaire in Paris

| Design & Culture by Ed

Ok, why Lemaire doesn’t offer any accomodation services (same question to Dries Van Noten…)? The brand’s flagship store in Le Marais district is too good to be true. Just like the clothes, which are poetry of cut and fit. And I think I fell in complete love with their new classic Croissant bag.

28 Rue de Poitou / Paris 

Photos by Edward Kanarecki.

7 Rue de Moussy

| Design & Culture by Ed

Le Marais’ 7 rue de Moussy is the address that gives me those good goosebumps. It’s Azzedine Alaïa’s flagship store, which is also the brand’s headquarters (and as well used to be Alaïa‘s home and studio, just above the spacious boutique). I love this place so much and I will never forget seeing the man himself here few years ago, taking a run through the racks and disappearing behind the doors of his atelier. His spirit is all over the place. This didn’t change at all throughout the time. And what’s most important, the soul of Azzedine is preserved by the maison, and thankfully not “rebranded”. There’s the untouched Julian Schnabel artwork leaning against the wall. The fitting room, where I imagine Naomi Campbell tries on her dresses. All the design treasures Azzedine hand-picked himself for the space. For me, it’s one of the most sentimental places in Paris. A post on Association Azzedine Alaïa and its foundation is coming up!

7 rue de Moussy / Paris

Dries Van Noten in Paris

| Design & Culture by Ed

The magic of Dries Van Noten oozes in his Antwerp flagship store and at his two, close to each other locations in Paris. The women’s and men’s stores, located on the Left Bank, could actually do accomodation services, because they are so gorgeous and it would be a fantasy to stay here for a day or two (ok, a week). Dries’ clothes look great, that’s a well-known fact, but in his stores they reach new dimensions of refined, eccentric elegance. It’s visible that each detail, from the tapestries to the flower bouquets, are well-considered and fit for Van Noten’s universe. Love.

7 Quai Malaquais & 9 Quai Malaquais / Paris

Photos by Edward Kanarecki.

Jil Sander in Berlin

| Design & Culture by Ed

You actually start to love Lucie and Luke Meier‘s Jil Sander when you see the clothes (and bags!) in the store. The brand’s boutique in Berlin, designed by Andrea Tognon (the same architect who did the Phoebe Philo-era Celine stores) is a true slice of heaven. Each detail feels as tactile, balanced and beautiful in its simplicity as the garments on the hangers.

Kurfürstendamm 185 / Berlin

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Prague’s Addresses II

| Design & Culture by Ed

In addition to my Prague addresses I discovered back in autumn (read about them here), here are three more places I found worth visiting in the Czech capital.

What makes Prague locals and well-informed tourists go to the rather sleepy Karlin district? One word: Eska. It’s a restaurant with a bakery which brings together the traditional and the modern – on the plate, and in its arty/industrial interior spread across two floors. It’s a spot from Ambiente (Prague’s leading culinary collective) that brings you food made of Czech ingredients with the daring touch of the head chef Martin Štangl. Here, you will enjoy breakfast, a lunch or an intimate evening meal made of several courses. When you leave, don’t miss the fire-baked bread, organic dairy, selected meats from Naše Maso and a take-away coffee at the Eska store.

Pernerova 49

Your culture time should be spent at the Veletržní Palác. At the time of its construction (completed in 1928), this was the largest building of its kind in the world and the first ‘Functionalist’ building in Prague. Today it serves the needs of the National Gallery. A unique collection of Czech and international contemporary art, it includes some well-known examples of French and European art, including major works by such names as Picasso, Toyen, Renoir, van Gogh, Klimt, Gauguin, Cezanne, Rodin and many more. Take your time to see all the four floors and the temporary exhibitions.

Kantýna is another address coming from under Ambiente’s wing. The concept is quite surprising – it’s a literal canteen, but aesthetically pleasing. With a butcher store in the front and a restaurant space in the back, this place is for true meat lovers (or even, maniacs). I wasn’t really impressed with the sausage I ordered, and I’m not a beer-loving type of person, but I guess there are people who enjoy this sort of culinary ‘adventure’. I came here for the interior!

Photographs by Edward Kanarecki.