WWD’s Ultimate Guide to Concept Stores
Visit a concept store these days and you might come home with a cactus, a biography, a lip balm — or a dining room suite — along with your fix of designer clothes and accessories.
Here, WWD rounds up a selection of creative retail destinations that promise to surprise, and keep the torch alive for creative merchandising.
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The Americas
Wdlt117
7 St. Thomas Street, Toronto
The concept: A Victorian-era brick town house shelters a sleek industrial space, and a rambling selection of edgy brands from Europe and Asia.
Claim to fame: Clothes, gifts, homewares, fragrances and accessories that have a strong point of view. The store name is an abbreviation of “wanderlust” and managing director Jason Morikawa says the goal is for customers to discover a brand or item that “makes them look differently at the world of fashion; for themselves or the home.”
Noteworthy brands: Ichendorf Milano for tableware, Carbone for menswear, Mendittorosa for fragrance and &Klevering for home objects.
What to Instagram: The arched brick entryway, with its restored and refinished antique door.
Price range: $25 for a retaW lip balm up to $11,950 for pair of alligator Guidi boots.
Departamento
1019 South Santa Fe Avenue, Los Angeles
The concept: This 2,200-square-foot L.A. destination for discovering new global menswear brands is tucked away in the back of Maru Coffee in the Arts District, and helmed by Andrew Dryden, a former buyer for Selfridges, and Joseph Quinones, who handles client relations. “We want people to come in and find themselves in the store; we don’t pitch any one look or aesthetic,” says Dryden, who built the shop to be celebrity stylist-friendly. “The beauty of L.A. is you can be quite ostentatious and buy very loud things, so we’re not held back like a lot of European markets are with classic, conservative clientele.”
Claim to fame: Drake, Frank Ocean, Nicolas Ghesquière and other famous fashion plates make the trek downtown to visit.
Noteworthy brands: Loewe (the store was the first menswear account in L.A.); Marni, 3Man, Lemaire, Lanvin, Martine Rose, Wales Bonner, The Soloist, Bode, The Row, Anecho (as worn by Brad Pitt).
What to Instagram: The mirrored neon-lit hallway that leads to the gallery-like space.
Price range: $140 for an Our Legacy tank top to $8,000 for a Loewe puffer jacket.
Just One Eye
915 North Sycamore Avenue, Los Angeles
The concept: With an open 10,000-square-foot store space inside a 30,000-square-foot building that doubles as the company’s headquarters and storage, Just One Eye is known for its selection of fine art, furniture, jewelry, homewares, vintage pieces and global luxury labels. In the back is a hair salon and upstairs is a workout space for one-on-one Pilates classes.
Claim to fame: The store’s founder, Paola Russo, takes risks on new brands. Just One Eye was the first high-end boutique to carry Off-White and God’s True Cashmere, founded by actor Brad Pitt and Sat Hari. The large outpost is also known as a gallery for fine art, such as the billboard-sized “Cherry Blossoms” painting by Damien Hirst on one wall.
Noteworthy brands: Eterne T-shirts , God’s True Cashmere, Fear of God and new-to-the-store Oberon’s reworked vintage and antique garments, in addition to brands such as Giorgio Armani, Prada, Cartier, Bottega Veneta, Alexandre Vauthier, Khaite and The Row.
What to Instagram: The John Chamberlain sculpture of mashed car parts that greets customers at the entrance.
Price range: $60 for a book to $1 million for a bracelet and earring set by Fernando Jorge.
Terminal
8271 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles
The concept: Former Maxfield visual director Ericka del Rosario and her fiancé Mason Rothschild (the digital artist behind the controversial MetaBirkins) opened their 2,200-square-foot space to bring together the social, digital and retail experiences. They incorporate digital collectibles with purchases, as well as VIP event access to their raging parties, and offer memberships akin to a social club.
Claim to fame: Catering to the youth scene with full looks for attending Coachella and other events. “I’m 27. When I moved to L.A. it was all Rodeo Drive energy, but celebrities and influencers want culture and experiences,” says del Rosario, noting Terminal has hosted events for 40 brands including Ambush, Adidas and the launch of Jimmy Choo x Mugler.
Noteworthy brands: Yohji Yamamoto, Issey Miyake, Marni, MM6 Maison Margiela, YP/Project, ERL, Vaquera, Diesel, Dion Li, Rui, Louisa Ballou, Vivienne Westwood.
What to Instagram: A Terminal event (the founders handle the guest lists, marketing, set design, and pulling in DJs like Kitty Cash) or a selfie in the leafy outdoor courtyard.
Price range: $225 for an Undercover flower corsage to $6,050 for a Peter Do embossed croc coat.
A’maree’s
2241 West Coast Highway, Newport Beach, California
The concept: With 47 years in business over two generations, Dawn Klohs, Denise Schaefer and Apryl Schaefer preside over a retail institution that invites comparisons to Peggy Guggenheim’s Palazzo in Venice. It’s a port of call for the yachting set, who can pull up to the store’s harbor-side boat slip for a California-casual curation of luxury and hard-to-find labels for men and women, fine jewelry and home wares.
Main claim to fame: The modernist 1961 building (designed by Thornton Ladd and John Kelsey, the architects of Pasadena’s Norton Simon Museum) with arched bay view windows and glass portholes on the floor to allow views of the fish swimming below.
Noteworthy brands: The Row, Alaia, Nick Fouquet, Dosa, Astier de la Villette, Dusan, Co, Visvim, Maison Rabih Kayrouz, Jil Sander, Extreme Cashmere, Sidney Garber, Massimo Alba, Mira Mikati, Kilometre, Celine.
What to Instagram: The view of the boats in Newport Harbor from the outdoor patio, where shoppers are welcome to linger, or any of the creative merchandise displays in-store.
Price range: $89 for a “Chakra 6: Third Eye Jazmin” Amen candle to $79,060 for an Irene Neuwirth aquamarine bead necklace.
Market Market
1555 South Palm Canyon Dr. Unit F, Palm Springs, California
The concept: In vintage Valhalla Palm Springs, this 40,000-square-foot marketplace featuring only vintage, repurposed furniture, homewares and fashion was created by Mojave Flea founder James Morelos, who turned his pop-up makers markets into a retail chain of stores in Palm Springs, Joshua Tree, San Francisco and Hudson Valley, New York.
Noteworthy brands: Curated spaces by RTH designer Rene Holguin, Maurizio Donadi’s Transnomadica, Hawaiian shirt enthusiast Red Dot Hawaii, western wear dealer En Vintage; upcycled beach towel accessories brand Picnicwear, and hand-dyed lingerie and clothing brand Kazmik Grace.
What to Instagram: The vintage lips sofa from Nok Nok or any other of the pieces of furniture and art on display in the sprawling space.
Price range: $58 for a tie-dyed, sun-faded, “Palm Springs” T-shirt by Best Regards to $20,000 for the one-off vintage cars that can turn up, like a 1969 Custom Dune Buggy with Corvair engine.
La Laguna, Mexico City
Calle Dr Erazo 172, Doctores, Cuauhtémoc, 06720 Ciudad de México
The concept: More of an amalgamation of factories than a concept store, Laguna houses 24 firms in fashion, design, architecture, urban planning, books, ceramics, gastronomy and art in a former textile factory. About half offer products for sale; the rest services. One resident is, ahem, a concept store called Sioux.
What to Instagram: The courtyard patio with its jungle vibes, thanks to landscaping by the architecture firm Estudio Ome, is a must. The complex’s metal grid furniture by Roberto Michelsen is probably the runner-up.
Price range: A souvenir Laguna mug, part of a new collection, for $6, or splurge on the cast aluminum “swan” dining room set with six chairs by architect Javier Senosiain for $21,000.
Brand check: Mexican fashion is one of the hottest categories at Laguna, led by the streetwear clothing brand Hermanos Koumori, which is working on a collaboration with Adidas.
GoodMrkt
4130 West Jefferson Boulevard, Fort Wayne, Indiana
The concept: A 5,000-square-foot artisan shop that specializes in environmentally and socially-responsible brands and retailers — and it comes with a café.
Claim to fame: The concept provides a platform for mostly small and emerging brands to sell their products while supporting their causes through product donations, a percent of sales, fundraising events, or through how they source and create their merchandise. Harry Cunningham, owner and founder, characterizes GoodMrkt as a community of makers and creators out to confront the challenges of the world and spark change.
Brand check: Able, a fashion company that trains and employs women to help break the cycle of poverty and extricate them from the sex trade; Sackcloth & Ashes, which donates a blanket to a shelter for every blanket purchased, and Ellis Brooklyn, which sells fragrances with clean ingredients and sustainable sourcing.
Instagrammable moment: In the café.
Price range: You could go as low as a 1 cent round-up donation to support goodMrkt’s community development and projects while a Pura Vida barrette sells for $1.50, an Amble leather jacket is $385 and a stag statue is $850.
BDDW
5 Crosby Street, New York
The concept: A showroom for a range of luxury products, from large dining tables and tapestries and mirrors to deck swings, jigsaw puzzles, ceramics, upholstery fabrics, clothing, even beanies displayed in a series of display rooms segmented by tall archways as well as narrow portals for a sense of discovery and intimacy. All BDDW’s pieces are designed and developed by the company’s founder, Tyler Hays, and created in his Philadelphia studio by him and his team of craftspeople.
Claim to fame: Craftsmanship, timeless design and heirloom quality pieces.
Price range: Pottery handmade in Philadelphia with clay sourced from the Frankford clay pit, with a delicate cup going for $150; a furniture maker’s rugged pants with plenty of pockets for $438 and up for the furniture line and up to $690 for cotton dress created from a 1908 pattern.
There’s more: The flagship and headquarters are in SoHo but BDDW also has two London showrooms, in Mayfair and Bethnal Green.
Instagram moments: Taxidermy deer with antlers poised passively by a lakeside model diorama, or a pair of Samurai-style warriors in antique-like diver helmets and armor composed of a melange of materials.
Don’t forget to: Ask what BDDW stands for.
Europe
Merci
111 Boulevard Beaumarchais, 75003 Paris
The concept: A rambling, 15,000-square-foot, loft-like emporium with a bohemian flair housing fashion, jewelry, furniture, homewares, stationery and several eateries.
Claim to fame: Merci has an eco and charitable bent, earmarking some profits for educating children in remote parts of Madagascar, for example.
Noteworthy brands: Le Minor for striped T-shirts, Mother for jeans, Autry for sneakers, Leonor Greyl for hair products. New brands for fall include Bergfabel, Cordera, Studio Nicholson, Elia Maurizi, Myssy and Couper et Coudre.
What to Instagram: The red Fiat 500 frequently parked near the entrance — or the bedding arranged in mouthwatering tonal rows.
Price range: 5 euros for a Merci logo lighter to 5,694 euros for an oversize sofa.
The Broken Arm
12 rue Perrée, 75003 Paris
The concept: Named after a sculpture by Belgian artist Marcel Duchamp, the 2,100-square-foot unit in the Marais offers a tight curation of fashion’s sharpest signatures and a gift shop section featuring books, objects and CDs with a strong connection to fashion culture.
Go there for: The fashion-forward yet never highfalutin’ vision of founders Romain Joste, Anaïs Lafarge and Guillaume Steinmetz.
Linger for: A beverage from their café, now operated by the team behind Parisian coffee shop Dreamin’ Man.
Noteworthy brands: Prada, Comme des Garçons, Rick Owens, Alaïa, Maison Margiela, and Ann Demeulemeester alongside smaller labels like Niccolò Pasqualetti, Rier and Namacheko, as well as leather goods brand Isaac Reina and Salomon’s lifestyle footwear.
Price range: From 35 euros for the shop’s logo T-shirt to 6,500 euros for a Prada leather jacket.
Dover Street Market
18-22 Haymarket, London SW1Y 4DG
The concept: In Rei Kawakubo’s words, Dover Street Market’s aim is “to create a kind of market where various creators from various fields gather together and encounter each other in an ongoing atmosphere of beautiful chaos…the mixing up and coming together of different kindred souls who all share a strong personal vision.”
What to expect: Turning 20 years old next year, DSM remains a pioneer in the genre, offering a cool mix of fashion, culture and lifestyle, along with Rose Bakery on the top floor and a selection of indie zines and rare books by Idea books in the basement.
Noteworthy brands: Everything under the Comme des Garçons umbrella, including Junya Watanabe and Noir Kei Ninomiya, dresses fit for fairy princesses from Elena Dawson, plus Miu Miu, a sizable selection from The Row and a Supreme shop-in-shop.
What to Instagram: Outfit experiments in the changing rooms, and seasonal fashion installations by famed set designer Gary Card.
Price range: 5 pounds for a cappuccino from Rose Bakery to nearly 37,000 pounds for a vintage 1926 Cartier Tank Chinoise watch sourced by specialist Harry Fane.
Blue Mountain School
9 Chance Street, London E2 7JB
The concept: A six-floor spread of one-of-a-kind commissioned work including clothing, furniture, and ceramics, as well as an array of exhibitions, residencies, and projects.
Claim to fame: A space for makers across all disciplines — fashion, art, and interior design — that beyond shopping offers seasonal seafood-focused fare at in-house restaurant Cycene, and various installations within the space.
Noteworthy brands: Anecho for romantic reimaginings of everyday clothing, Bobby Mills for amorphous oak stools, and Alexis Gautier for jacquard textiles woven from silk, cotton and wool.
What to Instagram: The space’s current exhibition, Kazunori Hamana’s “Tsubos.”
Price range: 10.83 pounds for the record “Yantlet / Grains” by Junior Loves from BMS Records to 75,000 pounds for Carl R. Williams’ painting “Capsules of Doom.”
Storm
Store Regnegade 1, 1110 Copenhagen
The concept: Encompassing everything from fashion, beauty to stationery, the store was founded in 1994 by Rasmus Storm, who previously worked in management for a wooden pallet company.
Claim to fame: For Storm’s 20th anniversary in 2014, the store teamed with Raf Simons for a special collection of T-shirts featuring black and white imagery with texts.
Noteworthy brands: Gold coin rings from Maria Black, colorful knits from Nith Studio to the children’s book series “Little People, Big Dreams” about Vivienne Westwood, Michelle Obama, John Lennon, Freddie Mercury and others.
What to Instagram: Storm is in the shape of a curved corner of where it sits, so approach a shot from any angle.
Price range: A limited edition tent from Maharishi and Heimplanet for 923 euros, while a vest from the collaboration between Pleasures and Eastpak goes for 166 euros.
Ettresex
Åsögatan 136, 116 24 Stockholm
The concept: A twin concept store on Åsögatan 136, one stocks apparel, prints and decorative objects, while the other next door is a space for curation, inspiration and research that can be visited and rented out for events and classes.
Claim to fame: The combination of indie labels with used and vintage clothing.
Noteworthy brands: From Comme des Garçons, Issey Miyake, Marithé & François Girbaud, and Prada to independent brands such as Iggy NYC, Fifth Store and Book Works.
What to Instagram: The Brutalist interiors and stonewash walls and floors are made for architecture enthusiasts.
Price range: $9 for a Connie Costas air freshener up to $950.
Andreas Murkudis
Potsdamer Str. 81, 10785 Berlin
The concept: More than 200 brands across fashion, furniture, design, stationery, literature, art, chocolates and stuffed animals in a vast, whitewashed space.
Brand check: Nothing from the big fashion conglomerates. New for fall is Japanese indigo specialist Aton, Guy Berryman’s clothing label Applied Art forms and Aldo Maria Camillo’s namesake brand. And that’s just the As.
What to Instagram: The iceberg-like podium that juts out in the middle of the store displaying shoes and an array of design objects.
Linger for: Furniture, a growing category found in the side wing of the main store. Phantom Hands, Lehni and Tecta are among the design houses showcased.
Price range: Milk chocolate bar by Erich Harmann for 3 euros up to 79,000 euros for a limited edition walnut and brass table by Frankfurt-based furniture brand e15.
LuisaViaRoma
19-21/r, Via Roma, Florence 50123
The concept: Founded in 1930, the store changes almost every six months depending on the period, events, and the chosen collaborations with an artist.
Claim to fame: The store is the window to the city of Florence where everything started. Luisaviaroma.com is the store’s window to the world.
Noteworthy brands: Eco-friendly denim from Triarchy, Auralee, Gigi Hadid’s cashmere brand Guest in Residence and TheMoirè for accessories.
What to Instagram: The interactive windows as they change constantly featuring different brands and themes.
Price range: 90 euros for Toteme’s tank top to 9,500 euros for Brunello Cucinelli’s shearling jacket.
10 Corso Como
10, Corso Como, Milan 20154
The concept: Hailed as the first “concept store” in Italy, it was founded in 1991 and has become recognized as a key spot for blending culture with trends, promoting a close link between fashion and design.
Claim to fame: It pioneered the “boutique as a lifestyle” trend, nestled in a luscious garden. Art exhibitions, a bookstore, a restaurant and site-specific installations contribute to the “slow” shopping attitude at the heart of the store.
Noteworthy brands: From Azzedine Alaïa, Comme des Garçons, Sacai, Yohji Yamamoto, Vivienne Westwood, Martin Margiela and Loewe, to Balenciaga and Rick Owens.
What to Instagram: The recent collaboration with Giorgio Armani that focused on denim and cognac leather details set into a real artwork by the Italian artist Flavio Favelli.
Price range: 70 euros for the logo printed canvas mini shopping bag to 11,458 euros for a Comme des Garçons coat.
New entries: Poetry by Renata Brenha, and the Cubist volumes by Chen Peng.
The Pink Closet
28, Via San Giovanni del Toro, Ravello, 84010
The concept: Mariella Avino, managing director of Palazzo Avino that houses the store, says The Pink Closet represents a journey told through a layering of memories, souvenirs, pieces of clothing and objects with eclecticism the key.
Claim to fame: The boutique is inspired by the concept of a “traveler’s closet” and carries everything from ready-to-wear to homeware and lifestyle objects.
Noteworthy brands: Playful clothing from Cormio, timeless shoes from Piferi, bags combined with jewels from Rosantica.
What to Instagram: The boutique itself is a photo booth. Every corner is jazzed up with mirrors, shells and pastel colors.
Price range: The Pink Closet Lipstick in three shades at 35 euros, to the Benedetta Bruzziches bag at 1,200 euros.
Calienna
Neubaugasse 68, 1070 Vienna
The concept: A mix of houseplants, artworks, books, candles, ceramics, beauty products, a café and furniture.
Brand check: Made by Choice and Mattiazzi in furniture, Rowse for skin care, and Orris Paris for soap.
What to Instagram: Anything green. The store’s objective is to combat “plant blindness,” and to help people “grow every day.”
Price range: A small cactus can be had for 4 euros, while prices for rare plants can climb up to 1,700 euros.
Coming soon: A second level is being added this fall for an apartment, gallery and pop-up space.
Mouki Mou
Diogenous 15, Plaka Athens
The concept: A lifestyle store selling fashion, jewelry, and home accessories. Located in the historic Plaka district, the shop has a planted roof terrace spanning more than 1,700 square feet and a view of the Acropolis.
Claim to fame: According to its founder-owner Maria Lemos, it’s the first and only fashion concept store in Athens. Its sister store, Mouki Mou London, is located on Chiltern Street.
Noteworthy brands: Lemaire, Alexander Kirkeby glass, Sofie D’Hoore, Ten Thousand Things jewelry.
What to Instagram: The view from the roof terrace, and the terrace itself.
Price range: 20 pounds for the Alyko soap bar from The Naxos Apothecary, to 33,100 pounds for a Judy Geib Colombian emerald bracelet.
Ieri
Wine Factory No. 1, 1 Vasil Petriashvili Street, Tbilisi 0179, Georgia
The concept: The word “ieri” in Georgian means at once look, appear, image, outfit and attitude and it’s this side of Georgia that founders Anka Tsitsishvili, who serves as creative director and buyer, and Sofia Guguberidze, who specializes in luxury business management, wanted to encapsulate in this “inspiration spot” — a gallery, coffee spot, wine bar as well as an event and exhibition place all in one.
Go there to: Get a taste of the thriving Georgian creative scene. The store offers over 35 designers either from Georgia or who have found their inspiration in the country.
Brand check: Fashion labels David Koma and Situationist; eco-friendly lingerie label Sheidish; jeweler Sofio Gongli with stunning enamel designs; beauty brands Kash Kash and Senself; perfumes by Kaveuli. There’s also a selection of antique carpets, home décor and books.
What to Instagram: The architecture. Ieri’s home is in the eaves of Wine Factory No.1, a historical winery built in 1896 on Vasil Petriashvili street, in Tbilisi’s Vera district.
Price range: 17 Georgian lari (or 6 euros) for the Hidden Tbilisi — Old Town guidebook, written by Bakur Sulakauri, up to over 4,000 lari (or 1,420 euros) for a white David Koma gown with a crystalized keyhole neckline.
Middle East and Africa
Maison 69
Garden 8, Salah El Din Abdel Karim Street, New Cairo
The concept: Built entirely by 432 craftsmen using traditional construction techniques, this 43,000-square-foot space has fashion (both womenswear and menswear), an art gallery, design shop, flower shop, book store (spread across the dramatic central staircase), bakery café and coworking space.
Claim to fame: Maison 69 has 14 art installations by famed Egyptian artists including Karim Haywan, Amina Kudos, Jamila Hamza and Reform Girls.
What you will find: Their “shop the globe” strategy curates local and international brands from A.P.C., Ronny Kobo, Maison Kitsune and C/meo, to Dina Shaker from Egypt, Lebanese Joanna Andraos and Aspect Dore from Saudi Arabia.
What to come here for: Founder Amir Fayo says their visitors come to not just buy, but to experience an unforgettable feeling that creates a memory which “Instagram just can’t capture.”
Price range: $50 for an Egyptian photo print to $1,000 for Hollywood favorite Egyptian designer Tamanza’s dresses.
Alára
12A Akin Olugbade Street, Lagos
The concept: Billed as West Africa’s first fashion, luxury and lifestyle concept store, Alára is the brainchild of Reni Folawiyo offering a range of creations from Nigerian fashion labels to furniture brands from South Africa and objets d’art from Morocco.
Claim to fame: The Alára “family” includes the likes of Naomi Campbell, fashion designer Kenneth Ize and Tokini Peterside, who founded Art x Lagos, among others.
Linger for: Art exhibitions and book launches as well as a table at the restaurant Nok by Alára, where executive chef Pierre Thiam cocreated a contemporary Pan-African cuisine and drinks menu with Folawiyo.
Noteworthy brands: Kenneth Ize, Imane Ayissi, Duro Olowu, and Bloke, a genderless luxury line by London- and Nigeria-based designer Faith Oluwajimi, alongside a smattering of international brands across fashion, accessories and design like Saint Laurent, handbag label Boyy, or Tom Dixon.
What to Instagram: The striking building that was designed by controversial Ghanaian architect David Adjaye.
Don’t miss: The Alára curation at the Brooklyn Museum, on the occasion of the Africa Fashion exhibition, until Oct. 22.
Asia-Pacific
Boontheshop
21 Apgujeong-ro 60-gil, Gangnam-gu, 06016 Seoul
Boontheshop in Seoul.
The concept: The sleek, museum-like marble space by Peter Marino spans over 55,000 square feet and offers everything from street fashion to high jewelry and art exhibitions to personal shopping services. It also houses the Michelin two-star restaurant Kojima, which is known for its sushi dishes by chef Park Kyung-jae.
Claim to fame: South Korea’s first luxury multishop that opened in 2004, Boontheshop has marked more firsts for the country, such as landing a space at Harrods in London and hosting a not-for-auction show for Christie’s.
Noteworthy brands: Marine Serre for sneakers, Area for button-down shirts, Suel for bracelets, Gragg for phone cases, Heeley for fragrances.
What to Instagram: The plate displays, or the splatter-paint wall mural by the menswear department,and the Brutalist staircase.
Price range: $5.99 for a birthday card by Raffle Paper & Co. to $60,000 for a diamond necklace by Buccellati.
Beaker Cheongdam
408 Apgujeong-ro, Gangnam-gu 06014 Seoul
Beaker in Seoul.
The concept: The open floor plan features plenty of lounging areas including a café, perfect for relaxing after browsing the expansive display of fashion, collections of books and furniture, as well as thematic exhibitions and pop-ups.
Claim to fame: Beaker is credited with introducing fast-emerging brands to the Korean market, in particular Japanese indie fashion labels, as well as offering a selection of whimsical lifestyle products.
Noteworthy brands: Pura Utz for beaded accessories, Beaker for knits, Soonjeans for denim jackets, Warren & Laetitia for 3D-printed vases, Normann Copenhagen for stools.
What to Instagram: The water tank-turned-fitting room or the row of chairs mounted on a mustard-yellow wall that functions as a clothing rack.
Price range: $4.11 for a thank you card by Le Typographe to $2,982 for a sheepskin coat by Anne Vest Furhouse.
Addicted
24 Seolleung-ro 155-gil, Gangnam-gu, 06018 Seoul
Addicted in Seoul.
The concept: A landmark in the Apgujeong shopping district, Addicted serves as a retail space and showroom for experimental fashion, home interior props, and stationery.
Claim to fame: Reflecting its roots as a trading and importing company, Addicted has introduced lesser known avant-garde labels and collectibles from around the world.
Noteworthy brands: Walter Van Beirendonck for graphic sweatshirts and dog bowls, Kiko Kostadinov for knits, Henrik Vibskov for ankle boots, Rassvet for skateboard decks.
What to Instagram: Window displays featuring seasonal installations such as the latest piece by Yusuke Seki for Kiko Kostadinov x Asics Novalis by the entrance (no photography allowed indoors).
Price range: $5.24 for stickers by 4WD to $3,200 for a bejeweled lambskin leather coat by Simone Rocha.
Design Orchard
250 Orchard Road, Singapore 238905
The concept: Spanning some 25,295 square feet on three levels, the five-year-old Design Orchard was imagined as a showcase for Singapore’s homegrown creative talent — offering anything from spirits and decor items to kids’ swimwear and beauty — with a café on the top floor.
Go there for: It’s the largest one-stop shop destination for Singaporean talent based locally or abroad, with over 100 labels, with window displays designed by students of Nanyang Polytechnic University as part of their curriculum. The twice-annual open call brings a raft of new brands every six months, refreshing around 20 percent of the roster. This July saw the addition of skin care brand Jomo Studio and activewear label Band of Sisters, among others.
Noteworthy brands: Ginlee Studio by Israel-based Singaporean designer Gin Lee, Reckless Erika by designer Afton Chen, veteran womenswear designer Thomas Wee, August Society’s swimwear , Peranakan label Foundation Jewellers, who designed the Bird of Paradise brooch presented to the late Queen Elizabeth by Singapore’s then-president Tony Tan Keng Yam for her 2012 Golden Jubilee.
What to Instagram: The grey concrete wall dotted with portholes and fondly known as the “Cheese Wall” and the graduating terraces that lead up to the café on the third level.
Price range: 6.5 Singaporean dollars (around $5) for a hand and body wash from Jomo Studio up to 18,000 Singaporean dollars ($13,320) for a filigree gold and diamond brooch by Foundation Jewellers. There’s also Chopvalue, an upcycling brand that has turned some of the 500,000 chopsticks discarded daily in the city into cheese boards, coasters and even a writing desk.
Siwilai
Central Embassy, 1031 Phloen Chit Rd, Lumphini, Pathum Wan, Bangkok
The concept: When founder Barom Bhicharnchitr imagined Siwilai in 2014, the goal was to “bring Thailand to the modern world” with a fresh retail outlook embodied in the name — a “Thai adaptation of the word civilization, or better yet, progress,” he explains.
Go there for: The selection of local and international labels with a splash of art. A memorable exhibit was the Sorayama Spacepark by AMKK, the first set of collaborative art pieces by Japanese artists Hajime Sorayama and Azuma Makoto featuring a life-sized scale giant aluminum Tyrannosaurus sculpture on a lunar landscape.
Noteworthy brands: A-Cold-Wall, Rhude, Stüssy, Paris-based label Carne Bollente, Ami, Nanushka, Christian Wijnants as well as the Thaimade label, which features items created with Thai craftspeople, as well as buzzy local brands. The store has recently stepped up its focus on menswear and unisex labels and new for fall are Casablanca, A.P.C., Wacko Maria, Carhartt.
Price range: A box of Phaya Naga matchsticks, customized for Siwilai, for 80 baht (or $2.30) while outerwear pieces and couture-level designs in delicate fabrics can go up to 100,000 baht, equivalent to $2,850. On average, prices hover around 10,000 baht ($285) for clothing and accessories.
Linger with: A coffee, sourced in a plantation-to-cup approach, from its in-house specialty Siwilai Café, which has now spanned a clutch of outposts in the city. Proceed with its “Social Clubs,” with the Siwilai City Club located on the rooftop of the Central Embassy complex, or go explore the city by heading to the Siwilai Sound Club, a listening bar in Bangkok’s old town.
Coming soon: A nightclub is slated to open in the next three months, and a colonial house is on the cards for next year.
Belowground
Basement, 5 Queen’s Road Central, Hong Kong
The concept: Tucked in the basement level of luxury mall Landmark, the space is about creating “unexpected experiences in unassuming corners,” says Belowground head Ryan Kwok. It is at once a pop-up store, temporary gallery space and cool-kid hangout that occasionally takes over the ground floor atrium of the retail hotspot.
Claim to fame : The ever-changing roster of pop-up stores and exhibitions, and the collectibles.
Brand check: Suicoke, for its first foothold in Hong Kong; Sacai; Berluti’s ode to patina; Valentino’s Pink PP collection, and a slew of collaborations including Kaws x the North Face, Jimmy Choo x Eric Haze, Loewe x sports specialist On and Vans x Kila Cheung “Siu Ming” to name but a few.
What to Instagram: There’s always something new to snap, like the “swimming pool” installed during Art Basel to celebrate a collaboration between streetwear label Victoria, outdoor goods maker Yeti and Vans. But don’t miss the fully equipped studio, home to the Belowground FM radio station broadcast in Hong Kong and available for replay online.
Price range: 120 Hong Kong dollars (or $15) for a set of Yoshitomo Nara stickers from Quiet Gallery or the Various Key Tag x J.30000 for 250 Hong Kong dollars ($32) from vintage and collectible store Asterisk; up to 19,000 Hong Kong dollars ($2,425) for a Moncler x BBC down jacket, over 400,000 Hong Kong dollars for original art work from Kasing Lung or even a million-dollar timepiece with Horoloupe, the moniker of collector and entrepreneur Austen Chu who is also behind watch marketplace Wristcheck.
Postpost
Xingfu Sancun Village, Lane No.5 – next to a grocery store, Beijing
Postpost in Beijing.
The concept: Located in a former worker’s canteen near the popular Sanlitun shopping district, the chapel-like store offers fashion, jewelry, indie publications, vinyl records, coffee and Slovenian wine that caters to the local cool kids cohort.
What’s on offer: A good selection of alternative finds from forgotten corners of the world; Post post’s independent publishing arm.
Noteworthy brands: Handwoven wool cap from Pronounce, zany jackets from Henrik Vibskov, inflated purse from Feyfey Worldwide, 3D-printed earring from Baggira.
What to Instagram: Posing in front of an origami mushroom installation, or the archival Fruits magazine wall, while covering your face with Clément Lambelet’s automated facial expression picture zine.
Price range: $35 for a Postpost cartoon scented candle to $480 for an Ed Curtis wool sweater.
LMDS
No.1 Taojiang Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai
LMDS in Shanghai.
The concept: Short for Le Monde de SHC, LMDS is a dive into the universe of founder Eric Young, an industry veteran and former fashion editor, offering fashion and accessories, lifestyle items, an extensive selection of books and magazines — and the chic Parisian-style café tucked on the ground floor.
Claim to fame: Shop like a Chinese celebrity, as LMDS’s clientele includes Fan Bingbing, Jackson Wang and Ouyang Nana.
Noteworthy brands: Handmade ceramics mug brand Zilan, more than 100 magazine titles from around the world, woven bags from Le Temps des Rêves, women’s fashion from Samuel Gui Yang, Dries Van Noten, Huishan Zhang and Mame Kurogouchi.
What to Instagram: Every spot of this 1930s building located in the former French Concession is highly photogenic, but a favorite is the balcony garden on the second floor.
Price range: 548 renminbi, or $75, for a Zilan mug, to 3,400 renminbi, or $466, for a Harago embroidered shirt.
Blue Mountain School
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