High above the Selfridges shop floor lies a world of luxury. In the upper levels of the historic London flagship, ‘VVSPs’ (‘Very Very Selfridges Persons’) and other top tiers of the retailer’s membership programme – from royalty and footballers to musicians and actors – conduct their personal shopping. As of today (9 April 2026), that offering has become significantly more exclusive.

Today marks the opening of 40 Duke, Selfridges’ most significant investment in a decade. Spanning 25,000 square feet, the space reimagines personal shopping as something more hybrid – less suite, more members’ club. Shopping is woven together with hospitality, cultural programming and social interaction: alongside 24 private shopping spaces, 40 Duke comprises a food and drink destination, an event area, a gallery, beauty studios, a concierge and much more.

‘We‘re trying to connect people to the culture behind the product,’ says Will Wyness, director of creative at Selfridges. ‘We love the idea that this is a space that customers can be shuttled up to, where they can be connected to the zeitgeist through the events and experiences we offer, the food, the chair they sit on, the curator we introduce them to.’

Wallpaper* takes a first look inside 40 Duke

40 Duke is accessed via a discreet entrance on Duke Street, with a further entrance connecting directly to private parking coming soon. Interior design was led by Simone McEwan and Sacha Leong of Nice Projects, in collaboration with Selfridges’ in-house teams, resulting in an environment that feels at once familiar and hyper-elevated. ‘We never want that Pretty Woman moment where everything feels too precious and you have to tiptoe around,’ says Wyness. ‘There‘s a casual approach to luxury that we‘re trying to execute.’

Nice Projects’ spaces espouse a curated eclecticism. Materials – cork, stainless steel, marble, travertine and burl – define each environment, while bespoke elements lend a sense of singularity: rugs by Christopher Farr, leathers and textiles by Pierre Frey, and a kinetic light installation by Belgian practice Studio Élémentaires – orb-shaped forms moving in circles as though magnetised to a chrome ceiling. This attention to atmosphere goes even further: Selfridges worked with a music curator to programme sound across the spaces as well as commissioning a bespoke scent for 40 Duke.

Furniture has been sourced from distinguished names including Tecta, Finn Juhl, De Sede, Tacchini and Arflex, with communal-space selections made in collaboration with The Future Perfect. Crucially, customers can acquire pieces from the gallery’s selection, reflecting 40 Duke’s holistic philosophy: ‘As much as possible, we‘ve tried to create a space where almost everything is for sale,’ says Wyness. ‘A customer can sit on a chair and ask: can I buy this in another colour?’ Art, curated by Matt Williams of Camden Art Centre and formerly the ICA, operates similarly: ‘You can‘t buy the piece directly, but we can introduce customers through our curating service.’

The studios and suites

Each of the 24 studios and suites – where advisors outfit clients with made-to-measure fashion and early access to collections – occupies a unique palette, from powder blues to shocking corals, with no two exactly alike. Details abound: seamlessly foldaway surfaces, statement design objects in every space, and door numbers rendered in twisted candy canes of transparent glass – somewhat illegible but entirely worth it.

‘One of the big questions we had was: how do you design a space for both royalty and a singer?’ asks Wyness, gesturing at the breadth of the Selfridges clientele. The answer was two corridors of suites – one classic, one playful – allowing the space to accommodate any sensibility without compromise.

Food, drink and the art of lingering

The Club Lounge, operated in partnership with Cellar Society, marking the luxury catering company’s first permanent restaurant, accommodates 64 covers anchored by a 16-seat bar. The offering extends across the main lounge, a private dining room and The Terrace – a tranquil retreat above the churn of Mayfair, outfitted by Cassina with archive pieces by Gio Ponti and Charlotte Perriand.

The multi-hyphenate nature of 40 Duke encourages lingering, deliberately blurring the boundaries between shopping, dining and leisure. Some VVSPs (who have unfettered access to 40 Duke; members from other tiers can access the space by appointment), says Wyness, will effectively ‘move in for a week’ – arriving with a coterie of 25 people, which explains the PlayStations in some of the suites.

A new standard

There is a story often told in Selfridges' personal shopping department: a certain Old Hollywood movie star (who they have asked not to be named) once came in for an appointment and asked for Twiglets with her champagne, initiating a frantic search across Mayfair.

It is this level of attentiveness that 40 Duke has been built to honour – and what makes it, ultimately, a statement of intent. At a moment when luxury retail is having to justify its physical existence, Selfridges is doubling down on the irreplaceable: human connection, genuine curation and the kind of unhurried, attentive experience that no algorithm can approximate.

Kameari, in Tokyo’s east, is not one of the city’s most well-known districts, but the Skwat Kameari Art Centre (SKAC), led by architect Keisuke Nakamura, is hoping to rewrite this narrative. At its heart is Vinyl Delivery Service (VDS), a record store founded by Rintaro Sekizuka, whose interest in music, sustainability and community is reshaping vinyl culture as a vehicle for local renewal and ecological consciousness.

Track star: Skwat Kameari Art Centre

When Sekizuka opened VDS in its former central location at Shinjuku Gyoen in 2018, he envisioned a space that went beyond the traditional record store model. ‘I wanted to make something different. I wanted a store that was more free, with more crossing of cultures,’ he says. This ethos was further fuelled by a trip to London in 2019, where he found inspiration in the city’s rich, genre-fluid musical landscape, leading him to open a VDS outpost at Idle Moments. This Bethnal Green listening bar and record shop took inspiration from Japanese jazz kissa (cafés dedicated to jazz music played on high-end audio systems), quickly becoming a vital hub for audiophiles and DJs alike. ‘I got very good feedback from everyone,’ says Sekizuka. ‘They had never seen the records I’d brought and hadn’t connected with Japanese music much because they couldn’t easily get hold of it.’

Last November, Sekizuka took another step closer to realising his ambitions when he moved into SKAC. While central and west Tokyo are dotted with legacy record stores catering to collectors and purists, SKAC’s east location provided the opportunity for something more collaborative, less transactional. ‘Most record shops in central Tokyo are small and packed, with no space to breathe,’ he says. ‘I wanted a place that wasn’t just for record nerds but for everyone.’

SKAC is an airy, 3,000 sq m industrial warehouse that has been reimagined as a multidisciplinary space where art, design, music and community intersect. The lack of tangible culture in east Tokyo consciously affected the decision to locate here in order to give the locals something to be proud of and plant the seeds of reinvigoration. ‘The SKAC team aren’t just architects, they design communities,’ says Sekizuka. ‘The idea isn’t just to build something, it’s to change the way people interact with the city.’

The space’s high ceilings, industrial finishes and flexible layouts allow for constant reinvention, while a rotation of artists, designers, students and thinkers cycle through its doors, with different installations and activations every month. Twelvebooks, an art book distributor, sits adjacent to VDS, while other areas host pop-ups, exhibitions and experimental fashion projects. The materiality is equally fluid: the adjoining café’s interiors are repurposed from past installations, a concept spearheaded by SKAC’s Material Matters project.

For Sekizuka, vinyl is an ecological statement. ‘The records we have here are mostly secondhand. They were made maybe 40, 50 or 60 years ago. In the context of the environment, this is quite an unnatural thing to do, but human beings create a lot of things we don’t need to make.’ His vision is a closed-loop system, whereby old records are repurposed into new ones. ‘Right now, vinyl waste is barely recyclable. It ends up in landfill or gets downcycled into things like cheap chairs. We need to innovate, either by developing recyclable records or inventing a record we can clean up and press again.’

This ethos extends to urban farming initiatives. ‘We plant seeds in repurposed record shelves, but we’re imagining ways to make that bigger. It’s a utopian idea, but we could have fruit trees on the street and families harvesting food for dinner.’ His plans are still a work in progress, but he sells organic edible plant seeds alongside records as a first step towards his vision.

Every element of the store is linked back to his concept of music as a catalyst for a better future. A key facet of the VDS experience is its functional, built-to-last furniture, which customers are welcome to buy for their own homes. ‘Most record shelves are cheap, mass produced and break easily,’ Sekizuka says. ‘We wanted to create something that could last a hundred years and survive earthquakes.’ Designed by Luka Yasukawa, a Tokyo-based furniture maker, the shelves are crafted exclusively from Japanese hinoki wood, sourced from a small factory in Tokushima. The design process was deeply immersive. ‘We climbed Mount Tsurugi with the artisans and stayed in a mountain hut alongside the trees,’ he says.

Sekizuka’s dedication to local, self-sufficient production extends to clothing. ‘We wanted to create workwear that was functional for both digging for records and farming,’ says Sekizuka. Inspired by Japanese countryside labourers and London’s upcycling community, the project sources deadstock fabric from a textile factory in Shizuoka, giving new life to materials that would otherwise go to waste. ‘Everything is made in Japan, there’s no unnecessary shipping, no mass production. It’s slow fashion, designed to last.’

His ambitions stretch far beyond retail. ‘We’re in ongoing talks to start a vinyl plant. But it has to align with our ethics, either fully recycled or using an alternative material.’

This pocket of east Tokyo may be an unlikely location for a budding utopia, but the SKAC team are planting the seeds that could redefine this community and create larger ripples beyond. With VDS, Sekizuka wants to rethink the way culture, commerce and sustainability intersect. ‘Music is always at the centre,’ says Sekizuka. ‘It’s not just about records, it’s about the way we live.’

Skwat Kameari Art Centre is Located at 3 Chome-26-4 Nishikameari, Katsushika City, Tokyo 125-0002, Japan; @skwat.site

A version of this article appears in the June 2025 Travel Issue of Wallpaper*, available in print, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today.

In partnership with Portman Marylebone

The handsome red-brick buildings of London’s Chiltern Street and neighbouring Dorset Street will play host to a special, one-night-only shopping event on Thursday 22 May 2025. From 5 to 8pm, the street will invite visitors to explore its unique array of boutiques, specialist shops and cafés, while enjoying a programme of in-store drinks, exclusive offers and creative workshops.

The Marylebone street’s close-knit community of shopkeepers, craftspeople and independent brands is a chic and civilised antidote to the hustle and bustle of Oxford Street. Calming and charming, it’s home to some of Portman Marylebone’s diverse and unique mix of stores; expect to find cutting-edge menswear boutiques neighbouring a traditional hardware emporium and a woodwind specialist, a noted British perfumer opposite a Japanese gardening tool specialist, while beautifully curated stores offer everything from homewares to jewellery and more.

Here’s what to look out for on the evening of Thursday 22 May, 5-8pm.

Brands offering a special programme

Anna + Nina

Step into the newly opened Anna + Nina store and explore its exclusive Never Ending Collection – a range of made-to-measure bracelets, necklaces, and anklets that are seamlessly welded together, creating timeless, permanent treasures. Whether you’re ready for your next forever piece or want to browse the full collection, enjoy complimentary in-store drinks while you shop.
54 Chiltern St, W1U 7QX, anna-nina.nl

Avobar Chiltern

Chiltern Street’s favourite caffeine and superfoods station hosts a ‘Pour Over’ masterclass in partnership with Assembly Coffee.
From 5-6pm, 60 Chiltern Street, W1U 7RB, avobar.co.uk

Cox & Power

Step inside Cox & Power and discover how your ideas or unloved jewellery can be reimagined into a precious new piece to treasure. Bring along your thoughts, ideas and any jewellery you may not love as much as you’d like, and talk about transforming them into something new that reflects your personality and style. No appointment needed.
4-8pm, no appointment needed, 10-12 Chiltern Street, W1U 7PX, coxandpower.com

Dashing Tweeds

At Dashing Tweeds, you’ll be welcomed by founder and owner Guy Hills, who will be there to talk through menswear styling and tweed-weaving. You can also see the brand’s first ready-to-wear collection in ten years, which has recently launched, featuring a range of casual and colourful jackets and shorts.
47 Dorset Street, W1U 7ND, dashingtweeds.co.uk

Labour & Wait

Known for its timeless, functional designs, Labour & Wait will be inviting evening visitors to explore its thoughtfully curated collection, including hardware and clothing defined by simple, honest craftsmanship.
48 Dorset Street, W1U 7NE, labourandwait.co.uk

New & Lingwood

There will be in-store drinks as you shop New & Lingwood’s latest collection, a celebration of the English summer in the form of soft suede outerwear, linen suits crafted in unique colourways, and versatile linen shirting.
14 Chiltern Street, W1U 7PY, newandlingwood.com

Niwaki

Niwaki will be hosting a live, ‘Art of Japanese Flower Arranging’ demonstration throughout the evening. Qualified Ohara Ikebana teacher Ruriko Kojima will demonstrate the key principles taught at the Ohara School of Ikebana in Japan, using Niwaki’s kenzan (display holders) to create traditional designs with an emphasis on seasonal plants, organic growth processes and the beauty of nature.
38 Chiltern Street, W1U 7QL, niwaki.com

Oliver Spencer

At Oliver Spencer, the summer collection, ‘Textural Connections’, nods to architectural works by the likes of Tadao Ando, Kazuyo Sejima and John Pawson. Customers are invited to enjoy a drink while they browse.
39 Chiltern Street, W1U 7PP, oliverspencer.co.uk

Sabah

Explore handmade leather shoe specialist Sabah’s spring collection, ‘The Mérida Collection’, inspired by the colourful capital of Yucatán, and enjoy a welcome drink while you shop.
50 Chiltern Street, W1U 7QT, uk.sabah.am

Sabre Paris

Customers will be able to enjoy canapés and drinks while they shop the brand’s new spring collection of tableware in pastels and florals. You can also speak to the team about customising your own set.
52 Chiltern Street, W1U 7QU, sabre-paris.co.uk

Sunspel

For one night only, Sunspel on Chiltern Street will host an exclusive in-store event in partnership with Isle of Harris. Guests can enjoy a complimentary Isle of Harris Gin & Tonic while browsing the collection. As an added touch, shoppers will receive a 50ml bottle of either the Neroli Sun or Sea Moss fragrance with any purchase.
13-15 Chiltern Street, W1U 7PG, sunspel.com

Trunk Clothiers

Trunk will be offering a gift with purchase – from its classic tote bags to small leather goods, depending on the value of purchase. Enjoy a glass of bubbles while you browse.
8 Chiltern Street, W1U 7PU, trunkclothiers.com

Also staying open late

Cadenhead’s Whisky Shop

Cadenhead’s, Scotland’s oldest independent bottler, is the expert in all things whisky. Popular tasting events are held throughout the year, such as for unique cask or small-batch whisky.
26 Chiltern Street, W1U 7QF, cadenhead.shop

Casely-Hayford

The flagship store of luxury fashion house Casely Hayford is home to ready-to-wear collections and an atelier, offering made-to-measure clothing for men and women. A line of handmade accessories is also available.
3 Chiltern Street, W1U 7PB, casely-hayford.com

Kimai

Jewellery brand Kimai uses recycled gold and lab-grown diamonds in fine jewellery that is made to last, including engagement rings and wedding rings with a contemporary twist.
24 Chiltern St, W1U 7QE, kimai.com

Tracksmith

Independent-running brand Tracksmith opened its first store outside the US on Chiltern Street. Offering considered and authentic products for training, racing and rest days, the brand aims to celebrate, support and add to running culture.
25 Chiltern Street, W1U 7PW, tracksmith.com

TWC

From the Swiss Riri zips to the 13oz denim, sourced in Okayama, Japan, the team at TWC menswear is fastidious about every stitch and detail. Form and function in equilibrium – an aesthetic as time-proof as the threads themselves.
58 Chiltern Street, W1U 7QZ, theworkersclub.co.uk

Discover more about the Chiltern Street Spring Shopping Evening

‘I never think people die. They just go to department stores,’ Andy Warhol once quipped.

If heaven is a department store, then Printemps' recently opened New York outpost is one whose pearly gates we’d happily crash.

Only this department store’s gates aren’t composed of pearls; instead, visitors to the new Financial District satellite of the storied Parisian retail mecca are greeted from its Wall Street entrance by towering bronze art deco doors which open into the city’s most enchanting new retail space in recent memory.

Barneys 2.0, this is not. Instead, its leadership describes Printemps not as a department store, but as an ever-evolving luxury concept where ‘we seamlessly integrate retail, hospitality, dining, and innovative programming with a curated approach to fashion and lifestyle’, said Jean-Marc Bellaiche, CEO of Printemps Group, in a press release.

‘Our objective is to inspire and bring people together,’ he added, ‘fostering a sense of belonging while enriching the consumer journey, setting a bold new standard for retail in the 21st century.’

To make its mark in a city with no shortage of luxury brick-and-mortar, the store’s creative team tapped French design supernova Laura Gonzalez to work her magic on virtually every inch of its 55,000 sq ft storefront.

‘We were very inspired by the heritage of Printemps [Paris] – the mosaics, the stained glass, the patterns, the original art,’ Gonzalez noted in a statement. ‘But this is in New York. It’s a new story.’

Part of that story was to unify two different segments of One Wall Street – a mixed-use skyscraper developed by Harry Macklowe, made up of a historic, art deco portion and a 1960s-era addition. Gonzalez’s solution was to celebrate what’s there while adding rich layers of colour, atmosphere, and narrative.

The resulting two-storey department store – which opens officially Friday 21 March – feels like a jewellery box, with each of its ten primary areas revealing itself like a secret drawer. Take the ground-floor ‘playroom’, where shoppers can get an espresso beneath a green-striped circus tent at Café Jalu; try on limited-edition Nikes in a grotto-like sneaker nook; or snag a gift for a friend, housed in bookshelf-like displays.

Upstairs, via a set of escalators, the mood is decidedly more sophisticated, with timber displays, plush carpets, and green inlaid marble floors. Lush, hand-painted frescoes that bring to mind the layered jungle scenes of Henri Rousseau trace the ceilings along with millegrain-style mouldings. On this floor, you can discover clothing, housed beneath cloche-like plaster ‘bird cages’ (25 per cent of the store’s labels are available to shop exclusively at Printemps); shop menswear in a pink moiré-swaddled corner; try on clothes in boudoir-like changing rooms; or get a handbag repaired at an in-store leathergoods repair kiosk. You can even buy some of the store’s furniture – upcycled by Gonzalez herself – straight from the showroom floor.

The trick to uniting the historic portion of the building with the new? A sinuous plaster-clad beauty corridor where you can discover cult and storied French beauty brands alike. An adjoining spa offers manicures and Guerlain products alongside a champagne bar and – further beyond – a couture boudoir, which is currently displaying Jean Paul Gaultier confections.

The idea is that a customer, between a couture fitting or a manicure, can freely wander the store’s nooks and crannies, champagne in hand, just as they would in a friend’s apartment. Even the bathrooms – with their lustrous hand-painted tiles, flattering lighting, and vibrant stone floors – feel as considered as the champagne bar. In the coming months, all of these creature comforts will be joined by a Printemps wine store and Maison Passerelle, a new restaurant by Printemps’ culinary director, the James Beard Award-winning chef, Gregory Gourdet.

Printemps' most pulse-quickening moment, by far, is its dazzling Red Room, a tiled, art deco vestibule off the Wall Street entrance that now contains a dream-like shoe salon. The room, designed by pioneering muralist Hildreth Meière in 1931 and clad in more than 13,000 sq ft of intricate red-and-gold tile mosaics, remained inaccessible to the public for years. No more. Gonzalez designed monumental spindly metal flowers that function as display racks and lighting and sprout throughout the space. Amid the glow, the room – which was designated as an interior landmark last summer – sparkles anew like Dorothy’s ruby-red slippers.

New York, says Gonzales, is ‘a city where everything is possible. I don’t think this project could have been designed anywhere else, because New York is very special. Here, there are no boundaries.’

us.printemps.com

Mexico's Yucatan capital of Mérida has been sounding its creative voice of late, with new restaurants, galleries and concept stores popping up around the colonial Mayan city.

Lagalá encompasses this cultural movement ardently by housing a multitude of multi-disciplinary spaces within a converted two-storey building. The result is a slick contemporary meeting point for diners, art-and design-lovers, fashionistas and friends.

Here, ground-floor galleries pay tribute to local artists, with a rotating exhibition schedule, while over 50 Mexican fashion and jewellery brands are on display in IMOX, the seductive top-storey boutique.

This highly curated store of towering archways, pared-back rails and a statement-making dressing room also sells speciality books, which can be enjoyed during a pause in the reading nook. 

Downstairs, leading out to a terrace where pop-up markets, music events and movie nights are held, is Te Extraño, Extraño, a 30-seater café, whose menu has been designed by young-gun chefs Joaquín Cardoso and Sofía Cortina. The duo, who previously worked under Pujol's Enrique Olvera, presents regional Yucatecan ingredients in fresh ways, the grilled Yucatecan squash salad served with chaya (tree spinach) pesto and pumpkin seeds being a popular request.

Mérida, known to be the White City, now has a full dose of colour.

ADDRESS

A. Calle 56 No. 426 x 47
Centro C.P. 97000
Mérida, Yucatán, MX

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The closure of Colette in Paris may still be sending ripples of grief through its legions of fans, but we dare say that Gina Tricot is doing a good job in staunching the psychic wounds.

Long a staple with a young female demographic, the Swedish brand is attempting a makeover of its own by repositioning itself as a progressive fashion retailer.

One of its first salvos is the conversion of a building in Stockholm’s retail Södermalm district – parts of which date back to the late 18th-century, and which was once the home of local Olympic hero Carl-Axel Pettersson – into a handsome, naturally lit two-storey store.

Without detracting from the grand bones of the space, especially the high ceilings and oversized windows, Note Design Studio and Open Studio have inserted tinted screens, silvery reflective panels, and mirrors to create an open-plan retail environment in which spaces and merchandise (youthful dresses, silky silhouettes and quietly subtle accessories, among them) are demarcated by low display cabinets and sheer curtains.

The spacious changing suites, in particular, are dressed with globular peach banquettes that create an instant mood of intimacy. An in-store café that serves smoothies and matcha lattes is a canny ploy to resolve retail dilemmas while extending time spent on the premises.

For now, Södermalm is a test-case for the marque, but if successful, the concept will be rolled out across 180 stores and locations, the new interiors template scaled to fit each space. 

ADDRESS

Götgatan 30
118 46
Stockholm

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Doomsayers have long predicted the death of the bricks and mortar bookstore, but the smart money is on smaller niche boutique boltholes like the Zhongshu Bookstore of Xi’an. Tucked away on the fourth floor of the city’s Xuhong Plaza, the two-level all-white cocoon is a veritable stage-set that’s straight of central casting for a utopic sci-fi flick.

Shanghai-based Wutopia Lab sets the scene with a cuboid, mirror-lined entrance that looks and feels like a cross between a retro dancefloor and Star Trek’s teleporter room. Ribbed archways open out in different directions, spilling visitors into a glossy white space that’s anchored by a glass floor and capped with swirling ceilings that are meant to evoke the dreamscaped Baiyun Villa, or White Cloud Village, from an ancient Chinese tale.

Elliptical bookshelves follow the contours of the ceiling, as do mini-standalone display pods. There are no sharp angles, just curvilineal surfaces that swoop around the store, all the lines leading eventually to a floating staircase – its half-turned form splitting into ribboned steel that spiral upwards towards a skylight.

With so much visual drama at work, almost passing unnoticed is the bookstore’s comprehensive collection of political biographies, bestsellers and vividly coloured volumes for children.§

INFORMATION
Website

ADDRESS
No. 67 Mingguang Road
Weiyang District
Xi'an

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Behind a large doorway on via Scaldasole, just up the road from Milan’s port district of Darsena, Six is the brainchild of Mauro Orlandelli, head of bespoke interior design studio, Forest, who set out to create a ‘holistic container’ that was ‘superior to the sum of its parts’. For this, read ‘concept store’ and for Six, think three, for it is comprised of a gallery, a bistro – called Sixième, naturellement – and what is mystifyingly referred to as a ‘green design boutique’ by Irene Cuzzaniti and which turns out to be a cross between a florists, a ‘conceptual backdrop’ and a shop.

To do so, Orlandelli turned to David Lopez Quincoces and Fanny Bauer Grung, head architects at Milan-based studio, Quincoces-Dragò & Partners (and which is now based in the building). In turn, they worked with that now apparently indispensable architectural accessory, an art director, to come up with the logo and name, as well as with two members of local ‘supergroup’, Nic Cester & The Milano Elettrica, creators of a cocktail bar in nearby Navigli, who here are responsible for the bistro.

Breathlessness aside, Six is a class act. Quincoces and Grung’s industrial, atmospheric approach to the interiors treats indoor and courtyard spaces – both open air and glass-roofed – as a series of spectacular rooms, transforming a space that in the 16th century was a monastery, into a contemporary cross between a museum and a apeakeasy.

While their vision flirts with the austere – think smoke-grey walls, exposed brick and concrete floors – it sets off the scattered design pieces, a mix of the famous and the anonymous, much of which is for sale, as well as Cuzzaniti’s lush swathes of greenery to such perfection, that the final, sophisticated result is far more seductive than its original inhabitants might appreciate.

ADDRESS

Via Scaldasole 7

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Meaning ‘happiness’ in Spanish, La Feliz is the project of couple Patricio Lix Klett and Celeste Bernardini, who – along with their own collection of furniture and lighting – have curated a standout asssortment of homeware and accessories, from some of Buenos Aires’ best contemporary talent, in what has become the city’s hottest design mecca.

The space itself, housed in typical 19th-century Palermitano house, is set over four rooms and is arranged as a mock home complete with living and dining rooms. Designed by the owners themselves, the store’s Pino Tea wooden floors and muted colour scheme do much to highlight the wares, which include pieces from Buenos Aires-based studios, RIES, Taller Posible, Chalé and Oficios Asociados. Outside, the eye-catching façade is clad with metal tiles that are illuminated by a large knitted lamp that hangs on the narrow sidewalk.

From a landscape photo signed by Matías Lix Klett to minimal copper trays, it’s hard to leave this shop empty handed.

INFORMATION
Website

ADDRESS

Pasaje Santa Rosa 4932

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PHOTOGRAPHY

Celeste Najt

All too often, bookstores offer a static experience, comprising of uniform rows of books, good lighting and not much else. By all accounts though, Shanghainese design studios Wutopia Lab and ArchUnits had fun pulling together Zhongshuge bookstore – the name literally means ‘love book pavillion’, though it also references the name of the owner’s daughter.

With stylish chutzpah, the design bucks not just conventional norms of what a bookstore should look like, but also its location on the second floor of an atrium mall in an office tower in Suzhou’s new central business district. To impose order on the sprawling space, the designers have dropped perforated aluminium from the ceiling, moulding the panels into sinuous waves of soft pastel colours, with each shade of pink, red and green demarcating a particular zone. From the street level, the effect is of a metallic rainbow.

Low-rise white-coated bookshelves create a kind of bibliographic valley that rises through a series of shallow platformed steps – even these are embedded with books – and culminating in long dark-stained shelves that stretch around the central core. Thin legged reading tables and low-slung chairs provide convenient browsing perches, whilst the children’s zone comprises 3D cut-outs of residential porches, all clustered around a dark dome lit with optical fibres to create the illusion of a night-sky.

ADDRESS

3F South Tower
Suyue Plaza
Suhua Road

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Georges Schweder and his business partner Ferdinand Claus could hardly have imagined that Claus Porto, the little soap and fragrance business they set up in 1887 in Porto, would, five generations later, still be tempting an appreciative clientele. What’s not to love? The packaging of angular patterns and Gatsby-esque lettering – said to have been inspired by Portugal’s Belle Epoque ceramics and Azulejo tiles – opens up with scents of pine, eucalyptus, juniper and patchouli, as seductive today as they were when the German founders first concocted them 130 years ago.

And now, following his work on the brand’s first Lisbon store, architect João Mendes Ribeiro has, in something of a full circle moment, converted a three-storey 19th-century townhouse in Porto into, literally, a fragrant set-piece.

The dramatic space is anchored by a staircase of riga timber and a vertical garden. Small vitrines, like jewellery boxes really, hold the house’s signature colognes, while a marble basin is particularly handy for lathering up test soap bars. On Saturdays, the store offers hot towel shaves featuring, of course, products from the Claus Porto male grooming range.

For history buffs, the second floor will be of great interest, featuring not just original factory furniture, but also archival material and specimens, including the evolving typography and patterns; whilst the top floor holds an interactive scent lab, and mini soap factory. 

ADDRESS

Rua das Flores, 22

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Already celebrated in Japan for his contemporary floral arrangements, modern flower shops and popular cafes, Danish floral artist Nicolai Bergmann has now launched Natur, his first jewellery line.

Housed in a standalone store on a quiet lane in Tokyo’s Aoyama district, the space is as eye-catching as his nature-inspired collections of silver, gold and platinum jewellery. For starters, the angular building, which was constructed eight years ago by Japanese architects SANAA, is entirely encased in a minimal white metal mesh façade, with a concrete staircase leading to the entrance.

Secondly, the sunlit interiors, by Copenhagen-based firm OEO Studio, are a simple mix of concrete floors, glass walls and white spherical lights, by Italian maker Flos. There are splashes of warmth in the softly-curved slatted oak furniture and bespoke pedestals showcasing abstract floral arrangements – courtesy, no doubt, of the Nicolai Bergmann flagship store just opposite.

The jewellery itself is presented on individual porcelain displays, against a backdrop of silk and washi paper textiles handcrafted by generations-old Kyoto company Hosoo, inside OEO’s custom-made cabinets of ash and glass on powder-steel frames.

A white spiral staircase – cutting a neat circle into the concrete floor – links the building’s three levels, which are sparsely scattered with organically-curved furniture pieces in petal-like hues of rose, beige, white and green. Among them are OEO’s Coco chairs, low-lying Moon Tables by Space Copenhagen and a spherical Superloom lamp by Jasper Morrison.

Meanwhile, shoppers are able to sit down and try on jewellery pieces on the lower level, a white space with walls brightened by a series of graffiti-esque paintings in flower-like pastels by Danish artist Peter Bonde.

ADDRESS

5-5-20 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku

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Perfumer Julian Bedel has been on a mission to share the wondrous biodiversity of Patagonia with the world since launching Fueguia 1833, his ambitious fragrance company and boutique in Buenos Aires in 2011.

While Fueguia’s roots will always be in South America, the unique complexity of its manufacturing process spurred a move to a state-of-the-art laboratory and showroom in Milan in 2015, followed later that year by an elegant shop in Tokyo’s Roppongi neighbourhood. Now, the company’s latest effort, is a Tony Chi-designed space on a chic stretch of Crosby Street in New York City.

Inside, the brand’s patented sampling system is the centrepiece: arranged on simple wooden blocks for effect, a series of glass domes - each with its own fragrance - allows the volatile molecules of the fragrances to float within, rather than be absorbed by paper strips, as customers test the products. 

Surrounding that, plush deep blue Dedar curtains, gold accents and low lighting add a sense of mystery, while one-of-a-kind guitars (a passion of Bedel’s) are available for purchase or to play. ‘I play a lot, and I used to build guitars,’ explains Bedel.’That helped me redefine my approach to fragrance- it’s like a chord in music, where just three notes can define the whole mood of a song. The training is the same between a musician, a luthier, and a perfumer.’

Indeed, Bedel’s philosophy is certainly proving successful with a new boutique opening in Los Angeles later this year and two more in London and Hong Kong over the next couple of years.

INFORMATION

Website

ADDRESS

21 Crosby Street

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From clean-lined sneakers, sans laces, to utilitarian rucksacks with concealed zips, it’s all about urban minimalism at M.U.G. The first accessories outlet from Japanese fashion label, Monotaur, which already operates three clothing boutiques in Tokyo and southern Fukoka, the new concept store is located near the cherry tree-lined canal in the capital’s Nakameguro district.

The interiors take its cues from its wares with an unfussy, crisp aesthetic featuring polished concrete floors, steel-beamed ceilings and clean whitewashed walls. A curated selection of the brand’s made-in-Japan accessories methodically line the shelves, including a range of functional backpacks and totes created in collaboration with cult bag maker, Porter.

Other highlights are the store’s signature slip-on sneakers by artisanal footwear brand MoonStar, that dates from the 19th century, and a few select clothing items from Minotaur’s technology-inspired I/O collection, that includes innovative features such as in-built phone chargers or mobile batteries to adjust to body temperature.

ADDRESS 

1-22-3 Aobadai, Meguro-ku

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The notion of a handmade product resonates deeply with us at Wallpaper*, especially when it comes to our shoes. Which explains why the new store for Norwegian shoemaker Faust – which produces both ready-to-wear and handmade shoes – has struck such a chord.

Architecture studio Snøhetta took its brief seriously, creating not just the interiors of the store in Oslo’s buzzy Barcode Project, but also the entire brand identity including web design and business cards, right down to a customised typeface that’s based on 17th-century manuscripts for the signage and business cards.

The showstopper, though, is the interior. Here, Snøhetta has created a space that is positively Gothic in its moody romanticism and sly homage to Goethe. The entire length of one wall is lined with five vaulted concrete niches interspersed with perfectly milled and oiled oak doors. The latter slide open to reveal shoe boxes and, literally, the tools of the trade – the instruments and leather swatches that transform feet patterns into lasts and, ultimately, finished shoes.

The niches, Snøhetta says, ‘reference a historic, almost religious architectural language. Their weight and massiveness possess a surreal scale in an otherwise small space, while disappearing into the darkness of the charcoal coloured walls.’

ADDRESS

Dronning Eufemias Gate 10
0191 Oslo

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Yangzhou looms large in China, as much for its physical beauty as the inspirational setting in some of the country’s most memorable literary works including the classic A Dream of Red Mansions. For generations, poets, novelists and artists alike have tried to capture the city in every imaginable medium, but probably none has done it quite like this new bookshop. 
 
Design outfit X+Living’s Li Xiang has based the interior motif on Yangzhou’s scenic landscape of graceful high-arched bridges. The entrance doors, etched with extracts from western and Chinese novels, slide open into a room-set straight out of the hallucinogenic scenes of Inception and Doctor Strange, in which walls seem to extend upward and bend inward.

Volumes of literature, social sciences, and history line the sides of shelves that curve up towards the ceiling like the underbelly of an arched bridge – the entire construct dizzyingly reflected by a glossy inky black floor that Li says is meant to reflect a river.

‘Tributaries’ break off into adjacent rooms – these are demarcated by white concrete arches that evoke the sensation of underwater bubbles. In the children’s Picture Book Pavilion, itself styled like an animated version of Yangzhou, arches in the low-slung bookshelves pull out to reveal bijoux display tables, proving once again that good things often come in small packages.

ADDRESS

No 492, Wenchang Middle Road
Guangling District
Yangzhou

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It’s safe to say that we tend not to associate outlet malls with good design and architecture. But as Lukstudio shows in Yioulai Shanghai Village – an outpost of the Value Retail giant – this can sometimes be an unwarranted prejudice.

The Modular Lilong project is designed to showcase Chuang x Yi, a concept brand that is meant to champion Chinese fashion designers. Rather than take the easy way out and simply hang the clothes on racks and display the accessories in quotidian cases, Lukstudio has based its layout on a stylised take on an urban setting.

Here, the meandering laneways, houses, courtyards and entrances that make up a village are re-interpreted by carefully placed modular units that create a waiting lounge, two dressing rooms, a cashier counter and service area.

The conceit is particularly effective when viewed from a slight distance, when the whole morphs, likes clouds in the sky, into an x-ray vision of an urban laneway stacked with houses whose internal courtyards and ‘street’ are marked by stone tiles and timber floor planks. Squint and it becomes apparent that copper coated racks bear the palimpsest of washing lines, while display plinths evoke neighbourhood benches and stools.

INFORMATION
Website

ADDRESS

Shop 357
Shanghai Village
88 Shendi East Road
Pudong New Area

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Photography: 

Dirk Weiblen

An industrial building in SoHo has been transformed into a slick new shop, by local architects Emporium Design, who melded the original building details and mid-century modern elements to create an understated atmosphere that seamlessly complements the carefully curated menswear on offer.

White 18-foot cast iron columns, in the centre of the room, act as pivots for the brushed stainless steel racks that are adorned with select pieces from brands such as JW Anderson, Marni and Neil Barrett, while further items line the edges of the room, creating a sense of space, in which to browse freely.

Bespoke walnut wood shelving and freestanding mirrors, along with the smooth oak flooring underfoot, temper the blackened steel and frosted glass fitting rooms, while pendant lighting fixtures by New York-based Apparatus Studio, throw a warm cast over the room, already flooded with natural light from the angled industrial windows above.

For some time out, meander over to the lounge area, which cosied up with Børge Mogensen Spanish chairs, furnishings by local studios Token and Uhuru and natural walnut and birch tables by Emporium Design, is located right next to the fitting rooms, making it the perfect spot from which to view your shopping companion’s change of outfits.

ADDRESS

20 Greene Street

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Photography:

 Oleg March

When it comes to creating an immersive shopping, food and drink experience, few Argentines go to the extent that Emilio Bruno has repeatedly proved. His latest endeavour is Casa Chabacana, a compact collective space, in Córdoba’s hip Guemes neighbourhood, that includes a bar, a tea time venue, two clothing boutiques, and a sex and plant shop where guests can experience a different vibe. ’I want to achieve an eclectic identity that resembles London’s atmosphere, but transferred to our idiosyncrasies,’ says Bruno on briefing his creative team.

Set within two conjoining houses from the 1950s and spread over two levels, the shop has been transformed by Abdenur Architects, a local firm who has enhanced the building’s original features with vintage and salvaged materials while the overall look and feel, also in the same mood, was created by interior designer Luz Castellano, another native of Córdoba city.  

The ground floor accommodates five of the six venues while the adventure continues upstairs where a rich, playful cocktail bar with an ample terrace, that offers a change of pace and welcomes the youthful crowd. Exposed brick walls, industrial style iron chairs, native wood floorings, pendant lighting and an eight metre long metal counter topped with white marble, creates intimate nooks in which to sample Chabacano´s signature drink, Agua de Valencia, an explosive concoction made of sparkling wine, orange juice, vodka, gin and sugar.

INFORMATION

Website

ADDRESS

Fructuoso Rivera 243

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PHOTOGRAPHY

Gonzalo Viramonte

INFORMATION

Website

ADDRESS

Erottajankatu 9 B

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When Córdoba natives Mariano Mas and Juan Ignacio Goroso began making homemade pasta in their own kitchens for friends and family in the city, few would have thought it would eventually turn into a best seller gourmet brand with their own shop. 

Located on a quiet street in the affluent Cerro de Las Rosas neighbourhood, the new store attracts attention, not least for its prominent exterior that juts out onto the pavement. Designed by local firm Estudio Montevideo, together with carpenter Pablo Dellatorre, Manjatu was inspired by the classic shape of a house, most often drawn by children. ‘From day one, we thought that the sidewalk should become a key element of this project. We wanted to literally get the shop onto the pavement and invite people to come in and to recognise, from the outside, that something different was going on,’ explains architect Gabriela Jagodnik.

Indeed, a row of 11 sharply arched Guaica wood silhouettes outside continue straight into the interior, where a series of shelves - style with minimal produce - flank a long marble table, which takes centre stage. This leads to the counter at the end, which is backed by a wall clad in white subway tiles and adorned with a 1930s wooden butcher’s fridge.

Wooden herb planters outside, meanwhile, encourage shoppers to pick them, free of charge, to fix their own delicious sauces.

INFORMATION

Website

ADDRESS

Luis de Tejeda 3975

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PHOTOGRAPHY

Gonzalo Viramonte

Businessman Thomas Lommel’s ‘cosmeceuticals’ company Oliveda has its roots in the olive trees of Mallorca, but Berlin’s Neue Schönhauser Strasse was the location chosen to plant the brand’s new flagship store. The holistic products sold here are the result of seven years of development and - via an intricate biotechnological process - innovatively feature the cell elixir of the olive tree in place of the water base found in most cosmetics. Reflecting this simple yet powerful approach, the layout of the boutique is a contemporary take on the traditional European pharmacy, where an unfussy design language ensures the products are front and centre.

Designed by Nadine Frommer and Christoph Stelzer of German retail identity agency DFROST, the 24 sq m space bears restored, whitewashed brick walls, which - in conjunction with sealed cement flooring and white panelling - offer an obvious nod to the brand’s Mediterranean origins. A large illustration by Italian artist Michele Tranquillini, details Oliveda’s story, and shoppers are encouraged to sample products at a freestanding counter with an integrated sink. A floor-to-ceiling apothecary cabinet crafted from black-painted wood augments the pharmacy experience, further emphasised by Oliveda’s minimal packaging of brown glass flacons and jars. 

On an olive-shaped glass unit which showcases the store’s bestselling products, the green shade of the Oliveda cell elixir has been matched and is warmly lit by a series of hand-crafted, hanging lamps made from brown glass; each and every component touching the senses and arousing emotions.

ADDRESS

Neue Schönhauser Strasse 11

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Though Palermo Viejo is hardly lacking retail destinations, the encroachment of excess can be felt in the presence of mainstream brands that have pushed out most of the true independents.

Oli Martínez, entrepreneur co-director of Ensayo General, a hip hidden gallery in the area, is aiming to buck that trend with Tokonoma, located on the edge of this buzzy neighbourhood. The two level store, accessed through a metal bridge, is a soothing minimal oasis designed by architect Clara Ortega. Inside, a simple palette of materials including natural woods, micro cement flooring and arty wallpapers, lend the space a soft elegance that allows customers to stumble serendipitously upon Martínez’s thoughtfully curated selection of handmade items including pottery, jewellery, glass and tableware by 22 of the top local artists and designers.

‘The foremost criterion is quality of design, with a clear preference for form over colour or textures,’ says Martínez. ‘I am interested in everyday objects such as tableware designs.’ We were particularly taken by the ornate coffee sets from Carolina Antoniadis and hand painted dining table by Silvana Lacarra.

ADDRESS

Cabrera 5037

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PHOTOGRAPHY

Daniela Mac Adden

Located along a well-trodden tourist path not far from famous Czech sites such as Charles Bridge and Prague Castle, Cihelna - a chic concept store - champions the best of local design talent, purposefully eschewing the kitschy knick knacks traditionally found in the area’s souvenir shops.

Curated by illustrator and design producer Silvie Luběnová, the sophisticated collection includes tableware by high-tech glass factory Bomma, colourful pieces by ceramicist Milan Pekař and standout offerings from a host of young Czech jewellers from Adéla Fejtková to Blueberries and Zorya. 

Displayed on custom-made monumental wood tables by Studio Dechem, over which a large chandelier by artist Rony Plesl hangs, the elegant space also doubles as a gallery with a string of upcoming exhibitions in the plan.

INFORMATION

Website

ADDRESS

Cihelná 2B

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PHOTOGRAPHY

Kristina Hrabetov

Although concept stores are a dime a dozen these days, Sirin sets itself apart from the pack on two counts.

First is its wildly diverse catalogue that includes geographical posters by the Estonian designer Bold Tuesday, beard combs made from Soviet-era recycled vinyl, hand-made porcelain by the Norwegian outfit Modellstuen, and bespoke furniture by newbie Danish company Novel Cabinet Makers. The second is Sirin’s back story.

Located in Copenhagen’s buzzy Nørrebro quarter, the store’s eclecticism is an homage to Vladimir Nabokov whose pen-name was Sirin and whose peripatetic life mirrors that of its owner, Natalia Selivanova. ‘We are a Russian-Norwegian family that lived in Paris, Moscow, London, Oslo, and Luxembourg before moving to Denmark two years ago,’ says the Wallpaper* alum who spotted a gap in the Danish design market for a more international mix of products, specifically ‘continental Europe charm versus Scandinavian cool, a mix of old and new, furniture, magazines, photography, jewellery and perfume from places that are all connected to our family’s journeys.’

Selivanova adds that she orders only a small series of products each month from small businesses and up-and-coming designers. The store also hosts regular art exhibitions, its most recent being a retrospective of black and white photographs of the Côte d'Azur by Anton Mayr.

INFORMATION

Website

ADDRESS

Ransburg Tværgade 7

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Gabriel Brenner, the man behind Argentine fashion brands such as María Cher and A.Y. Not Dead, has now unveiled Editor Market, a chic concept store housed in a Rationalist building in downtown Buenos Aires.

Under the leadership of creative director and interior designer, Coty Larguía, the outlet has fast become the city’s hippest lifestyle hub, offering la crème de la crème of Argentine talent. Brenner enlisted mother and daughter duo, architects Irene Joselevich and Ana Rascovsky, to transform the eight-floor building into a series of light-filled rooms, each with an individual appearance. ‘We want our customers to meander around and be able to discover something new in every corner,’ says Larguía, who was influenced by major players such as Dover Street Market and Paris’ Merci.

Larguía’s carefully curated brands include lighting by Federico Churba, bicycles from Monochrome and Fueguía’s perfumes and candles, while the fashion, jewellery, shoes and accessories were strictly the domain of art director Silvana Grosso, who chose a mix of top labels such as Ramírez and Tramando to sit alongside lesser known local names from Boerr- Yarde Buller to Manto.

NFORMATION
Website

ADDRESS

San Martín y Corrientes

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One part lifestyle destination, one part design mecca, London’s recently launched retail temple on Farringdon Road is a treasure trove of furniture, homewares, fashion, jewellery, art and gastronomy.

That’s not to say Clerkenwell London is suffering from an identity crisis. Rather, it falls into a rare breed of luxury superstore able to cater to every imaginable whim. Spanning 10,000 sq ft of newly overhauled space, the shop is stocked with an assortment of practical – and in some cases, not so practical – goods, with plenty on offer from local and international designers alike. We were taken, for example, by the ornate, hand-painted backgammon sets from Alexandra Llewellyn, and lighting from British woodworkers Another Country.

The newly minted venture also boasts a womenswear area (complete with an ‘Undressing Room’), vinyl lounge, perfumery, bistro and bar – and that’s just the ground floor. Executive chef Gavin Gordon takes the reigns at 155 Bar & Kitchen, dishing up a menu with a French influence and a focus on seasonal British produce. Downstairs offers men’s tailoring service, a wine library, two private dining rooms, piano lounge area, while a spa is currently in the works. An ever-changing roster of events will see the remarkable space come to life in the evenings, with wine tastings and a cocktail master class planned. 

INFORMATION

Website

ADDRESS

155 Farringdon Road

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Since opening its first store five years ago, multi-brand Amsterdam retailer We Are Labels has become a familiar site when strolling the city’s fashion precincts. With a penchant for small international labels and affordable price points, their menswear, womenswear and accessories collections offer alternatives more interesting yet no less accessible than the usual vertical fast fashion giants. Its latest project is the most ambitious to date, taking over a former bank building on Raadhuisstraat, a major street known more as a thoroughfare than a shopping destination. While a flagship store was planned for 2016, the group jumped at the chance to convert the 1880s site, blessed with six-meter high ceilings, masonry walls and grand internal arches. Restoring the site’s good looking bones and accentuating them further with timber parquetry flooring, large central staircase and mezzanine, an in house design team has created a space that remains relaxed and boutique in feel – a shopping experience more refined than could be expected from a store where the majority of stock is priced at €40 to €80. 

ADDRESS

Raadhuisstraat 46-50

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Throughout her career, cook and author Heidi Swanson’s recipe books have adopted the feel of culinary travelogues, experiencing far-flung cultures through the process of preparing and sharing meals. It’s apt then, that she’s returned home to Northern California to open a bricks-and-mortar incarnation of her online store QuitoKeeto with her partner, photographer Wayne Bremser. Named after favourite street in her childhood neighbourhood, the store is located on the edge of San Francisco’s Chinatown and acts as part studio and part retail space, allowing customers to stumble serendipitously upon its curated collection of vintage culinary finds and hand-thrown local ceramics. The space itself is a soothing, minimal oasis of calm that the owners designed themselves – white bamboo replaced particleboard flooring, while hand-blown facetted glass light fixtures drape elegantly from the ceiling, lending the space a soft elegance in line with its neutral aesthetic. Though much of their collection is sourced locally from artisans and small towns throughout the state, a few concessions are made for exceptional finds – not least gorgeous cotton textiles from Oaxaca and a well-travelled selection of chef’s knives from Europe and Japan.

INFORMATION
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ADDRESS

1256 Mason Street

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In an age of digital communication, stationary shops are an increasing rarity. New Delhi’s Paper Store, however, has revisited the charm of well-crafted office tools, albeit with a contemporary spin. Designed by local firm Architecture Discipline, the shop is tucked away on the ground floor of a hotel, and its limited space — it measures just 3.5 x 5 sq m — offered the designers not only the challenge to create a retail area that encouraged browsing, but one that also reflected the artisan quality of the products on sale, including custom-made invitations, books and notepads. This has been realised with wooden dowels that emerge from the walls, which function as shelving and can be recomposed to accommodate different items. Each protrusion juts out at a unique length to create an illusion of a curvilinear lamina, which in turn acts as a second skin. Elsewhere, smoked maple has been put to good use and utilised on both the walls and ceilings to gently harmonise with other subtle, yet comforting details — a frangipani tree, for example — that one would not normally associate with a stationary shop.

Stepping into Bien Fait’s new central Paris showroom, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d stumbled into a contemporary design reverie. The solo project of former Minakani Lab co-founder Cecile Figuette, the shop is filled with her evocative wallpaper collections recalling enchanted forests, colourful geometries and childhood memories, developed from years of experience as a textile designer. A natural storyteller, Figuette’s wondrous designs balance harmoniously with the interior aesthetic conceived by local design studio A+A Cooren, who have used soft, polished surfaces as well as neutral beechwood and concrete as a counterpoint. Meanwhile, discreet lighting from Belgian company Kreon and mounted sculptures from ceramist Clementine Dupre complete the gentle, minimalist space that the fledgling company intends to use as a launchpad for its bespoke fitting service and home décor brand.

ADDRESS

23 Rue Saint-Paul

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Because Los Angelenos are known for their active outdoor lifestyle, it’s only appropriate that their canine companions be armed with the right skills and training to go on adventures too. Enter Blue Collar Working Dog, a retail store and training ground aimed at working, sporting and active pooches. Housed in a former photo studio, the store not only specialises in backpacks, service equipment and weight vests suited for police, military and training dogs, but also organizes workshops teaching dogs how to avoid snakes, overcome distractions and phobias and to hone those odor skills.

Local design firm Scout Regalia was brought in to amp up the store’s utilitarian interior and keep things fun. The firm created a wood frame system with integrated dog agility equipment like A-Frame jumps and agility tubes into the retail displays so that visitors are kept entertained. Blue accents, custom made pegboards and a gridwall hark back to the store’s workforce mentality, but there are plenty of fun features around, like a buffet of bins filled with dog treats, and toys tied onto ropes that dogs can wrestle with. From hunting and camping gear to the supplies needed while being out in the field, this one-stop shop has the active dog owner’s needs covered.

INFORMATION

Website

ADDRESS

1320 Glendale Boulveard
Los Angeles, CA 90026

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Online furniture retailer Hem have taken a leap of faith and recently opened their first flagship store in Berlin’s creative district Kreuzberg. Designed to complement the company’s online shopping experience, the store occupies the ground floor of Hem’s headquarters on Friedrichstrasse and offers a direct conduit between the company and its clientele, with customers able to browse representative examples of the brand’s collection as well as order the entire collection in-store via dedicated tablets and laptops. The interior, designed by Hem CEO Jason Goldberg and colleagues Petrus Palmér and Ilenia Martini, is an ode to the brand with soft pastel shades and textural flourishes provided by its own hanging metal lamps and solid timber furniture. The company – who retains its ‘design made easy’ ethos – has already attracted a strong following; an ‘Easy Bar’ dispenses instant tutorials and free interior design advice, while those with larger ambitions can schedule appointments with Hem’s own team at an on-site design consultation centre.

ADDRESS 

Friedrichstrasse 224

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Established as Shanghai’s first fixed-gear boutique bicycle shop in 2010, Factory Five has graduated from its original premises to a double-height warehouse space in a converted wet market within the frenetic central Jing’an district. Local studio Linehouse Architects have stayed true to the building’s industrial framework, retaining its grey brick and concrete walls, while a mezzanine level was inserted to provide office space for the company’s in-house creative team. The brand’s community outlook is evidenced by way of a shop floor hub with a wraparound bar that encompasses a workspace and a counter for drinking house-brewed coffee and beer. Materials from the city’s numerous construction sites were salvaged where possible, resulting in tabletops and cabinetry fashioned from reclaimed wood and shelving and racks formed from refurbished army trunks. The display walls meanwhile, feature a veritable cornucopia of single-speed rides, parts and accessories including Factory Five’s signature bicycle frames and California-based Mission Workshop bags and clothing – everything you’ll need to saddle up for one of the shop’s legendary night rides.

INFORMATION
Website

ADDRESS

667 Changhua Lu
Unit S1 Anken Life
Jing'An District
Shanghai

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PHOTOGRAPHY

Benoit Florencon

Though Shoreditch, in London’s East End, is hardly lacking for creativity and retail destinations, the advance of excess can be felt in the presence of international franchises that now compete for space with true independents. Entrepreneurs Romain Camus and Alev Lenz aim to buck that trend with their shop One Good Deed Today (OGDT) that showcases innovative young brands and designers selected for their ethical, sustainable and design-led approaches. The retail space was designed by local studio Nice to be Nice, using a simple palette of materials along with a vibrant colour scheme and playful geometric shapes to create an inviting environment. Fresh doughnuts from local outfit Crosstown, as well as coffee from Berlin-based Bonanza, are best enjoyed in the adjoining outdoor terrace and garden.

INFORMATION

Website

ADDRESS

73 Kingsland Road
London
E2 8AG

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With her eponymous line still making waves after two decades, few understand the power of first impressions like celebrated Greek jewellery designer, Ileana Makri, whose new flagship Athens-based store is defined by a monolithic black oak door, flanked by asymmetrical stone-framed windows. Outfitted by architect Stelios Kois, this mysterious façade sets the tone for an enchanted forest within, which sees the designer’s intricate collection hanging from glass and metal ‘trees’. Natural, unprocessed materials such as timber, bronze and sedimentary rock feature throughout, referencing Makri’s penchant for nature and symbolism in her designs, which are inspired by her Greek roots and extensive travels. An art installation that slow-releases smoke and creates a veil of fluctuating transparency is the final touch, completing the shop’s vivid sense of enclosure.

INFORMATION

Website

ADDRESS

Patriarchou Ioakeim 13-15
Kolonaki
Athens
Greece

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