Another interesting story about J.Crew and its loyalists…
This shouldn’t come as a shock: It’s a bleak time for retailers. Stores have gone out of business, 70% off sales have become de rigueur and women are shopping in their closets rather than whipping out their credits cards to spend.
But while most retailers have been suffering through this millennium’s version of the Great Depression, J.Crew is having its golden era. First Lady Michelle Obama wore J. Crew while gabbing on Jay Leno’s couch in 2008 and the first daughters donned Crewcuts, a children’s line, to the inauguration. J.Crew’s creative director, Jenna Lyons, has taken on fashion icon status comparable to the likes of superstar designers like Donna Karan and Miuccia Prada (“Jenna’s picks,” which are updated monthly on JCrew.com, often sell out)…
Read the full story from Forbes
As an American living in Germany, J. Crew is the store that I miss most. There is a comfort in the conservative, yet stylish, and superior quality of the products that they sell, and each new brand partnership extends their coolness one degree further (Red Wing Shoes, Rogues Gallery, Belstaff…). My hope is that one day J. Crew will be available in Germany (although the prices will probably become astronomical considering the currency situation at the moment). This article provides a glimmer of hope for this…
“J. Crew is expanding its Internet business into Canada and the U.K.
But after that, the company’s chairman and CEO Millard “Mickey” Drexler has no desire to get much bigger.
“Bigger is not better — better is always better,” Drexler explained. “It’s not a matter of what’s been, but what will be. We could get bigger, could get faster and open a couple more factory stores, but we don’t want to. There’s no race — the race is to maintain the integrity of the product.”
Drexler was part of panel presentation at the Financo annual merchandising industry chief executive event Monday at New York City’s Harmonie Club on the Upper East Side.
The retail industry is always changing, and now is not an exception, if anything, it’s moving faster, Drexler said. “When I started at Ann Taylor in 1980, August Max was our main competitor. Now, three-quarters of the companies we competed with are not around.”
He continued, “When I started a the Gap, County Seat was our number one competitor. Now, most of the people I work with have never heard of Country Seat.
“The world is always changing — in my opinion, things are changing faster than ever. The past year was a big wake-up call. It’s survival of the fittest. Most retail and fashion companies will not be around in 20 years.”
J. Crew CEO Mickey Drexler. Photo courtesy of J. Crew
(via AOL)
Continuing their domination of the world´s must luxurious locations, Ralph Lauren has opened a new boutique in Gstaad, Switzerland.
“The designer restored and revamped a historic, intimate three-story building in the center of the village (above) for the first outpost, while the second is planned for the lobby of the luxe Gstaad Palace hotel. Capturing the architectural heritage of local alpine chalets mixed with a dash of American mountain lodge, the interior is finished in pine, oak, local stone and plaster evoking an atmosphere of comfort and warmth. Navajo rugs, antiques, beautiful showcases and unique artwork exuding the Ralph Lauren lifestyle make up the interior decor. The store highlights the brand’s iconic collections – Ralph Lauren Collection, Purple Label, Black Label, Blue Label, Polo and RLX Ski – as well as the three new Ralph Lauren Watch collections.”
(via Luxist)
Filed under: Market Info
Thanks to UK-based Cision, for including Retail Refugees in its list of top UK Retail Blogs for 2009!
“Cision provides world-class media intelligence services to executives and individuals employed in a range of disciplines, including public relations, investor relations, marketing, and corporate communications.
Most of the Fortune 500 companies are among our client base, but we also provide media intelligence to small firms, PR agencies, non-profits and governmental organisations. Our broad range of services share one common aim – to help our clients become more efficient, effective, and ultimately more successful in their field of expertise.”
Filed under: Uncategorized
Retail Refugees has a new sister site, Resort Refugees. The same philosophy of innovation, originality, quality, and value will be adapted to the dynamic travel and tourism industry through this look at some of the world´s exciting destinations and experiences.
Follow Resort Refugees on Twitter and Facebook as well!
Rumor has it that Prada may fall into the hands of top three luxury conglomerate, Richemont… According to Luxist, “Prada has been struggling with its finances for a while. For a time the brand was flirted with going public but the IPO kept being delayed. Last summer it renegotiated some of its debt in order to have cash available to open more stores. The brand’s debt of 450 million euros was extended to 2012. Prada’s majority owners are Miuccia Prada, the label’s designer and her husband and Prada chief exec Patrizio Bertelli. The NY Post reports that the potential deal would have Prada surrendering around a third of the label to Richemont. Richemont would be taking a passive stake but there is the possibility that the luxury conglomerate could eventually take over the whole brand.
The Prada name continues to have a lot of clout in the luxury fashion world and so the acquisition would be a feather in the cap of Richemont. Richemont is probably also one of the few groups with enough money to pay Prada’s high price. Last summer Italian lenders valued Prada at around $3.8 million. The deal would potentially also give Prada the ability to tap into a larger luxury group and expand into China and other markets more quickly. The only question is how well Prada and Bertelli will fit into working with Richemont. The designer and her executive husband are accustomed to having total control over the brand and the direction it takes but if they can work well with Richemont it could be a formidable alliance.
UPDATE: A Businessweek story includes a quote from a Prada spokesperson denying the NY Post story and saying that Prada is not for sale.”
Filed under: Fashion, Market Info | Tags: christies, Gucci, Suzy Menkes, Vintage
Gucci has announced a collaboration with auction house Christies that will create a protected marketplace and valuation resource for vintage Gucci duds. According to Suzy Menkes from the IHT…
“This new service will provide a trusted venue for transactions of vintage Gucci items, thereby avoiding recourse to uncontrolled auction sites such as eBay,” said Patrizio di Marco, chief executive of Gucci, on Monday.
The “Gucci Collector” site, presented by Christie’s, will offer a virtual-style valuation of vintage items. The site, scheduled to be up and running by the end of the year, will be a dedicated section on www.christies.com where people seeking appraisals can upload images of their objects for examination. Christie’s is, like Gucci, part of the luxury group PPR.”
This looks like it will be a great project for this niche. With a heritage like Gucci has, and the reputation that Christies has, the only variable will be the number of people actively seeking and selling the products.
Retro-hip wool brand Pendleton, and surfer brand Hurley have teamed up for a special line of updated classics- Pendleton shirts, which were made famous by the Beach Boys in the 50´s and 60´s have been modernized by Hurley.
One of the world´s highest quality brands, Japanese Visvim will open a pop-up shop at the department store Isetan in Japan. For those who will be in Japan between November 18 and 24, make sure to stop by and check out products including the ballistic backpack and sierra hiking boots…
DSM has come through with the promies if co-branded Comme des Garcons and Beatles products that was made in Late September. The first wave of products consist of a collection of bags featuring the iconic Beatles green apple as well as some slick t-shirts. Not normally a fan of graphic t-shirts, these are simply fantastic as a Beatles and/or CdG and/or DSM fan.
From the original announcement, “COMME des GARCONS and Apple Corps Ltd. are very excited to announce that they are working together to create a brand new collection under the label The Beatles x COMME des GARCONS. The collection, designed by Rei Kawakubo and inspired by the Beatles and all their magical creations, will consist primarily of bags, with other items added from time to time.”
Images from Hypebeast follow…
As well, DSM will showcase Comme des Garcon´s holiday accesory collection called “Jingle Flowers” which looks to feature a number of high profile product, including items such as “Artek chairs, Snowballs, Superga sneakers, DSM flower bottle perfume, a range of t-shirts, wallets and fluo sweaters in collaboration with various artists such as Paul Morrison and Donald Sultan and but not least, the first ever Rei Kawakubo-designed Barbie Dress. “Jingle Flowers” officially launches on November 27th, 2009.”
Berlin über magazine shop, Do You Read Me?! will be hosting a “koffeeklatsch” (coffee and snacks) this Sunday morning with the team from Apartamento magazine who is celebrating the release of their fourth issue. From 1:00pm through 5:00 pm feel free to bring the kiddies and browse what can easily be considered one of the best collections of glossy international art, design, fashion, culture, and lifestyle titles.
Augustrstasse 28
Berlin, Mitte 10117
Filed under: Market Info, Stores | Tags: Berlin, dvd, Gallery, image movement, video
What do you get when you cross a high-profile art gallery with a video shop? Image Movement in Berlin. This is shop where you can browse DVDs as if you were in a gallery, browsing works of art- after all, what is video and film if not motion art?…
Aside from Sprüth Magers´ innovative concept behind the base operations and inventory of the shop, they have developed a program whereby allowing the artists, which include Cindy Sherman, John Baldessari, Ed Ruscha, and Andreas Gursky among others, to identify their favorite flics and have them categorized and sold. The result is an inside look into the psyche and mind of some of the great artists of today. Additionally, the shop has an extensive and obsucre list of other titles from video art, music, and design genres.
The first time I visited the shop, it was past closing time but as I saw people filling up the space I entered anyway. What I found was that the shop transforms into an intimate place for screenings some nights, and the stairs that one descends to enter (the shop is half way below ground), double as seating once the screen is pulled down and the movie begins.
The concept of Image Movement plays directly into the idea that luxury moments and true enjoyment can be had from a quiet night at home. While throwing oneself on the sofa with a bowl of popcorn is comfortable, it can also be cultural with the help of shops like Image Movement.
Apple now invading the space below I.M. Pei´s glass pyramid at Paris´s Louvre museum. On saturday, the first Parisian outpost for Apple opened with great fanfare.
This is Apple’s 277th store, worldwide and is said to be slightly smaller than the one on Oxford Circus in London. The bilevel store will employ 150 people and you can expect the place to be very crowded as the Louvre concourse is one of the most heavily trafficked places in Paris. This location links all of the wings of the Louvre, and visitors to the museum have to pass by before entering the museum.
Brit-fashion brand, Burberry, has just launched their much hyped forray into social media entitles, “Art of the Trench.” With low expectation, I was pleasantly surprised how cool the site is, and how well it works. Essentially, Burberry commissioned Scott “The Sartorialist” Schuman to travel to Berlin, London, New York and other global cities and outfit some locals with Burberry trenches and shoot them in action. The site features a selection of the images and allows users to browse by several categories including gender, weather, color, styling etc, and then comment on them via Facebook Connect.
Not sure if Burberry is planning to invite other celeb photogs to shoot portraits for the site, but we would love to see some Testino images up there as well! The idea behind the sight is to introduce the brand to a new generation of shoppers and simultaneously shed the “chav” image that it has developed during recent years.
A special shout out to Berlin Fashion blogger Julia Knolle from Les Mads who is featured on the site as well as some other notable Berliners including Johanna from the great shop Quartier 206 Cabi.net (and yours truly- can you find me?).
(this post is also featured on my other blog @ futureblog.designhotels.com)
The reigning king of premium coffee establishments- Starbucks, of course- has a new contender with some interesting tricks up its sleeve… Italian giant, Illy, is planning to enter the US market in a big way but rather than starting by spending millions on advertising and marketing, they have chosen to go after the independent coffee giants of the country.
Its art-inspired cups are a favorite of Italiaphiles (a good friend whose husband is Milanese was my introduction to the designer series of tiny espresso cups and saucers). And, after three years of success in Italy, the company has expanded its Artisti del Gusto (Artist of Taste) certification to the U.S., with 28 shops around the country serving Illy coffee, and about 100 more planned by 2012.
Illy’s Artisti del Gusto certification works this way: independent coffee shops with “relevance in their market” are selected to use only Illy coffee beans and agree to do so for a three-year period. Baristas are trained to pull an Illy-quality espresso and given recipes for other drinks common to Artisti del Gusto shops. Illy provides art work, coffee machines, glassware and other branded touches, such as the red Illy umbrellas. Certified coffee shops are periodically monitored for consistency, and the certification can be pulled if the lattes aren’t up to snuff.
Not only is this is a proven way to expand with minimal investment, it’s also a way to increase the reach of a brand, and indoctrinates a much wider audience to the superiority of your coffee beans. In other words, it’s a great way to market your product in grocery stores and online outlets, without a national advertising campaign. A coffee shop on your corner is far better than a billboard, since it’s a place you already trust and whose coffee you are conditioned to love by association. Starbucks sells the majority of its packaged coffee through grocery stores; a whopping two-thirds of its ground and whole bean sales take place outside of its coffee shops.
Personally, I do not think that Starbucks (or McCafé, for that matter) have anything to worry about in terms of volume. However, this positioning will do wonders for Illy´s brand recognition as a premium product and ultimately benefit its grocery store sales.
(via AOL Daily Finance)
180g, the Paris store known for its brillian colors and the custom dying options that they offer on products, has just released their latest line of Nikes including the Tennis Classic, Air Flytop, and Flash.
The concept of creating a store with such high quality products (ranging from Nike kicks to cashmere sweaters) with the intention of dying them is a great one. I encourage anybody in Paris to definitely check out the spot.
“All three receive unique 180g treatments, a process which allows some of the brand’s classic product to be custom dyed, achieving a tailor-made type of aesthetic amongst various premium textiles and custom detailing. A release event is slated for November 5th, 2009 at 180g in Paris. 180g
15 Rue des Tournelles
75004 Paris
France”
(via hypebeast)
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: andre saraiva, Colette, la baron, Paris
Paris nightspot supreme, La Baron, has just released its first compilation with the signature of approval from club owner, Andre (Saraiva). “The famous private club in the eighth arrondissement of Paris, the hub of the artistic Parisian elite since 2004, celebrates its first 5 years of existence. Founded by Andre, who naturally signs the artwork of this splendid double CD, and Lionel, a night-prowler of the Capital’s streets, Le Baron has become the lounge where the Parisian initiates can rediscover a way of partying that is both intimate and intense. The CD contains a poster by Andre, available now through colette.”
(via hypebeast)
DC shoes and The Hotel on Rivington has produced some amazing sneakers for staff of the hotel.
“The model has been customized with a laser etch of “HOTEL ON RIVINGTON” on the outsole, a design treatment that pays homage to the iconic side-wall bold DCSHOECOUSA lettering on the classic DC LYNX skate model that originally launched just over a decade ago now. The First release of the LYNX was in 1998 along with the announcement of Josh Kalis joining the team. A special red strap, a key color from the hotel, completes the custom shoe.
The Admiral Sport is part of the Spring 2010 DC LIFE Collection and will be available beginning in January 2010 at select DC LIFE retailers and the DC Online Store.”
What a way to get some buzz before the launch of a big sneaker…
(via Hypebeast)
After generating considerable buzz about their collaboration with Mark Ronson and their collection of pop-up shops around the world, Gucci´s first installment in New York opened over the wkend. According to Racked, few noticed.
While I think the idea is a great one, the execution for this project was all wrong. First of all, pop-up concepts were created originally to sell products in a less cost-intensive way, so naturally you would sell products that reflect that idea. A collection of 20 $500+ sneakers simply does not comply with this. Additionally, the “refreshed” and more gen y-friendly logo simply looks like a counterfeit one you would find on a knockoff bag on Canal St.- not a legit icon, to say the least. Not the first time to say this but, Gucci, stick to what you know and do well…
Shophound also questioned the success of the shop…
Phaidon, one of my favorite publishers (you gotta check out the Silver Spoon- legendary cookbook) in opening their first stand-alone shop. Location in NYC at 100 Wooster St. in Soho, the shop contains their full range of titles for art and culture as well as their Wallpaper* city guides.
Following their temporary sportswear shops in Berlin, Toyko, etc., Nike has just opened their latets installation in the Marais, Paris. From Hypebeast, “Located in a former bookstore, much of the original details of the three-storey building’s façade and interior have been retained. The interior has however been somewhat enhanced with graphics by French illustrators Antoine & Manuel who created designs for not only for murals, but also wallpaper and the store’s carpet. As per all Nike Sportswear stores, the outlet carries Tier Zero apparel and footwear. The store also features an ID studio, allowing customers to designer their own Sneaker colourways of Nike models.”
Filed under: Fashion | Tags: Clothes, Fashion, J. Crew, Rogues Gallery, timex
J. Crew has just put the wraps on a fantastic new Spring/Summer collection with the help of brand partners including Rogues Gallery, Red Wing, Alden, Timex, Mister Freedom and Baracuda. Look forward to seeing this stuff in shops…
A friend recently tipped me off to an up-and-coming t-shirt company based around the corner from me in Berlin. I am not such a big fan of pink shirts, but i loved the “O Face” design on the pink one here. Not sure what the story behind Millionhands is, but I imagine it is something interesting as I´ve found out the creator is a DJ. Would love to know more, feel free to comment…
At their Rockefeller store in NYC, shirtmaker Thomas Pink gave out 1,000 shirts in honor of the new USA show, White Color. Too bad we didnt make it, but if any readers did, please let us know how it was!
“USA Network is partnering with Thomas Pink to promote its new show, White Collar. This Thursday and Friday Thomas Pink will be giving away 1,000 men’s and women’s dress shirts at a pop-up shop at Rockefeller Center. They will also have tailors on hand to custom fit the shirts, and the show’s stars, one of whom is apparently Tiffani-Amber Thiessen, will be making an appearance Friday. There will also be a Vanity Fair-hosted event at the Thomas Pink store on Madison Avenue tonight. [WWD]“
(image via Racked)
The long-awaited (by some) collab between Jimmy Choo and H&M will be in stores Nov. 14. While not initially interested in this project, I was surprised to see how nice some of the mens items are- particularly the leather jacket.
Just found some images of the new Lanvin Sport line… Not sure what I think about the idea of this new direction for the brand- sort of feel like they should stick to shoes and suits (but the black vest is pretty cool)
Filed under: Uncategorized
If you have any interest in design, shopping, retail, fashion or otherwise, the new edition of Powershop is for you. It has finally arrived courtesy of Berlin-based publisher Gestalten and Frame Magazine. Powershop 2 is an extensive collection and study of some of the top interior designs in retail environments from around the world including projects by Marcel Wanders, Wonderwall, 20|20 Limited, Coop Himmelb(l)au, Karim Rashid, Mattheo Thun, Tokujin Yoshioka and Ippolito Fleitz, to name a few.
The book itself is BIG, PINK, and HEAVY! There are actually two books inside the case and are divided between “Fashion” and “Anything (but Fashion)” and include images, descriptions of the interior, descriptions of the brands, stats, floorplans, and in some examples budget details. The stores include some of the biggest names in retail naturally.
One aspect of the book which is really great is the fact that the stores are not limited to ultra-exclusive ones. That is, the book goes a long way to show how great design can be found in a variety of segments, and that it is not only something which can be appreciated by wealthy.
As we typically focus on hotel concept and design, looking at retail interiors is very interesting for me personally. I find that retail offers many of the same opportunities as a hotel environment does in terms of experience, interface, interaction, customer flow, etc. In some way, the retail industry acts as an incubator for developments in the hotel design world as it is less cost-intensive and generally faster. For this, some could say that looking into the pages of Powershop 2 is like looking into the future of the hotel industry.
For anybody interested in design, in the planning stage of building a store, or somebody purely interested in impressing guests with a beautiful book, we highly recommend Powershop 2.
Filed under: Uncategorized
Saw this in Fast Company this morning…
Last week, Wal-Mart cut the price of some popular new books to just $10, a slice of over 60%. Not willing to be out-done on home turf, Amazon matched them. Wal-Mart went down to $9. Amazon went to $8.99. Target jumped in tardily at $8.99. Then Sears jaunted into the battle and dropped some serious knowledge: books for free.
How? Buy any one of those deep-discounted books at Target, Wal-Mart, or Amazon, and send Sears the receipt at [readamerica@customerservice.sears.com], and they’ll give you a credit of $9 towards anything you buy from Sears online.
Sears says this is part of some campaign called “Keep America Reading,” which would be more appropriately called “Keep America Buying Books.” And buy books they’ll do, if the $10 price point sticks past the holiday rush.
So what does this do to indie bookshops, struggling as they already are? Well, it might actually help them, according to PubLunch, which reports:
“Boulder Bookstore buyer Arsen Kashkashian has suggested via Twitter that fellow indies cancel their publisher pre-orders on these deep-discounted forthcoming titles and take advantage of their competitors’ loss leaders. Bookstores will save money, he reasons, while helping Amazon and Walmart.com lose more.”
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: bars, clubs, Hotel, Miami, Recession, shore club, Travel
In troubling hotel news, the almighty Shore Club- home to such infamous events as Suge Knight´s getting shot (among others), has gone delinquent on its nearly 112million USD mortgage.
“A renovation of the hotel is in progress and a spokesperson for Philip and Michael Pilevsky said there is a disagreement between the owner and the loan servicer about what the servicer is responsible for funding. The hotel went through a renovation in 2001 and was appraised for $176 million in 2005, when the owners mortgaged it at the peak of South Florida prices. That number might be a bit lower now. The Shore Club has 322 rooms and a spa but is more famous for its Nobu sushi restaurant, several night clubs and its enviable beachfront pool area. Tourism has been down in Florida overall and the hotel has seen occupancy fall this year. The hotel remains open and is currently offering a deal that includes overnight accommodations, priority seating at Skybar and a bottle of either Perrier Jouet Grand Brut or SKYY Vodka on arrival for $325.”
That is not a bad deal…
via Luxist
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Cuisine, fall, Food, italy, Travel, truffles
Retail, food, hospitality… all mesh into one idea at times. Ideas about authenticity and originality and localness seem so importantant these days, that when a country or region has traditions like this, it is impossible to ignore…
From The Moment
Arici Graziano/Grazia Neri A sagra venerating roasted chestnuts.Few countries take their autumn harvests as seriously as Italy. Visit any hilltop town or small city on a weekend in October and you’re likely to find a sagra, a gastronomic spectacle venerating pumpkins or chestnuts or just about any vegetable, nut or meat that’s grown and produced regionally in fresh abundance. Sagre sometimes last all weekend and often culminate on Sunday with a celebratory feast. I recently visited Anguillara, a town built into the Sabatini hills around Lake Bracciano, near Rome, and the Sagra del Fungo was in full tilt. By 1 p.m. the parking lot hosting the festival was in a state of mushroom mania, with hundreds of people queuing up to try porcini sauces and spreads. There were other funghi — trucks pulled up to the event laden with golden chanterelles and purple and bronze flat-capped meadow mushrooms for sale — but porcini ruled the day, featuring prominently in most of the dishes served in mess-hall fashion beneath a giant white tent. If you’re in Italy this fall, it’s worth attending a sagra, if only to witness the unique customs of Italian food culture. You can find a complete listing of all the harvest festivals in Italy at this site (unfortunately only in Italian) or check out a few highlights of October and November sagre on the map below.
Oct. 17, 2009
Festa dell’uva (grapes)
Merano (Bolzano)
Oct. 18, 2009
Festa della Castagna (chestnuts)
Sirolo (Ancona)
Oct. 17, 18, 2009
Sagra del Tartufo Bianco e del Fungo Porcino (white truffles and porcini)
Balconevisi (Pisa)
Oct. 24, 25, 2009
Festa della Zucca (pumpkin)
Venzone (Udine)
Oct. 25, 2009
Sagra della salsiccia (sausage)
Camerata Nuova (Roma)
Nov. 6-15
Sagra della Polenta
XII Morelli (Ferarra)
Nov. 7, 8
Festa del Baccalà (stockfish)
Villa Lagarina (Trentino)
Visvim, known for its quality, sweet Japanese urban style, and astronomical prices has just let magazine Sense have a tour of one of their leather factories… SlamXHype could not have said it better- “These days, when anyone can start a streetwear brand by sending off a t-shirt design to some anonymous mass production facility in China, it shows a real authenticity and dedication to quality when a brand will be honest enough to give an insight into the production methods behind their garments. So its no surprise that’s exactly what Visvim have done. In the latest edition of Japan’s Sense magazine they have opened the doors to the Horween Leather Factory in Chicago to show how their luxury leathers are made, and give a sneak preview of the products that are produced with them.”
The newest Camper shop in London has just opened with a cool new interior design by Japanese designer Tokujin Yoshioka. The store is located at 207-209 Regent Street.
I love Supreme and Mickey Mouse. These limited shirts will be available in shops and on the Supreme website September 19.
Filed under: Fashion, Retail Events, Stores | Tags: gap, London, Pharrell
Gap is celebrating its 40th birthday this year with a brand new pop-up shop. Hypebeast has the full details…
The quintessential middle-American brand Gap is celebrating their 40th anniversary with an overseas pop-up shop on London’s Carnaby Street. The colorful space – loosely bearing a 60’s theme – features several limited edition collaborations in the form of Pierre Hardy boots and Albertus Swanepoel accessories, as well as original artwork by Parisian fashion blogger Garance Doré.
Of course, Pharrell’s capsule collection has garnered the most buzz, as is usually the case: the musician, fashion entrepreneur and all-around creative introduces an eco-friendly take on Gap’s pioneering basics, including a t-shirt, duffle bag and sneakers, all in a solid white colorway. A hoodie and chinos round out the so-called ‘bionic’ collection, in which each piece has been fabricated with a bionic yarn made out of recycled plastic bottles.
The pop-up shop opened on September 12th and is set to remain open for 19 days and 69 hours, so you have just under three weeks to check it out.
Gap Pop-Up Store
G7/G8 Kingly Court
Carnaby Street
London
W1B 5PW
“As the first step in our burgeoning partnership with online cinema phenom, The Auteurs, we are giving away one complimentary movie for every member of the Design Hotels Club!
The movies in The Auteurs are among the very best in from around the world and include festival winners, cult favorirtes, and quirky shorts that are sure to keep you entertained in airports, foreign hotels, or in your very own bed.
I recommend “Mister Lonely” which I just watched last night and enjoyed…
Sign up for the Design Hotels Club here and enjoy the show!”
via FutureBlog
Filed under: Art/Design, Stores | Tags: Gagosian, Gallery, Museum, Retail
“Gagosian Gallery is about to expanded their name into a new retail space in New York set to open next week. The inside is described as spare and bright was designed in collaboration with Dan Rowen Architect/MNDesign and the Gagosian team. Focusing on posters, publications and artist editions from previous exhibitions, the public will be able to enjoy their lounge which features video art and archive publications. Downstairs there will be an US exclusive ‘Other Criteria’ space from Damien Hirst Hugh Allan and Frank Dunphy and Jason Beard that will contain limited-edition books, posters, accessories and t-shirts. See here for inside display images.”
via slamXhype
Filed under: Fashion, Retail Events, Stores | Tags: Bape, BBC, fashion´s night out, Streetwear
Hypebeast posted a video from itsbongoboy.com from NYC Fashion´s Night Out… “itsbongoboy.com attends Fashion’s Night Out 2009 and visits some of New York’s finest boutiques including the Bape Store, the BBC/Ice Cream Store as well as the 21 Mercer Street Nike Sportswear Store. On his journey, he bumps into familiar faces like Levi Maestro, Plain Pat, Kid Cudi, Pharrell Williams and more.”
Filed under: Fashion | Tags: Branding, Fashion, Photography, Sartorialist
Fast Company posted a slideshow with some words of “wisdom” from Scott Schuman aka The Sartorialist about self-branding. Not sure that I can stand firmly behind everything that he stands for (ie the caption of a photo he recently took of a homeless man on Aug 31) but he definitely makes a strong point in his advice. Check it out here.
Yorgo Tloupas from Intersection magazing (via Arkitip) posted some nice pics from the new Vans shop opening in Paris. I am really digging the waffle sticks… making me hungry…
“mmm what is this new Vans product?
ooh waffles – OK I see the pun (Vans has a famous sole pattern called the waffle)
But who is this manning the waffle stand?? Steve Van Doren! Son of Paul Van Doren, founder of Vans…”
Filed under: Market Info | Tags: Central Park, New York, Restaurants, Tavern on the Green
This is a sad day for New York, Central Park, and the restuarant indsutry in general… “
Less than two years after it announced grand plans for a national expansion, Tavern on the Green, a New York landmark, filed for voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Wednesday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of New York.
Tavern on the Green, which has appeared in such films as “Arthur”, “Wall Street” and “New York Stories”, and where generations have celebrated weddings, anniversaries, graduations, was taken over by Warner LeRoy more than 25 years ago. It was once one of the most successful restaurants in the country. A $40 million dollar operation with a staff of 525 and nearly 500,000 patrons annually, the restaurant is known for its prime location in Central Park in addition to its beautiful garden and its elaborate decor of crystal, mirrors and Tiffany ceilings. Its eclectic menu consisted of contemporary American and seasonal fare.”
(via daily finance)
Filed under: Advertising, Art/Design, Fashion, Market Info, Retail Events, Stores
Design Hotels has just started a great new feature for their city pages… destination-based video. The first ones that they have posted range from a guided street art walking tour of Shoreditch in London, to some really fantastic behind-the-scenes looks at some of the worlds´s coolest stores in Paris- Colette and l´Eclaireur.
Check out the first videos from New York, London, Paris, and Milan…
By the way, the videos are produced by an interesting start up called TheCrane.tv which is going to be one of the coolest online video magazines when it launches soon!
In the bizarre brand extension of the week segment, we profile Marc by Marc Jacobs new skate decks. Each of the 100 pc limited edition decks feature 7-ply Canadian magle and are availalbe at the Marc flagship stores for $89.
Filed under: Fashion, Retail Events, Stores | Tags: Barneys, Pop-up, Retail, Sartorialist
Riding his wave of success from the Sartorialist book, Scott Schuman has put together a mini pop up in Barneys based on a few of his favorite looks. “The SartoriaLUST, the temporary retail space will offer a variety of items ranging from clothing to accessories and everything in between. Expected brands include Dries Van Noten, Ralph Lauren, Marc Jacobs, and Jil Sander as well as smaller brands such as Duckie Brown, Lidfort and Fairfax. Stay tuned for further information as it arrives.” (hypebeast)
After the success of his NY CBGB shop, John Varvatos has transported his rock and roll style to Vegas and the Hard Rock hotel. According to men.style.com “That means all three Varvatos lines, a smattering of music paraphernalia (including, for Vegas, James Trussart guitars), and space tricked out for concerts, performances, and live broadcasts of the guy’s own satellite radio show, “Born in Detroit.”
John Varvatos at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, 4455 Paradise Rd., Las Vegas, hardrockhotel.com
Filed under: Fashion, Retail Events | Tags: anna wintour, Berlin, fashion´s night out, karl lagerfeld, London, New York, Paris, Vogue
Fashion´s Night Out is a program by Vogue Magazine meant to give fashion back to the people, from what I gather. The big players in the fashion and media industries will be trolling around stores, streets, and wherever else they can get attention in honor of fashion… Hypebeast has the dirt about the Paris event…
From helping boost consumer confidence to celebrating the notion of fashion itself, the event will see marquee events being highlighted in numerous urban enviroments across the globe. The high-profile event will get a strong push from the legendary Karl Lagerfeld as he will assume the role of shop-keeper alongside French Vogue editor-in-chief Carine Roitfeld at the Chanel flagship store on Avenue Montaigne. For a full run-down of the event which takes place September 10th, 2009, head over to FashionsNightOut.com.
PARIS — Karl Lagerfeld — the peripatetic designer, photographer, publisher and budding filmmaker — will be wearing yet another hat come Thursday night: shopkeeper.
He said he plans to join French Vogue editor in chief Carine Roitfeld to mind the Chanel boutique on the Avenue Montaigne in support of the Fashion’s Night Out initiative.
“I have no problem doing that. I’m a shopkeeper anyway since I have a bookshop,” said Lagerfeld, referring to his 7L boutique on the Rue de Lille here.
In fact, the designer relishes the prospect of the event, which will center on the so-called golden triangle shopping area bound by Avenue George V, Rue François 1er and Avenue Montaigne…
Filed under: Fashion, Retail Events | Tags: DC Shoes, Paris, Skateboard, Sneakers
French sneaker magazine, Shoes Up, put on a special exhibit for DC Shoes and Six Pack at l´Imprimirie. Images are as follows (looks like it was a fun party…)
Jack Spade opened his latest pop-up in LA at Apartment 9 recently… Men.style.com has the details… It is “offering a full range of accessories and making the West Coast debut of its first apparel collection. A wide range of contributors and collaborators—from secondhand hounds like Reference Library’s Andy Beach and our buddy (and Spade alum) Mister Mort to comedienne Phyllis Diller—have curated a selection of vintage goods, including, in the spirit of fun, comedy albums and Halloween costumes. Spade stays in residence until, appropriately enough, October 31.”
Jack Spade at Apartment Number 9, 9877 Little Santa Monica Blvd., L.A., apartmentnumber9.com; jackspade.com
Filed under: Market Info | Tags: Fast Company, generation Y, millennials
Being a proud member of Generation Y, or my preferred label “millennials,” if is clear that we have made a major impact in the workplace. I was glad to see Lindsey Pollak wax lyrical about the joys of working with a member of the famed millennials… A few excerpts below:
1. She brings up things that never occur to me. As much as I study Gen Y and correspond with them frequently online, there’s something completely different about having a Gen Y-er physically in my presence. Since she’s fresh out of college, she brings a totally different perspective about my work and the world. By digging into her experiences and hearing those of her friends and peers, I widen my view of what’s important to her generation. For my business and many other businesses today, Gen Y is either our entire customer base or a large and ever-growing percentage of it. No matter what your business, gathering Gen Y input is not only a good idea; it’s become essential.
2. She’s just tech-ier. Much of my day-to-day work involves staying on top of Twitter and leading webinars on LinkedIn. Even with my relatively good technical knowledge, I sit mesmerized as my assistant zooms around on her Mac, flips through her Google docs and takes advantage of all the Internet has to offer. Gen Y has a natural facility with technology that even many of us active in the digital space cannot beat. I didn’t even know what I was missing in time-saving tech shortcuts until I watched my assistant.
3. She understands personal branding. As a speaker and writer, part of my job is selling myself and my skills. Gen Y understands the importance of personal branding, because they’ve been branding themselves since their middle school AIM profiles. In The Narcissism Epidemic: Living in the Age of Entitlement, psychologist Jean Twenge says Gen Y’s preoccupation with Facebook and other social networks demonstrates their high levels of narcissism. To me, it’s not so much narcissism as it is generationally-appropriate personal branding. Whether you’re a writer, speaker, entrepreneur or just working on your professional image, it’s important to have someone who intimately understands personal publicity on your team.
