apan is a hot-bed of out-of-the-box creativity and retail design is one of the areas in which it excels. The latest store with more is the new Patrick Cox boutique in Tokyo’s Aoyama district, a Mecca for fashion. Local architect Chikara Ohno designed the store using only three elements – the colour white, the circle shape and lighting – to great effect. Forming a canopy, huge, cylindrical pendants hang from the ceiling resembling imposing sculptures that also illuminate the products perched just below on cylindrical counters, lit from their bases.

Ohno’s design demonstrates the power of simplicity. By working with a few key elements and playing around with proportion he has achieved a dramatic space that also stays true to its function – which is of course to cast the merchandise in the best possible light – pardon the pun – so we are compelled to buy it.

www.patrickcox.com

he  Crème de la Crème, is a fragrance and beauty care boutique that  located in  Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. The boutique is one of about 170 shops and restaurants that occupy the new, award-winning Panorama shopping centre, one of the largest and most expensive shopping malls in the Baltic countries.The store’s physical concept is by the Lithuanian Plazma architects and specifically architect Evelina Talandzeviciene. Light-colour wood, scarce furnishings, simplified lines and subdued edges create a feeling of weightlessness and free-flowing space.

Very interesing the shipping-crate look of the central counter and the plywood-esque walls. They lend an air of impermanence and industrial chic to the simple, sophisticated boutique that stocks such perfume brands as Comme des Garçons, Anrdèe Putman, Nasomatto, Mona di Orio, Annick Goutal, Juliette Has a Gun, Escentric Molecules, Miller Harris and Acqua di Parma.

Felt-covered Tom Dixon lamp shades and tone-on-tone floor and wall materials add to the organic ambiance of the space…reminding us of fields of rye, and forests of birch and fir. Crisp lighting on the merchandise and simple wall units for display allow the fragrances to take up most of the air space. Unstuffy. Simple. Clean.

esop continues to serve up award winning design with its new store in “The Strand Arcade” in Sydney. Each Aesop store has its own signature look defying the carbon copy stores that were so popular in the 90’s and early 2000’s. Respecting the store’s neighbouring environment is important to Aesop and integration within the area is emphasised. March Studio’s, Rodney Eggleston has again been offered the role to find the “store’s soul” and bring it to life. He has made one of Aesop’s highlight materials “Porcelain” the hero in this store by using the timeless, precious material for the tiles, small furnishings and floor. As always with Aesop, clean lines and only the necessary pieces of furniture and interiors are used allowing optimum space and movement.

 The complete range of skin, hair and body products are available in this store, so maximising the wall space was essential. The finishing results are a sublime gallery like offering that continues to push the retail boundaries. After becoming one of the world’s hottest boutique botanical skincare ranges, the Australian-based Aesop brand is now making a name for itself in the world of innovative retail design, injecting a large dose of cool into the concept of sustainability. If you thought the brand’s Melbourne “cardboard” concept store was clever (all of the merchandising stands were made from recycled cardboard), you’ll love its brand new Adelaide “bottle” boutique. The store’s ceiling is crafted entirely out of recycled bottles, precisely arranged in a wave pattern. Who said green had to be dowdy?

These new Australian stores are part of a big phase of expansion for Aesop, which has also just opened boutiques in Paris and London’s swanky Mayfair. Since being established by Dennis Pahitis twenty years ago, Aésop skin care has become an uncontested success story in the notoriously fickle beauty industry — focused on providing its worldwide clientele with the highest quality botanical skin care, rather than subscribing to mainstream-cosmetic anti-aging hype. Aésop now have 78 international stockists, plus 20 signature stores including stores in Paris, London, Sydney and their most recent Melbourne addition, Flinders Lane. In keeping with Aésop tradition — that every store is different; conceived and designed individually so as that each store is a reflection and celebration of its location — the Flinders Lane store does not disappoint, providing its customers with a design and infrastructure that is just as alternative as Aésop’s skin care products. Located in one of Melbourne’s most interesting precincts, the Flinders Lane store interior is made entirely of industrial-grade cardboard; from the display shelving, to the massive eastern façade, and even the counter tops— proving that cardboard can be both striking and structurally sturdy if it’s engineered well.

Designed by local interior architects Rodney Eggleston and Anne-Laure Cavigneaux of March Studios, the ambient new store has drawn attention from all sorts of passers by. Store manager, Kate, says she wasn’t expecting how amazed customers would be by the store’s design. “It’s clear it’s a very tactile environment. Most people come in and tend to want to touch it all.”The Flinders Lane store is located at Shop 1C, 268 Flinders Lane, Melbourne. For a full list of Aésop products and stockists and have more information just visit.

www.aesop.net.au

Hello Fashion Insomniacs, want to get your cystal on? You might want to make your way to Swaroski’s new concept store. -Abiose

Known for its glittering crystals and shimmering baubles, Swarovski is branching out with its first stateside concept shop, which includes a full-service restaurant and a hang-out space. The focal point of the block-long boutique is the “library of light,” a selection of 2,000 stones (in every shape, cut, color and material imaginable) that can be purchased individually ($8–$22). Pick up jewel settings ($2–$12) and tools ($3–$30) and craft a one-of-a-kind creation downstairs in the sleek lounge. It’s easy, we swear. But if you’re not into DIY, order bespoke jewelry by customizing a piece from the ready-to-wear collection at no additional cost. Check out the limited-edition guest designer collections (Botkier, Ted Rossi, Hollywould and more) and other thoughtfully designed—even edgy—pieces you would never expect to find from this glamorous brand.  
499 Broadway between Broome and Spring Sts (212-966-3322) swarovski-crystallized.com  (Source)

Lo sviluppo dei luoghi del consumo segue una direzione che va dal luogo invisibile (la bottega nascosta, senza insegne esterne) alla visibilità del luogo (o del nonluogo, come sono stati definiti dall’antropologo Marc Augé i centri commerciali) fino ad arrivare alla dematerializzazione del luogo commerciale inteso come contenitore di prodotti – che diventa contenitore di stili di vita, di significati simbolici e culturali che vanno oltre la fisicità della merce esposta. Un’evoluzione che è simile a quella del marchio.

In maniera molto veloce possiamo sintetizzare lo sviluppo dei luoghi del consumo con il percorso lineare esposto qui sotto:

a) bottega o negozio (dal latino “nec”, negazione e “otium”, ozio: negazione dell’ozio, cioè attività. Il negozio aveva la funzione principale di soddisfare i bidogni primari.

b) passages. È una serie di botteghe commerciali coperte. La prima viene inaugurata a Parigi nel 1786 nel giardino del Palais Royale. Gli originali passages subiscono nel corso degli anni un aumento quantitativo e qualitativo, grazie anche all’illuminazione artificiale. Un esempio italiano è la Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II a Milano, realizzata nel 1878.

c) i grandi magazzini. Il primo esempio fu realizzato sempre a Parigi nel 1852 da Aristide Boucicaut che lo chiamò Il Bon Marché. Rispetto al negozio il grande magazzino si differenzia per la sua architettura esterna (imponente, lussuoso), per la sua decorazione interna (anch’essa lussuosa, tende a infondere un senso di meraviglia), e per gli spazi interni come le sale da thè, da lettura, i giardini. Il grande magazzino si caratterizza anche per una funzione di incontro sociale e culturale, che assumerà sempre più importanza.

d) il magazzino a prezzo unico, che rispondeva alle esigenza di una classe sociale con minori risorse economiche. In Italia sono è di questo tipo l’UPIM (Unico prezzo italiano Milano, aperto nel 1928 dal gruppo Rinascente), la Standa (originariamente Standard – Società tutti ariticoli nazionali dell’arredamento abbigliamento -, aperta nel 1931 dai fratelli Monzino).

e) i supermercati. Invenzione americana, che si sviluppa a partire dal 1930 (un precursore è il Piggly Wiggly Store di Charles Saunders aperto a Memphis nel 1916), i supermercati proponevano l’esposizione di merci alimentari, spesso a costo minore rispetto alla bottega. Un dato che dà l’esempio dell’espansione dei supermercati: dai 1.200 operativi nel 1936 negli Stati Uniti ai quasi 5.000 due anni dopo (Charvat, F. J., Supermarketing, The MacMillan Company, New York 1961, citato in CAVAZZA, S – SCARPELLINI, E., Il secolo dei consumi. Dinamiche sociali nell’Europa del Novecento, Carocci, Roma 2006). A livello sociale i supermercati diventano l’esempio e il simbolo della società dei consumi.

f) gli hard discount sono l’evoluzione dei supermercati. Creati in Germania, sono strutture funzionali, spesso dall’aspetto spartano, che propongono prodotti ad un prezzo minore rispetto al supermercato, molto spesso con prodotti non di marca.

g) anche gli ipermercati sono lo sviluppo dei supermercati. Costruiti nelle periferie delle città, anch’essi propongono merci a prezzi bassi. Il primo ipermercato è il Carrefour: aperto a sud di Parigi nel 1963 disponeva di una superficie di 2.500 metri quadrati.

h) gli shopping center nascono negli Stati Uniti intorno agli anni ‘50 (in Italia vengono chiamati centri commerciali). Essi fondono strutture commerciali con spazi sociali, di ritrovo per le comunità extraurbane, con strutture che spesso mancano nelle città limitrofe. Gli shopping center divennero strutture coperte con impianti ad aria condizionata (i cosiddetti malls. All’interno riproducono il reticolo di una città con strade, piazze, fontane, spesso ospitano concerti, mostre e sono provvisti di negozi di servizio come bar, banche, ristoranti, attività artigianali).

i) i concept stores. Ultima evoluzione del luogo di consumo, il concept stores non vende più solo merce, ma uno stile di vita. Tra gli esempi di concept stores: i negozi Nike Town, i Disney Stores, i Mac Stores, Virgin, Feltrinelli.

l) e-commerce. Il fenomeno della vendita attraverso internet sembra eliminare il luogo e il tempo. Gli acquisti si possono fare in qualsiasi ora del giorno, 24 ore su 24, in qualsiasi posto, purché si disponga di un computer e di una connessione.

m) il consumo globale. Se è vero che internet elimina il negozio come mediatore tra la fabbrica e il cliente è sotto gli occhi di tutti la nuova tendenza del consumo ad espandersi in luoghi non propriamente destinati originariamente a quella funzione: musei, aereoporti, chiese, uffici postali. Se il museo è diventato un negozio l’ipermercato è un museo. Questo è quello che penso quando entro in un ipermercato ed esco a mani vuote, senza aver comperato nulla, ma contento. Non ho pagato il biglietto d’entrata (si entra gratis), ho visto tantissime cose (belle e brutte non fa differenza perché il Novecento ha sviluppato l’estetica del brutto).

Takeshi-Dori: the pedestrianized famous street of Harajuku, I‘m not fan. Cheap bazaar for teenagers and teens alduts. Each tribe has its own shop. And for few months, H&M and co are based near the La Forêt legendary building (Metro station: Meiji-Jingumae or Harajuku). Let‘s be crazy and jump in this streets maze, to discover small interesting shops. Like: Jack‘s Vintage Clothing for 50-60’s rock‘n Roll vintage (picture 5), near the Nihon Manga fetichist shop. Then let’s cross the Meji Street to reach the underground coming-up fashion designers (picture 6). And let’s finish this shopping in Beams concept stores (the T-shits bar, boudoir or art gallery). 

Batman girl

Pop posters craving…

The really cool owner of the Jack’s Vintage Clothing and leader of a Punk Rock band. I’ve tested a Japanese Punk Rock Karaoke, wow what a blaze! For the adress of the shop: heatwave@mbm.ocn.ne.jp .

Graphiques bottes d’Aï-Hz artiste VJ parisien basé à Tokyo, dans la boutique Dog: B1 Trinity Bld. 3-23-3 Jingumae Shibuya-Ku

THE Vivienne Westwood museum… of Tokyo baby!

Takeshi-Dori, célèbre rue piétonne d’Harajuku. Suis pas fan. Bazar cheap pour ados (les vrais) et vieux ados, en panique mode d’un look identitaire. Chaque tribu a son shop. Désormais H&M and co sont aussi de la partie, à proximité du légendaire building La Forêt (Metro: Meiji-Jingumae ou Harajuku). Soyons fous, plongeons dans ce dédale de rues, pour découvrir quelques petites boutiques intéressantes comme: Jack‘s Vintage Clothing, où chiner 50-60’s (photo 5) qui jouxte le shop des fétichistes fans de Nihon Manga. Traverser la Meji Street, vers la partie jeunes créateurs underground (photo 6). Finir plus conventionnels modeux par les concept stores, Beams (bar à T-shirts, boudoir et art galerie).

 

Comme une envie de pop posters…

Le très sympathique propriétaire de Jack’s Vintage Clothing, leader d’un groupe de Punk Rock, avis au amateurs. J’ai testé le Karaoké Japanese Punk Rock, ça décoiffe! Pour l’adresse en anglais de la boutique: heatwave@mbm.ocn.ne.jp.

Graphiques bottes d’Aï-Hz, artiste VJ parisien basé à Tokyo, dans la boutique Dog: B1 Trinity Bld. 3-23-3 Jingumae Shibuya-Ku

Ze musée Vivienne Weswood!

Today Manufactum opens it’s store in the city of Cologne, Germany. More than 1.000 sqm space provide the major part of the company’s catalogue-sortiment and a big food department.

La version française de ce texte est “Julie Bernardin, la petite amie parisienne de Batman”

- I love speed, I’m not politically correct ! I am quick and I only work in the rush.

Julie Bernardin is a radioactive frenetic jewels designer and extremely good with her hands. She studied at Esmod and Studio Berçot where: “Everything I did was terribly bad!”. And became a collection coordinator at Isabel Canovas and a specialist of the XVIII century items and furniture: “pretty cosmic!”… And a Spiderman’s buddy who’s created her trade “to make gifts” three years ago: 4 Me.

- A jewel is a way to express yourself. People easily adapt, one season and you throw them. I think I have fun, but I don’t really have talent.

I disagree: for months, years, two years! For two years I’ve looked for the shop of Super Julie, further to a never-ending brunch at Hotel Murano with The Human Torch. While we nonchalantly walked: I saw it! A kind of “Honey I shrunk Batman” miniature with strass and chains, like a jewel for bags with hype bling charm! I love it! The Human Torch wants to give it to me, I can’t make up my mind: Tiny-Bat is too big for my imaginativeness threshold. Ellipse, after a while and the absolute certain I want the Batman jewel, “the object of desire” says Super Julie.

Once again: after the Sunday brunch ritual in front of the Murano superstars fire place and endless white leather sofa, with this time a human friend, I look for the shop in rue de Turenne. Nothing! The shop disappeared. That’s it! With my jewel! Joker for sure! Two years later, Super Julie comes out again on Iqons. Now the shop has a black box frontage and my X-Men intuition won’t make any mistake again. So what? Even superheroes make a mistake! Seldom!

- I love charms, I put them everywhere! Thanks to Vanessa Zochetti (a elle.fr journalist), I also put them on chains. I really like working with chains. I buy small thingamajigs everywhere, lots in the States, in shops of cooking, cakes tins. Many stuffs from the 50-70’s.

My mega bionic eye examines the glam Barbie’s red superb curls dressed in vintage cowgirl, with a denim tiny short and colourful Mexican boots on a shelf. “Inspector Harry” flashes, in the Vegas 70’s. On another shelf, some Spanish”something”: Super Julie likes kitsch things she transforms into collectors. The 40-50’s jewels she antiques in the US and then “put back together again” to make her own jewels.

- I  love Rita Hayworth, Fred Astair, Capra… 50’s massive influence. I’m very conceptual. I like when it’s representative and something happens: telling a story, like in a Crazy Horse act. All samples have a name. Small dogs are in “My Best Friends”, cause they are here when we need them.

Among the first persons to have a look at her jewels, guess who ? Two great members of the Marverick private club: Gaspard Yurkievich (again and again, I know!)  and André who sells them in his Black Block shop at the Palais de Tokyo.

- I think there are people with an eye and others not. I grew up in the cult of what was beautiful and good, the Crazy Horse basis principles: it had to fix it! Detail is very important.

Yes, a detail, Super Julie is the grand daughter of Alain Bernardin, the Crazy Horse creator.

- Really hard to be yourself ! I am very shy: I listen too much, I need to be relieved. We are in the rat year, a very important year for me! I’m not zen at all!

A big laugh ! No problem, I am not either and I could ask for help Master Carradine for an intensive coaching! I shake off Joker, now we can leave our super powers:

- I love music, I’ve always gone to concerts. I am a mad keen of Fleetwood Mac, Prince, « Sympathy for the Devil » of the Stones… and seventies. I would like to work in music. Many DJs and rappers like my jewels.  I sell a lot to celebs: Rolling Stones, Guetta, Audrey Tautou, Olivier Assayag…

Her handmade jewels, four to ten samples by models, are sold in Paris at Bon Marché that “loves them”  (with an exclusive design, for this winter), Galeries Lafayettes (at the fashion designers corner, last summer) and in thirty shops, mostly concept stores (oups!) around the world: Great Bretain, Italy, Germany, Japan, Taïwan, New York and Chicago, by Jeff Mills, yeah the DJ…