Colette Closes Its Doors in Paris While Numerous Concept Stores Crop up in Less Likely Cities

RETAIL Colette closes its doors in Paris while numerous concept stores crop up in less likely cities. What's next for the FASHION-LIFESTYLE RETAIL FORMULA? SPACES 123 The brainchild of Comme des Garçons'Rei Kawakubo, DOVER STREET MARKET SINGAPORE Dover Street Market — which embodies a retail experience that's built around the concept of'beautiful chaos' — reached Singapore last year. WHEN NEWS OF COLETTE'S closing circu• Colette and DSM were forerunners in their a moment for ourselves, to read a book, for lated last year, surely more than a few retail• field; the latter can be traced as far back as the example' - Wu called upon Casper Mueller ers began second-guessing the concept-store 1960s, when Kawakubo encountered Kens• Kneer Architects to transform a 1930s ware• formula. One of the first of its kind, Colette ington Market during a London visit. Paris, house with Art-Deco detailing into a retail in Paris offered a curated selection - the London, Tokyo: all are known for setting sty• destination that surrounds fashion with a crème de la crème of fashion brands along• listic trends, but similar high-end multi-brand curated selection of titles from Donlon Books side up-and-comers - and hosted cultural concept stores that fuse fashion, art and life• of London, a plant-based tonic bar from New events for 20 years before shutting up shop style are now cropping up everywhere, from York's The Alchemist's Kitchen, and space for in December. Moscow to Vancouver. The recipe? Pick an rotating exhibitions: Ramble On by local artist Seven years after Colette was born, impressive — preferably run-down — space, Myfanwy MacLeod was first in line. So far, Dover Street Market opened its doors in introduce art and culture, and strictiy curate not so different from its predecessors. Things London, turning the concept into a warren the selection. get a bit more forward-thinking, though, of art installations and famously unbranded Vancouverites' fondness for the with the introduction of a gender-neutral brand stores. When Comme des Garçons' outdoors explains their relaxed approach section, as well as space for designers who Rei Kawakubo launched another DSM in to fashion and design. There's truth behind push sustainable methods and fabrics (Story Tokyo in 2006, she claimed that New York the 'activewear, everywhere' jibes. Seeking to MFG, for instance, uses vegetable dyes). Wu City (which eventually opened in 2013) expose the city to a more exclusive interna• also sees Leisure Center's flexible downstairs would most likely be her last stop. Ultimately tional flavour and to appeal to the increasing space befitting community yoga classes, aiming for a maximum of four or five DSM number of expats now calling the west coast new product launches and private-shopping stores, Kawakubo reached the lower end of Canada home, Mason Wu opened Leisure experiences. of her quota last year with the opening of Center late last year. Recognizing the chang• KM20, which was founded by Olga DSM Singapore. ing definition of luxury — 'it's a luxury to take Karput in 2009, recently traded its modest » 126 KM20 MOSCOW digs for a 2,500-m2 space in Moscow. Going As the trend gains ground, it's resulting in for an 'Art Biennale meets Alice in Won• precisely the situation it was distancing itself derland'vibe, the interior focuses on the from: finding the same store with the same 'preciousness of the offline experience'. Along brands regardless of where you are in the with fashions from such usual suspects as world. Surely part of DSM's appeal was the Comme des Garçons, KM20 also features surprise factor, which obviously wanes as (yep, you guessed it) relatively unknown similar concepts are increasingly adopted in brands, plus a beauty corner, a restaurant every corner of the globe. Higham agrees: serving biodynamic wines, and a collection of 'DSM itself needs to evolve further or it what the managers consider the most inter• will seem passe. Agent Provocateur and The esting books and magazines from (coinciden- Body Shop have had similar problems: their tally?) another London bookseller, Idea. core concepts have been co-opted and they Besides the creation of worthwhile haven't really taken things further.' offline experiences, what makes this wave of Higham believes that next-generation concept stores something that so many are retailers will need to up the ante in terms keen to embrace? 'Consumers today are less of theatre and interaction. 'The internet of interested in purchase and ownership for the things, augmented reality and virtual real• sake of it,' says consumer futurist William ity will improve retailers'ability to make it Higham. 'They're happy with access-ship, happen. They'll also need to create new ver• except for "unique" items. As a result, they sions of curation and serendipity: celebrity view shopping more as a leisure activity [Wu curation, random versus Al-led serendipity. seemingly hit the nail on the head when nam• And mixed use within department stores and ing his store] than as a way to buy. They have shopping malls will add more leisure, food, e-commerce for the latter.' Higham says that housing and offices to the equation.' — Tl shoppers are looking for something special doverstreetmarket.com from their stores: theatre, interaction, cura- km20.ru tion, serendipity.'Dover Street Market picked leisure-center.com up on this trend early and offered customers something extra.' .

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