the new face of retailing in europe: colette, walter .............................................................................................................................................................
......................... shop .................. competitions .............. education ................ interviews ................... snapshots ................... history .......... contemporary
concept stores the new face of retailing in europe a concept store is a place where fashion, design, art, photography and music, as well as new technological breakthroughs can interact. --- 'colette' / paris (1997) a three-level, 7,500-square-foot store on the rue saint-honoré, has, in the four years since it was founded, become a must-visit destination for the young and fashion-conscious from europe and beyond. the site, which once housed a drugstore, was transformed by the french architect arnaud montigny into a temple of minimalism. 'colette', is all about design, cutting-edge technology, brand-name beauty products, sneakers and sportswear, men and women's fashion by established as well as up-and-coming designers, home furnishings, a selection of books, magazines and music. temporary exhibitions are held in the gallery space. 'colette' includes a water bar featuring water from around the world, a café, and a restaurant. http://www.colette.fr http://www.ilovecolette.com --- 'walter' / antwerp (1998) walter van beierendonck's boutique, which opened three years ago, is part-gallery, part-obstacle course, part-playroom located in the sint antoniusstraat 12. undoubtedly one of the hippest boutiques with the huge polyurethane bear in the back of this former old warehouse, with its window gallery and its sweeping counter designed by marc newson. van beirendonck, was one of the so-called 'antwerp six', a group of designers who met at the antwerp royal academy of fine arts and showed their work together at the london designer show in 1980. as well as his own collections, he sells clothes by designers including the british duos eley kishimoto and antoni & alison, fellow-antwerp six man dirk van saene, and up-and-coming designers. --- 'conran shop' / london (1987) actually, one of the first to use this cluster approach was sir terence conran, british designer, author, and restaurateur. the conran's design shop 'habitat' in sloane avenue. was founded in 1964, the very first outpost of the 'empire'. conran was told at that time, that he would never succeed because the store was not on a bus route. in 1987 this 'habitat' shop has turned into the more upmarket 'conran shop', a food-centered-bazaar-shop situated inside the renovated michelin building. http://www.conran.com --- '10 corso como' / milan back to '10 corso como' --- ------- monthly designboom newsletter ------- ------- ? comments and contact us ? -------