Mar
30
New Miami Martin Maison Margiela
This month Martin Maison Margiela opened the doors ‘temporarily’ to its 19th location in Miami, Fl. The new store is only Maison’s second location in the U.S., the other in New York City. Located in the Miami design district, the boutique is certainly a welcome and fitting addition, even if it’s only temporary. The shop closely associates itself to the iconographic style of Maison with an all white palette of textures, textiles and furniture that intermingles with old and new architectural elements that mimic the brand’s Parisian home-base. Nicely sized at 2,700 sq. ft. the new store is configured into areas, each containing a collection in a distinct and unique space that showcases different Maison aesthetic elements. The common question asked, ” just how temporary is temporary?”. The house’s response, “However long it takes to find our dream home….. Yet temporary this location is!”. Sometimes these places just have a way of sticking and never going away, I’m sure that’s what Miami is hoping for. Temporary or not it’s definitely leagues better in terms of design than most boutiques. I think the temporary quality gives it a particular illusive appeal. It makestheir patrons appreciate it while they still got it…
Maison Martin Margiela
Melin Building
3930 NE 2nd Avenue, #101
Miami, Florida
33137
1 786 718 1931
via: www.highsnobiety.com
Mar
25
A triumph for Missoni’s first single-brand store that opened its doors this week in Los Angeles, commanding attention on the corner of Rodeo Dr. and Santa Monica Blvd. Designed by Patrik Kinmonth e Antoni Monfreda the new boutique reflects Missoni’s quirky, unique and creative side while also implementing its Italian roots and tradition.The facades are of white weaved aluminum bands, that almost looks like paper which face this concrete, glass and steel structure. Scattered windows cut out from the skin allow glimpses within the boutique offering images of the products and the flashes of color from the interior.
The banding motif is continued inside but vertically reaching up to the ceiling and stretching across. White predominates, showcasing the items with an occasional large block of color that represents the color themes that have become synonymous with the brand over the years. The new location is rather large at 700 meters square (approx. 7534 sq.ft.) with space enough to include its Missoni home and lifestyle products. The new boutique is a welcome and befitting addition to Rodeo Drive, which helps in proving that contemporary design has a place in Beverly Hills. Rodeo Drive itself has received quite a face lift over the past few years with a new Prada, Chanel, and a much anticipated TOM FORD and I’m sure more to come..
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Mar
25
Vivienne Westwood MAN
So, last week many little boys dreams came true, a Vivenne Westood MAN store opened its doors and for the Vivienne obsessed it was heralded as quite a paramount achievement. From a design standpoint….a little disappointed, as a guy I’ve come to grips with the reality that our stores are rarely top notch, with the exception of the occasional TOM FORD. Unfortunately they’ve realized our secret, that our market is not as large as women’s wear and thus a bit more risky of an investment, but for a brand with such a diverse and loyal fan base I would expect a little more. The location is great on 18 Conduit in a coveted Georgian styled building, and even the neon signage is kinda cool, but the inside is, well I hate to say it, mediocre. Don’t get me wrong it’s done well and probably better than the average store and the finishes of nickle, oak and stone all do complement each other nicely with bit of an earthy edge. However, there’s really not a lot of design, its a large (130 sq. m.) space with typical retail fixtures dressed up with homage to the Stonehenge Westwood MAN logo. Apparently the gimmick of the store is a glass covered ‘crypt’ which was once an old barrel shaped vault, now used as a unique display, similar, I imagine, to the Prada floor displays on Rodeo Drive. Maybe the open space will prove useful when the shop is flooded with all its Westwood hungary patrons. At least now they have a retail watering hole and don’t have to subject themselves to picking over department stores for a Westwood item. What do you think of the new space?
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