Comme Des Garcons - Guerrilla Stores

[faust]

wooo faust - so will you wave to us when you fly over?

yes, as I dream of the grean Scottish meadows and the forest-clad mountains

hehe, tott i already know what i want there...

 

[softgrey]

thanks for the pictures thomas28...

 

[philip gentleman]

i am thinking williamsburg but hoping bushwick.

 

[ThisHollywoodLfe]

I have to say reading about the guerilla stores made it seem very appeaing, but the pictures leave a lot to be desired. I realize the point is to have something they can pack up and get rid of quickly, but I think a little wall decoration, even in an age when things seem to be going surprisingly minimalistic and not to the point of any big time store, would help and vanquish the whole wharehouse feel I am getting from the walls. Even just blown up ads or something. But it is nice to see someone trying something new.

 

[whizkit]

The dressing up of the store really depends on the people who are managing the store, as I think that CdG do not manage the stores directly. The Singapore store has some art installations and drawings once in a while. The store disappears today.

 

[nqth]

I have to say reading about the guerilla stores made it seem very appeaing, but the pictures leave a lot to be desired. I realize the point is to have something they can pack up and get rid of quickly, but I think a little wall decoration, even in an age when things seem to be going surprisingly minimalistic and not to the point of any big time store, would help and vanquish the whole wharehouse feel I am getting from the walls. Even just blown up ads or something. But it is nice to see someone trying something new.

I think the point here is to expose the autheticity of the location. It's all about raw, unedited surroundings, giving each store an unique character.

 

[philip gentleman]

correct whizkit - the guerilla stores are owned and operated privately while stock is owned and sold on consignment by cdg. individual store owners are approved by mr. kawakubo (rei's french husband runs cdg marketing outside of japan) and are trusted to present the collections and accessories in an interesting environment for one year and for VERY little budget (i recall from a ny times article that the berlin store was done for about $3,000 usd). once the year is over, and the area is no longer considered up-and-coming, the store closes.

i am actually intrigued by the singapore store reappearing...cdg insists that guerilla stores have a one year life span, so does this imply a new / different guerilla location within singapore? or a more mainstream store to take its place elsewhere?

 

[travolta]

correct whizkit - the guerilla stores are owned and operated privately while stock is owned and sold on consignment by cdg. individual store owners are approved by mr. kawakubo (rei's french husband runs cdg marketing outside of japan) and are trusted to present the collections and accessories in an interesting environment for one year and for VERY little budget (i recall from a ny times article that the berlin store was done for about $3,000 usd). once the year is over, and the area is no longer considered up-and-coming, the store closes.

i am actually intrigued by the singapore store reappearing...cdg insists that guerilla stores have a one year life span, so does this imply a new / different guerilla location within singapore? or a more mainstream store to take its place elsewhere?

if its all about being on the fly..wouldn't it be smart to abandon the original intent of a one year life span?i think it's fine to have those intentions and speak about it initially, but it's so much more interesting to see how it mutates into an ever stronger concept...the whole thing was just like testing a theory to begin with. i'm not sure if this is the correct terminology, but i like the idea of retail being liquid. do you think the gureilla store direction is actually just what they want you to think and they actually have in mind something even more radical??

 

[travolta]

any theories about what will be next? post-guerilla store?

 

[brian]

correct whizkit - the guerilla stores are owned and operated privately while stock is owned and sold on consignment by cdg. individual store owners are approved by mr. kawakubo (rei's french husband runs cdg marketing outside of japan) and are trusted to present the collections and accessories in an interesting environment for one year and for VERY little budget (i recall from a ny times article that the berlin store was done for about $3,000 usd). once the year is over, and the area is no longer considered up-and-coming, the store closes.

i'd love to open a cdg guerilla store here.... ...

 

[whizkit]

Technically, the concept of the one year life span still holds as the old store is closed and a new store , with a new one year lifespan, is opened somewhere else. Like the new Berlin store, the guerilla concept is carried forward and the same frugal management approach is retained. The new Singapore guerilla store will be in the old Arab district, which is quieter and more off beat, as opposed to the former one in Chinatown, which is along the tourist trail and easily accessible. You can say that the new location is even more "guerrilla". However, as much as I would like to see a permanent CdG store opening here, I do not think that it would happen as I feel CdG do not have a big enough customer base here to sustain one. Even though Singapore is one of the earliest CdG sales point outside of Japan (since the 70s when CdG was still new), it only caters to a small niche group. If CdG is interested in maintaining a dedicated store here, I would think that it will remain in the guerilla format or a derivative of that.

I don't know much about marketing but it seems to me that the guerilla stores are a way of testing new markets without the inherent risk of an all out investment. I'm crossing my fingers that the venture here will turn into something bigger in the future.

But I have one question,who is it that decides whether a store reappears or not, CdG or the operator?

 

[travolta]

I don't know much about marketing but it seems to me that the guerilla stores are a way of testing new markets without the inherent risk of an all out investment. I'm crossing my fingers that the venture here will turn into something bigger in the future.

that is spot on. marketing strategies are changing..you can no longer rely on marketers and market research. cosumers have become innate market researchers..how do companies one up them? they are looking toward branding/strategy consultants to do the field world for them...which i believe is relatively new. the main thing is consumers want the experience companies retail environments can provide..it is what they lack, as they have access to everything else. that is why it is so important to let things play out by ear, "guerilla testing". i would love to sit in on a meeting w/ these guys...

 

[nqth]

It's a good point, whizkit:-)

While the bigger fashion houses can have big ad. budgets to persuade people that they are the luxuries, smaller companies are trying to say they are innovative. The Guerrilla strategy is the most effective way for doing so. It's just so fresh and lets "local" people straight into the new things.

But imagine Gucci or even CK doing guerrilla:-P I have heard that Margiella and D2 will be on offer here in Diesel mega-store.

I think the Warsaw store draws in quite a lot of people who are not interested in avant-garde fashion but perfumes... In addition, the raw look of the store are much more "friendly" :-) than the big time boutiques one might see here in Poland.:-)

Starting and non-profesional designers here in Warsaw sometimes also organize special bazaars to get noticed. They actually sell tshirts, jeweleries... during the event.

 

[Honey~Blade]

I really like this shirt. I think it's exclusive to the Guerilla store in HK and only 80 were made I believe.

 

[whizkit]

It's cute and it reminds me of couple of CdG patchwork shirts I saw many years ago which had a teddy bear or a toy robot printed on the front.

 

[i-love-polkadots]

Somebody in the house who´s first name begins with an "R"...?

 

[travolta]

for those interested in gureilla marketing, check this out...

http://www.gawker.com/news/media/time-magazine/index.php

 

[whizkit]

Just received a teaser in my mail today.

 

[terrainvague]

Just received a teaser in my mail today.

ah long live +65.

 

[kit]

individual store owners are approved by mr. kawakubo (rei's french husband runs cdg marketing outside of japan)

Rei Kawakubo is married to an Englishman whose name is Adrian Joffe .
He once had a knitwear label in the UK - famous for its Missoni type patterns .