Comme Des Garcons - Guerrilla Stores

[Johnny]

Thanks for the information and photos whizkit. Do you travel a lot or just make pilgrimages to comme shops! I like the Berlin shopfront.

 

[whizkit]

Thanks for the information and photos whizkit. Do you travel a lot or just make pilgrimages to comme shops! I like the Berlin shopfront.

I just did a bit of travelling around Europe while I was an exchange student in Sweden last year. First time in Europe and I dun think I can afford to go back in the near future, so I made it a point to try to visit as many of my favorite fashion landmarks as possible. But basically, it is only the CDG stores, Helmut Lang stores and Margiela stores that I wanted to visit. Went to the Dover Street Market and the Paris stores also!

 

[Johnny]

Cool - which was your favourite. Mine has to be the Paris Red comme store. I think it's the perfect showcase for their clothers. DSM is more interesting in a way, but less pure - it's the purity of it (and the stupendously daft idea od the room with the red robots!!) that I like.

 

[whizkit]

I like the red store too, although the red cubes wasn't moving when I was there. I really like the red counter with the seat that slides out from the side. The red plastic interior really created a strong statement, in addition to the fact that it is not fronted at the main street. Me and my friends walked past the courtyard entrance 3 times looking for the shop and didn't realise it was there. We had to walk to colette and search for the exact address in the paris guides which was sold there. The CDG staff was surprising polite and friendly despite having to trudge all the way to the basement several times to bring us the different ranges of leather goods which we requested to see. And they spoke English.

I like DSM for its curated emporium concept and the sheer range of beautiful products available there. I remember seeing some CDG fred perrys that are tie-dyed (not something i would wear though) and some other designs which I never saw at any of the guerilla stores or even the red store. And the white Lanvin collection was just wonderful.

 

[nqth]

Promise to make some pictures of Warsaw :-) when the light will be a bit better:-P

Thanks for the pictures and info:-)

I also like the Paris Red store. It is pitty I didn't see the "surprising slide door" effect:-) since it was just wide open when I was there.

But earlier taht day I went to the store v. early in the morning, while the main store was still closed, there was a girl who appeared to work there. She wanted to get in and just "beated" massively at the red wall. Scarelly:-)))

The perfume shop with pink glass wall is fab., too:-)

 

[softgrey]

thanks for the pics whizkit...and welcome welcome

 

[anaisanais]

the berlin store.....

 

[faust]

Looks like I'll be visiting the Stockholm store (if it's still open in May)!

 

[Heroin_Chic]

Yeah great...I was in Berlin last year and looked for the store - AND IT WAS SO WELL-HIDDEN THAT I DIDN`T FIND IT!

(But maybe I`m not good at finding stores...I also managed to walk by Helmut Lang in Milan )

 

[nqth]

Barcelona has "dissapeared".

Berlin is reoccupied from 19.03
http://www.guerrilla-store.com/plus4930/flash.php
I have heard that the woman from the old store is managing the new one:-)

 

[whizkit]

That is great! I hope the one in Singapore will be reoccupied after it dissappers! If not CDG stuff will once again be monopolized by the only other outlet here.

 

[travolta]

article about guerilla design
http://www.icon-magazine.co.uk/issues/020/guerilla.htm

 

[Johnny]

Barcelona has "dissapeared".

Berlin is reoccupied from 19.03
http://www.guerrilla-store.com/plus4930/flash.php
I have heard that the woman from the old store is managing the new one:-)

Hmmmm. Not sure about this. This brings back some concerns I voiced a good while ago about comme and the whole guerilla/collaboration thing. Isn't this "dissappeared" or "reoccupied" thing just a fancy way of saying that the Barcelona store wasn't succesful and the Berlin one was? Reoccupation was not part of the original agenda. In fact I remember Adrian Joffe saying that they would always close after a year, no matter how well it was doing..... Maybe it's a different address, but I can't help thinking, a little cynically perhaps, that they're just wanting to keep hold of a good thing. Nothing wrong with THAT, as such, it's the way that it's inconsistent with the original marketing that is the issue.

 

[helena]

Hmmmm. Not sure about this. This brings back some concerns I voiced a good while ago about comme and the whole guerilla/collaboration thing. Isn't this "dissappeared" or "reoccupied" thing just a fancy way of saying that the Barcelona store wasn't succesful and the Berlin one was? Reoccupation was not part of the original agenda. In fact I remember Adrian Joffe saying that they would always close after a year, no matter how well it was doing..... Maybe it's a different address, but I can't help thinking, a little cynically perhaps, that they're just wanting to keep hold of a good thing. Nothing wrong with THAT, as such, it's the way that it's inconsistent with the original marketing that is the issue.

surely you can change your mind? if its going down a storm in Berlin why would they close it....

 

[Johnny]

surely you can change your mind? if its going down a storm in Berlin why would they close it....

I understand that. My gripe is that comme market the concept in such a way as to appeal to a particular way of thinking, that of their typical (or target) customer perhaps - who likes the idea that they are not just out to make big profits, who like the purity of the guerilla ethic etc. Then they decide that it's a good way of making money as well. It's not a big deal or anything, it was just an observation........

 

[softgrey]

i totally agree johnny...it's an issue of principle i think...

but they also never opened the brooklyn store ...so something obviously went awry with the plan...

 

[lars]

sthlm guerilla

there is actually a cool mini store in Stockholm with some nice Junya pieces...

 

[metal-on-metal]

but they also never opened the brooklyn store ...so something obviously went awry with the plan...

I was about to ask about that. Is it no longer planned to open?

 

[nqth]

I understand you Johnny:-) Here in Warsaw they told me from the very beginning that Guerrilla stores could be open in other address after closing. It depends on "local" people, who run the stores. It could be another city, country or street. The point is to move. I think it's fair:-)

Of course there is no need for doing so if a store is not very succesful. Do you mean Comme should open regullar store (more expensive) in Berlin instead, Johnny:-)? I think if one has to choose, Guerrilla or non, the first option is ok.

 

[whizkit]

Hmmmm. Not sure about this. This brings back some concerns I voiced a good while ago about comme and the whole guerilla/collaboration thing. Isn't this "dissappeared" or "reoccupied" thing just a fancy way of saying that the Barcelona store wasn't succesful and the Berlin one was? Reoccupation was not part of the original agenda. In fact I remember Adrian Joffe saying that they would always close after a year, no matter how well it was doing..... Maybe it's a different address, but I can't help thinking, a little cynically perhaps, that they're just wanting to keep hold of a good thing. Nothing wrong with THAT, as such, it's the way that it's inconsistent with the original marketing that is the issue.

It is a different address. The original one was at Chaussestrasse.

And why let go of a good thing. And I think it keeps with the spirit of a guerilla-store. A one year tenure frees them from having to struggle to keep the store going until it makes a profit. And it makes sense to reopen a successful store in another part of the city. It allows a fresh start with an established client base.