Big boutique appetite but starved for time? These expertly-curated retail sanctuaries bring you all the covetable spoils you crave in one hit-and-quit locale.
From fash and furny to lifestyle and lim ed galore, these top concept shops will have you well heeled and well on your way in a jiff. Tick tock!
Alchemy Works
Part-time gallery and event pad, and full-time retail romp, this cutting-edge space is at the forefront of DTLA’s revival, bedding down with local artists, photographers and designers to create a peeper-pleasing situ packing vintage finds, eclectic homeware and lush grooming prods. There’s an impressive stash of indie-label rags by the likes of Bellroy, Hill-Side, and Armor Lux, but the real star of the show is a flash-dash 1959 Fiat Abarth Spyder parked front and centre on the shop floor. Swerve into the on-site Warby Parker showroom before pumping the breaks at small-batch roaster Blacktop next door.
826 E 3rd St, Downtown, Los Angeles, +1 323 4871 497. alchemyworks.us
Clerkenwell London
Lose your Loubs to tackle this mega 13,000 sqft space nestled in one of London’s most edgy nabes, where a staggering, multifarious mix of decor, fashion and bijoux snuggle up amidst a jumble of old-school records and coffee-table trinkets. Flying the flag for the Brits are Olivia Von Halle, Zoe Jordan and J.Lindenberg, plus if you follow your nose you’ll find a scent-sational in-house perfumery, contempo 155 Bar & Kitchen, after-hours Vinyl Lounge, Martini Bar, Wine Library and two private dining digs.
155 Farringdon Rd, EC1, +44 20 3826 1142. clerkenwell-london.com
Another Story
This sleek woody loft’s dreamy cache of niche prods and local artisan wares is just the ticket for your Emquartier aesthetic awakening. You’ll find over 70 Thai labels scattered across different ‘zones’, including luxury and street-approved pieces, tech toys and vibrant botanicals. Oh, and there’s an adjoining cheese and wine-centric caff for that all-important post-shop flop.
Spendy Wendys continue the retail trail at Siwilai, with its equally impressive stash of home grown names from Chiang Mai, Nan and Nakorn, plus international top-dogs like Kitsuné, Thakoon and Olympia Le Tan. These ultra-swish digs also house a beauty lab and outdoor terrace, including LUXE-fave Rocket Coffee.
EmQuartier, 12 Sukhumvit Rd, Phrom Phong, Bangkok, +662 022 6910 00. theemdistrict.com
Central Embassy, 5/F, Plooenchit Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok, +662 160 5809 12. siwilaistore.com
10 Corso Como
Since stili-kicking its doors open to the Milanese cognoscenti in ‘91, Carla Sozzani’s storied style HQ has all but taken over the world via dazzling outposts in Seoul, Shanghai and Beijing. A gleaming, global vision of steel, glass, flash and fash, 10CC’s glittering lineup spans apparel, accessories and homeware too. Where else can you find Memphis’ asymmetric armchairs and K-Pop collabs under the same roof? The answer is, nowhere, dahhhhhling!
Colette
If you know her name, you know this dame is still on her A-game, drawing everyone from hipsters to Hollywood starlets vying for the statement kicks, cutting-edge gadgets and oh-so now Martone bicycles that put this mainstay on the map. Phew! It’s enough to make you weak. Fret not, collapse at the flagship’s epic Water Bar, with 75-80 brands of H2O – at least one is sure to bring you back to life.
Rather fly under the radar? Sashay across town to Merci, a former C.19th wallpaper factory turned design loft, where below the tome-stuffed literary cafe you’ll find a vast showroom housing a simply beautiful trove of Parisian house candy, femme frocks, frou frou and haberdashery. The best part – all proceeds go to charity
213 Rue Saint Honoré, 1st, Paris, +33 1 5535 3390. colette.fr
111 Blvd Beaumarchais, 3rd, Paris, +33 1 4277 0033. merci-merci.com
