It’s only January, but there's an event we’re already excited for this December: The opening of Comme des Garçons' multi-brand shop Dover Street Market New York. The U.S.-based location will open up in NYC’s Murray Hill in Manhattan, fitting the brand’s profile of opening up locations away from fashion-centered neighborhoods. Style.com recently caught up with Comme des Garçons CEO Adrian Joffe to get an idea of what feel the store is going to have. Check out a couple excerpts below and start marking your calendars. Read the full interview at Style.com.
[viaStyle.com]
Congratulations on the forthcoming Dover Street Market. Tell me a little bit about how it came to be. How do you think it will fit into the current retail scene in New York?
AJ: A friend lives nearby and suggested that we look at this building. We saw it and fell in love with it. The size was perfect, the history interesting, and the building itself is dramatic and strong. I think there is nothing like Dover Street Market in New York right now, so we are hoping it will make a nice addition to the retail scene, although we are not too bothered about fitting in as such.
Much has been made of its unusual location, though DSM has something of a history selecting—and then elevating—unusual neighborhoods. Was the space chosen with this in mind?
I guess it was. We were not particularly looking in the neighborhood. We were open to all areas. We really decided this because of the building itself—although, I must admit the fact of its location and the absence of fashion here was an added bonus.
How will the New York Dover Street Market relate to its counterparts in London and in Tokyo, in terms of design and in terms of product?
We are now demolishing everything inside, and then Rei Kawakubo will visit and then start the design. We do not want it to be a mere version of the two existing ones. It has to be new and peculiar to New York. It is important for us to never "copy conform" but create new individual spaces whenever we do a shop—that takes into account the spirit of the city and surrounding area. London is very London and Tokyo very Tokyo. We aim for this one to be very New York, even in an abstract sense.
