Charles Anastase at Dover Street Market
Last week, London’s Dover Street Market provided the first inkling of spring by revealing a semi-annual transformation that features exciting new designers and meaningful collaborations — all displayed in the store’s signature avant-garde style.
At the front of the store, London’s renowned restaurant and design collective Le Trois Garçons returns to its stallholder roots with a window display featuring a life-size leather octopus. Meanwhile on the third floor, its nostalgic trove of exotic treasures (chairs, tables, showpieces, jewelry boxes and more) takes visitors on a rousing travel through time while Lanvin’s amusing Internet café/office environment provides a modern contrast to the period pieces. Created by the house’s head designer, Alber Elbaz, it comes complete with desktops connected via live chat.
The highlight of the season, however, is Dover Street newcomer Peter Jensen who was invited by the store’s founders, Rei Kawakubo and Adrian Joffe, to revisit his past collections and then create iconic pieces. The designer responded with six exclusive and quirky frilled frocks that highlight his trademark use of narrative prints.
Injecting further energy into the revamp is a mix of emerging and established labels. On the womenswear side, Charles Anastase imparts his individualistic style, as do Sophia Kokosalaki and British Fashion Council award winner Erdem. Additionally, Japanese knitwear label Sacai debuts a dashing menswear collection, Polkit introduces its innovative Fabri-K tailoring system and the eccentric Comme de Garçons lines for men and women are interspersed throughout.
Finally, the basement offers a delightful blast from the past, as the Tokyo-based shop NOWHERE is reconstructed to house the revival of Last Orgy 2: the first collection that Jun Takahashi (Undercover) and Nigo (A Bathing Ape) created together almost fifteen years ago. NOWHERE will also stock limited edition Undercover products and be the exclusive UK stockist for A Bathing Ape.
Did we mention that these are just some of the enchanting items on offer…
Dover Street Market 17-18 Dover Street, London, W1S 4LT, UK +44.207.518.0680
