Retail concepts

Random Recs: a Tekla store, Claire de Rouen, Eddie Bauer, the future of shopping and more



Tekla x Auralee

A few snippets of digital ephemera and IRL recommendations I’ve enjoyed lately…

1/ CLAIRE DE ROUEN is returning to Soho. The much-loved art-fashion-photography bookshop is celebrating its 20th year with a new space in the centre of town next month. It was always a fave place to buy presents for those hard-to-buy-for types and now it also promises “screenings, signings, talks and exhibitions”. Along with the likes of Donlon Books, BookMarc, Reference Point and Tenderbooks, Claire de Rouen (below) is a great example of arty, bookish hangouts as ‘cultural third spaces’ where you can meet like-minded curious types, expand your knowledge and get off your phone for a few hours.
Claire de Rouen books Soho

2/ ELISSA SANTISI – accidentally TikTok famous. ICYMI, everyone’s favourite under-the-radar stylist is under-the-radar no more thanks to her TikTok famous daughter and the NYT.

3/ A TEKLA lifestyle store is coming to Marylebone. With Mouki Mou, La Fromagerie, Perfumer H, Shreeji News and Agnès b already luring me to this sleepy neighbourhood on the regular, one more destination won’t hurt. (And I do need some new PJs.) The Tekla store on Marylebone High Street will open in late November, offering apothecary products and apparel alongside its existing sleepwear (top), socks and slippers.

P.S, while mooching down Marylebone High Street, be sure to check out Agnès b’s two new fragrances; a rose-infused eau de toilette and a woody white floral eau de parfum (with a burst of saffron to give it its rock’n’roll edge) – below.
Agnes b Eau de Parfum

4/ PATTI SMITH on notebooks and handwriting. I think we’re related.

5/ EMOTE WORLD’S perfect coat. If you’re in the market for a new coat, Jennifer Alfano just dropped a top rec in The Strategist. This nutmeg brown DB overcoat (below) is just-tailored-enough for your big city day-to-night needs.
Jennifer Alfano Emote World coat

6/ An unexpected EDDIE BAUER obsession. Discovered at a talk on outdoor wear at the University of Westminster last month, the vintage Eddie Bauer goose down gimp mask face warmer* (below) is still on my mind. We need the chic, modern-day version of this – perhaps a Craig Green-Bauer collab? Also discovered at this highly informative panel talk and exhibition, the Outdoor Recreation Archive, an amazing archive of vintage books, catalogues and ephemera (below) preserved by Utah State University. The hippie-era The North Face catalogues were particularly fascinating as well as the practical little survival booklets. (As someone with zero interest in camping or mountain climbing but very keen on keeping warm, I love all this shit!)
vintage Eddie Bauer goose down face mask
Outdoor Recreation Archive The North Face 1973-74
Outdoor Recreation Archive The North Face catalog 1983
Outdoor Recreation Archive booklet

7/ The future of shopping in the FT. TLDR: A.I will help you shop more efficiently. Also, “A.I helps shoppers spend more money.”

WORDS: Disneyrollergirl / Navaz Batliwalla
IMAGES: Tekla; Claire de Rouen; Agnès b; Jennifer Alfano; Eddie Bauer/Disneyrollergirl; The North Face/Disneyrollergirl x2; Outdoor Recreation Archive/Disneyrollergirl
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What’s the surprise? JW Anderson’s retail redux



JW Anderson Brewer Street

It might be my age and the time of year (nesting is calling!) but I’m a bit more excited for fashion’s lifestyle news than adding more clothes to my wardrobe. (Yes, really!)

This week sees the newly refurbed JW Anderson store in Brewer Street, overflowing beautifully merchandised with Jonathan Anderson’s mix of knitwear, loafer bags, Wedgwood Jasperware and Mackintosh oak stools. Later in the year we’ll see his vision for a new store in Pimlico Road (home of spendy antique shops and World of Interior-style stores). (more…)



Random recs: Herbert Levine, A.P.C quilts, “Portfolio” and more



Herbert Levine

A few snippets of digital ephemera and IRL recommendations I’ve enjoyed lately…

1/ What London teens wear. (A lot of BRANDY MELVILLE and the tube is their runway.) Via Biz Sherbert.

2/ PORTFOLIO. A 1983 docudrama following model Julie Wolfe as she begins her modelling career, starring Carol Alt, Pauline Porizkova, Steven Meisel, plus a fabulous Antonio Lopez scene. Via YouTube. (more…)



Me+Em’s Goop-style glow-up



Me+Em Marylebone

Has Me+Em had a secret Goop-tinged glow-up without me realising?

The successful British brand is going from strength to strength, catering for a mid-tier busy working mum customer with a contemporary edge. But stopping by its new-ish Marylebone store, it suddenly felt less ‘Marylebone mom’ and more LA-London luxury-lite-core.

The store itself does a lot of heavy lifting. It’s beautiful; light-filled, spacious and fabulously merchandised. But the product also looks really good. (more…)