Some of my favorite shops right now

Surveying a few store fronts I really dig this year

May 30, 2023

The only trainers you’ll be wearing this summer. Check ‘em out ($130)

Visiting a physical space is one of my favorite past times, especially where clothes are involved. It enables you to connect with products in ways you couldn’t experience otherwise.

I’ve been lucky enough to see some of the very best spaces in the world over the years (with many still out there to see yet), so I’ve created shopping guides for some of them—so far I’ve made NYC, Paris, Los Angeles, and London (others on the way).

Today, I want to share a recap of a few new(ish) physical spaces that I haven’t visited yet, but I enjoy them for different reasons.

Let me know if there are others worth a callout in the comments!

Hender Scheme — Osaka, Japan

Architect Daisuke Motogi renovated a 60-year-old wooden house near Osaka’s Umeda Station and flipped it into a sleek, industrial footwear, boot, and accessories space. Check the mirror on the sliding door outside—damn.

I love the approach of making two competing aesthetics co-exist, reimagining how old and modern merge.

Aries — London, United Kingdom

The Brinkworth and Wilson Brothers design team—the duo behind Supreme’s Hollywood shop—crushed it on this one too, and it’s a brilliant example of what creating a multi-use space looks like.

There’s a café inside, where Parisian sandwich shop Paperboy is serving up egg sandos and espresso. Beyond that, the spaciousness inside allows the brand to host galleries, exhibitions, DJ sets, and wtf else they want!

Gant — Stockholm, Sweden

If you thought Gant’s tidy little NYC shop looked good, there are levels to this. They just re-opened a flagship store in Stockholm, designed by Snarkitecture (founded by Daniel Arsham, who designed many of KITH’s stores), and it’s easy on the eyes.

I love how this shop has the right blend of mix of funk, color, and timelessness in one place, something that’s difficult to make work together.

Usal Projects — Los Angeles, California

Give us more plywood!

This is that fun, west coast energy we all know and love, bringing back the plywood aesthetic from our Urban Outfitters days. The Usal store feels more like an outpost than anything, perhaps a hideaway for you to swing by and sip on some mint tea while you hunt for another ‘zine you won’t read.

Either way, excellent vibes abound from here, and worth a visit.

Ghia House — Los Angeles, California

I believe Ghia opened this space last year—though it’s not technically a place for you to shop—and my god, is it lovely. The nonalcoholic beverage brand uses it as a multi-use space. It’s their showroom, where they host dinner parties, events, releases, meetings, and so on. And it’s absolutely wonderful.

I get the vibe that it’s expensive without being high-brow, and I like that.

sprezza

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