Flagship: Hunter.

Creative director Alasdhair Willis had the brand’s first global flagship on the brain. “I wanted to capture that environment that was completely Hunter, from the boots to the ready-to-wear to the fixtures to the sign,” he says. “It was one of the first things in the works.”

Next Wednesday, the fruits of Willis’ labor will be revealed as Hunter’s first retail offering opens at 83 Regent Street in London. The three-story,
5,300-square-foot space, which was a former Ferrari shop, was designed in conjunction with U.K.-based design consultancy Checkland Kindleysides and hopes to convey a rural yet modern feeling. “I wanted it to feel synergistic with where the brand has been and where it is going,” says Willis. “Architecturally it didn’t make sense to make a big, slick statement, so the starting point was a barn in the British countryside.” That’s not to say the store isn’t totally tricked out: Consider a five-meter-high LED screen, which will feature recent runway shows and campaigns; televisions that mimic Douglas fir trees; and Wellington boots hanging on the walls.

The company’s Fall 2014 ready-to-wear and accessories also figure in prominently, especially the outerwear and rubber products. “The clothing looks brilliant, especially the rubber trenches, ponchos, parkas—and we are loving the rubber duffels,” says Willis. “It’s a fashion story, but it was born out of utilitarian and functional pieces. That’s what was so exciting about taking Hunter from a single product category to so much more; we could see who our customer was, from the festival-goer to the urban professional taking their kids to school.”

The Hunter team is also planning a New York store opening in 2015 and is currently scouting locations in Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Canada. Asked whether wife Stella McCartney gave any advice on total Hunter domination, Willis offers, “She tried to return the favor, but there is some healthy competition in our household.”

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Store Front: Rachel Comey x Crosby Street.

"“I’ve been in business for fourteen years without having retail [space], and people were always asking me, ‘When, when, when, when!’” Rachel Comey said of her eponymous line. But take heart: This coming Thursday, Comey’s first boutique will bow at 95 Crosby Street. (An exclusive first look debuts here.) While offering a physical shopping experience is a boon to any brand, Comey’s designs have a particularly personal quality to them (and a particularly devoted fan base) that makes this step feel especially warranted. “I’ve been so focused on product development; that’s been my interest and there’s so much to learn and do there all the time,” Comey mused. “But now putting the collection in an environment suddenly seemed like a really nice step.” When a spot previously inhabited by a carpet shop opened up (on a block that manages to feel worlds from the crush of tourists just over on Broadway), she bit."

"The space, with all of its exposed beams and generous skylights, is something of a unicorn among Manhattan real estate. All that was left to do was imbue it with some of that ineffable cool which has made Comey’s clothes so beloved among editors and hip celebs (think Maggie Gyllenhaal, Parker Posey) alike. After a full renovation, the resulting boutique is an artful mishmash of sensibilities, colors, and textures, a fitting complement to the designer’s collections. Minimal brass racks are juxtaposed against cream stucco walls, and registers reside atop the “Pac-Man,” a round, pink-shag-upholstered island. Of her choice of flooring, Comey said, “I like the permanence of concrete and the masculinity of it. I was trying to play off of some of those things that I find interesting in clothing, too—like the feminine and the masculine, the hard and the soft—and trying to create a house for the clothes that feels inviting but also elevated in some way.” Gesturing to a couch in burgundy leather, she added, “That’s kind of the feminine, naughty element. There is this hard stone travertine and aggregated concrete, and then these soft, plushy, sexy sofas.” Particular care was also taken to showcase her cultish footwear range, displayed atop a piece Comey refers to as the “concrete floating box,” placed under one of the skylights for a touch of added impact. Back in the dressing rooms (just beyond chartreuse curtains), shoppers will find niches stocked with some of the brand’s best-selling shoe styles."

"Apart from visually offering up a bit of her line’s ethos to customers, Comey had another goal in creating the new space: “This is very ambitious, but you know when you go to a really great restaurant with your friends and it’s one of those nights that makes you remember or realize why you live in New York? You’re like, ‘Sigh. I’m so glad I live here. New York is awesome.’ I kind of want the store to be a place like that, you know?”"

Rachel Comey opens at 95 Crosby Street, New York, NY, on June 12.

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Last Minute Shopping: Mother's Day Gift Idea.

Established in 1902 in London.

Does your mom love chocolate?

Didn't buy her a gift yet?

Well order your mom some PreStat chocolatiers.

Prestat’s highly skilled chocolatiers and confectionary chefs handcraft chocolates and truffles, using only the very best ingredients, from their artisanal kitchens in London, UK. Through their dedication, they have won numerous awards and industry accolades.

Prestat is honoured to have held the Royal Warrant from Her Majesty The Queen of England for over 35 years and was also privileged to receive the last Royal Warrant ever given out by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother. A Royal Warrant is a mark of service, quality of produce and outstanding value. Prestat is affectionately known as the Queen of England’s Chocolate makers.

Prestat’s chocolates and truffles have been enjoyed by royalty and nobility, by presidents and prime ministers, by stars of stage and screen for over 100 years. Indeed by anyone who delights in the pleasures that only the finest chocolate brings.

“I do so love truffles as Prestat makes them.....”

(Roald Dahl, author of Charlie and The Chocolate Factory).

Make your purchases HERE!

Fashion Collaboration: Gap x Visionaire.

For Visionaire No. 56 SOLAR (originally published in 2009), the NYC-based art and fashion pub developed a special UV-sensitive ink that changed black-and-white images to color when exposed to direct sunlight. Visionaire is reviving the SOLAR ink for a special collection of T-shirts in collaboration with Gap, which will be available at this year’s Frieze Art Fair, where Gap is operating an outdoor retail space designed by the architects Leong Leong.

“Since we knew the collection was coming out in May, our immediate inspiration was summer, color, and sun,” says Cecilia Dean, Visionaire cofounder.

The T-shirts feature artwork by Alex Katz, Yoko Ono, Richard Phillips, Ugo Rondinone, Peter Lindbergh, François Berthoud, and Roe Ethridge, some of which were published inVisionaire. When exposed to direct sunlight, the black-and-white prints on the tees turn to color—seen here in GIFs.

As with any sensible collaboration, this collection benefits both sides. “This is a great partnership,” says Rebekka Bay, Gap’s creative director. “[The collection] intersects fashion and art and allows a broader audience the opportunity to experience both brands.”

The T-shirts will be available in key global Gap flagship stores, select Visionaire retailers, Gap Boxpark in London, Gap White Space in Tokyo, and Gap White Space in New York, which will be dedicated to the Visionaire partnership from May 9-18.

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Fashion News.

EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT!

The ever-popular British high-street retailer Topshop has signed a lease for a 90,000-square-foot store on Fifth Avenue and 49th Street. 

The new digs will be the second-biggest Topshop store in the world, trumped only by the brand’s Oxford Circus flagship in London. 

It’s a logical move, considering the success of the company’s Soho shop, which marked Topshop’s U.S. debut when it opened in 2009. 

Stay tuned Midtown, now I am starting to miss living in NYC!

It's even better when you can just go visit!

Fashion News.

Victoria Beckham continues to give us lush fashion!

Beckham is opening up her first flagship in London's Mayfair neighborhood.

"The boutique will be located at 36 Dover Street, right across from Rei Kawakubo’s original Dover Street Market (which, you may recall, recently bowed its third location in New York).

 Beckham has hired Farshid Moussavi to redesign the three-floor, 7,000-square-foot store, which will carry wares from all five of Beckham’s design categories: Victoria Beckham, Victoria Victoria Beckham, denim, optical, and accessories. “I think the time is now because I know my customer,” Beckham told WWD. 

While Britain is her strongest market, America follows closely behind (Beckham’s reportedly opening an office in Manhattan this February), so it may not be long before we have our own VB store to fete."

What do you all think about Mrs. Beckham doing her thing?

I honestly love her and her clothing line, so major props Victoria!

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