Dries Van Noten in Los Angeles by Aybuke Barkcin

 

Dear Shaded Viewers,

Dries Van Noten celebrated the opening of his first store in United States, located in La Cienega Boulevard in Los Angeles.

The concept of the store is “full of adventures” as the designer explains, he wanted the store to feel as if we were walking through a garden and entering into a private house.

The aim of the store is to extend beyond the habitual retail experience and act as a space for creative encounters, exhibitions and gatherings.

The space consists of the Big and Little Houses, which will feature exhibitions of works by artists, designers and craftspeople whose work has impressed Dries Van Noten. The Big House will be home to the women’s and men’s collections and will reflect the inspirations of the current collections for either Women or Men.

The house also includes an archival room that will sell pieces from the past collections. In the future, the designer hopes that the people who had bought a piece from Dries Van Noten and no longer wear it, can also bring it to the store to sell it. Making the new and the old c0-exist, a sustainable approach for re-purposing garments.

The Big House will also be home to a selection of books that have played a role in inspiring past collections for the designer. It will invite artists and creative personalities who will curate a selection of vintage and current vinyl’s that will be available for purchasing or playing in the “Sound & Vision” room on the Men’s floor.

The Little House on the other hand, will follow an independently curated and constantly evolving program. The first exhibition in the Little House will feature Dries Van Noten’s old time friend Ann Demeulemeester’s Serax project which consists of tablewares, porcelains, glasswares, cutleries and lighting designs.

Aybuke Barkcin

Aybüke Barkçin is an art director, photographer, curator and writer that looks at fashion through the lens of political and societal dynamics. She completed her master's Creative Direction in POLIMODA, Italy and has a background in International Relations and Graphic Design. Her work can be found in her website: https://www.aybukebarkcin.com/