London – The iconic Dover Street Market has relocated to Haymarket after 12 years in Mayfair.
Comme des Garçons creative director Rei Kawakubo kept the original exterior and had a big part to play in the interior design, but she was also keen for permanent brands to leave their mark, giving them total creative freedom to imagine their own spaces as they saw fit.
‘I want to create a kind of market where creators from various fields gather together and encounter each other in an atmosphere of beautiful chaos, the mixing up and coming together of different kindred souls who all share a strong personal vision,’ says Kawakubo.
Items from J W Anderson’s collection, for example, hang from a purpose-built children’s playground, evoking the designer’s childhood in Northern Ireland, while pieces from designer Simone Rocha are displayed in a clear perspex room.
Department stores such as New York’s Bergdorf Goodman are embracing creative diversity and giving brands free rein to design their own spaces. For more emerging retail trends, book your place at our forthcoming Retail Futures Forum here.