Style Etc. 25 Little
Style Etc. 25 Little Shops of Wonder 20 Elsewhere in the World The Cosmopolitan JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA A ONCE GRIMY, crime-ridden neighbourhood to the east of Johannesburg’s Central Business District, Maboneng has long been overdue for its close-up. It is now home to the Museum of African Design (MOAD), a string of new eateries and some lofty residential offerings, and The Cosmopolitan has seized the moment to open just opposite MOAD on the corner of Albrecht and Commissioner Streets. Housed in the former Cosmopolitan Hotel, a rare architectural gem dating from 1899, the faded grande dame has been spruced up and transformed into a retail and lifestyle hub by local artist and go-getter Jonathan Freemantle and his business partner Daniel Liebmann. On the ground floor, the revival of the hotel’s original Lion Bar and a new restaurant by local chef Dario de Angeli create a sense of arrival, while upstairs, the original layout of the guest rooms has been retained to house the stellar line-up of – mostly African – luxe homeware, fashion and grooming brands, from fragrances by Cape Town-based perfumery House of Godzawa to porcelain offerings by designer Frauke Stegmann, as well as exceptional spaces to display a carefully curated selection of art, expanding the founding duo’s Hazard gallery in the grandest possible way. THECOSMOPOLITAN.JOBURG 21 Marais MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA Paperclip necklace by Céline LONG TUCKED UP a staircase in Melbourne’s Royal Arcade, Marais made its fashionable debut in Bourke Street in 2014. This end of the city is no stranger to luxe international brands, but this gleaming women’s salon takes designer digs to the next level. Set over two floors, it is a visual feast with a six-metre long chandelier created from more than 8,000 crystals draping through the curve of a spiral staircase, smoked-mirror ceilings creating a sense of infinite space and seashell-pink marble lining the walls of the lingerie department. On the ground floor, the stores within the store showcase labels such as Balenciaga, Linda Farrow and Givenchy, while upstairs racks of Rick Owens, Gareth Pugh, Viktor & Rolf and Alexander McQueen, among others, await. For gentlemen, labels such as Kenzo, Y-3 and Balmain are available in the revamped Royal Arcade store. MARAIS.COM.AU 22 Double Monk SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA WHEN BROTHERS Christopher and Nick Schaerf opened their Melbourne cordwainer in 2014 it didn’t take long for the fashionably heeled men of the city to find their way there, as much for the whiskey bar as the pairs of John Lobb loafers. In December last year, they replicated that initial venture on the second floor of Sydney’s historic Strand Arcade. Rich timber cabinets with glass shelving hold the handcrafted shoes, while piles of boxes are stacked towards the high stained-glass windows and customers relax on vintage armchairs. Expect to find classic designs, some of which have been crafted in exactly the same way for generations, by Crockett & Jones, Edward Green, Saint Crispin’s and Alden. There’s also a compact range of accessories: Fox umbrellas from the UK, Rubinacci Napoli pocket squares, Frank Clegg duffels and a range of knitted ties made especially for Double Monk. DOUBLEMONK.TUMBLR.COM CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT: © MARAIS, © CELINE, NIC GRANLESE, © THE COSMOPOLITAN 48 DEPARTURES-INTERNATIONAL.COM
24 Middle East D.tales DUBAI LOCATED ON DUBAI’S iconic Jumeirah Beach Road, D.tales is a Scandinavian design oasis. Run by a Swede who was previously a UN peacekeeper in war zones in Africa and Afghanistan, it is the official distributor for Scandi furniture and home decor brands including &Tradition, Örsjö and Secto Design, giving it unrivalled access to the latest and most Decorative Secto design lamp sought-after designs. Beyond statement pieces like the gently curving Swedese sofas and eye-catching chairs from Muuto, D.tales stocks made-to-measure wallpaper, bicycles and an endless array of lamps and lighting fixtures. It also nods to the best of local designers, showcasing complementary pieces from Samer Al Ameen, Rabih Ghanem and Khaled Shafar. The interior is vast and inspiring, and pays homage to Sweden through concrete flooring, exposed ceilings and wall cladding made of bevelled zinc sheets. DESIGN-TALES.COM CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT: © SECTO DESIGN OY, CARL HALAL, © PARLOUR X (2) 23 Parlour X SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA Tan Isabel Marant Anais heels FOR MORE THAN 15 years, Eva Galambos had been purveying the finest of fashion to Sydney’s stylish set from a store at Five Ways, Paddington. But even with many worried about the future of bricks-and-mortar retail, Parlour X was growing, and Galambos needed to find a bigger home. It was on a second visit to the old St Johns Church, this time with her architect friend Nick Tobias, she realised the potential of the space, originally built in 1845 by convicts and set in an iconic location on Paddington’s Oxford Street. Now, a modern but sensitive makeover by Tobias sees angular white shelving and an upper mezzanine seamlessly integrating the original sandstone walls and stained-glass windows. On the railings, you can see the results of Galambos’s multiple trips to Paris and Milan each year. Céline, Chloé, Valentino, Isabel Marant and others are stocked, alongside some of Australia’s most talented designers. In a move to support the local industry but also make Parlour X’s offering exclusive, Galambos has worked with Toni Maticevski and Romance Was Born, among others, to create capsule eveningwear collections. PARLOURX.COM 25 6:05 store BEIRUT, LEBANON NOW A BEIRUT buzzword synonymous with urban fashion and attitude, 6:05 brings together streetwear, accessories and gifts for men, women and children, all set in a swish white space. Its trendy customers can peruse a fine selection of playsuits, dresses, jeans and sunglasses, before trying them on in dressing rooms inspired by psychiatric cells, replete with padded walls. Those in search of whimsy and humour can pore over a wide range of novelty items, including sardine-shaped paperclips and water bottles that resemble fire extinguishers. The on-trend boutique has a happy hour every day at the time indicated by its name. The store comes alive with DJ events, art launches, product parties and more, and guests can spin a “clock of fortune” for the chance to win anything from a yoga class to concert tickets. 605.COM.LB BY VANESSA BELL, KANAE HASEGAWA, LAUREN HO, CARRIE HUTCHINSON, WILLIAM LEE ADAMS, ALEXANDER LOBRANO, SIMON MILLS, KAREEM RASHED, PETER WELTMAN DEPARTURES-INTERNATIONAL.COM 49
