Fashion: Shopping at Dover Street Market

Don’t be misled by the name! Dover Street Market is not your run of the mill shopping street. In fact it is just the opposite.

It is a market with a difference – imagine Portaloo dressing rooms? And that’s not all that is different. Right from the tills to the labels everything is different and “rarefied” about this place.

Exclusive collections like Givenchy, Azzedine Alaia, and Valentino are here along side Loewe, Doir, and Raf Simons. Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garcons fame is the master mind behind this departmental store. Saint Lauren, Celine, and Rick Owens have dedicated spaces among other big names.

The Ambience

With 12 years under its belt the market has moved from Mayfair to Dover. The stunning Dover Street site is five floors high with a central pale wood spiral staircase climbing up from the “shed” on the ground level. The staircase was originally lit by windows but now has internal lighting. The second floor has the skeleton of a dinosaur. Other than that, each label decorates its own space with free rein so expect to see a new display each time you visit.

If you are looking for High Street fashion, this is definitely not the place to be. The fashion is high end as are the labels. You can visit just to see the display though, and have a European-style light meal at the chic Rose Bakery on the top floor while you rest your legs after all that wandering. Rose Bakery outlets have flourished after the first opened in Paris, and there are now stores in Beijing, New York, and Ginza.

The market shuts down twice a year for “Tachiagari”, a break in trading so the store owners can regroup and present their latest creations. Harumi, Repossi, Diane Kordas, Harumi and many more labels present their art and creativity at this stylish venue.

Dover Street Market is the place to go if you want up-market. The ambience, the décor, the products, the labels, and even the eatery all have that “different” touch which characterises Kawakubo.

Address: 18-22 Haymarket, London SW1Y 4DG  Phone: 020 7518 0680  Nearest Tube: Piccadilly Circus Station  Website: http://london.doverstreetmarket.com/

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