Dover Street Market, New York City

On Lexington Avenue sits a former schoolhouse that houses one of the most spectacular retail stores in the world. Dover Street Market isn't exactly famous. It is, but primarily by those who have a great interest in fashion and innovative, avant-garde designers. Rei Kawakubo, the celebrated Japanese designer behind Comme des Garçons, is the brainchild of this visual masterpiece, and the store is also located in Tokyo and London. She says about the DSM: "I want to create a kind of market where various creators from various fields gather together and encounter each other in an ongoing atmosphere of beautiful chaos - the mixing up and coming together of different kindred souls who all share a strong personal vision."

Comme des Garçons white shirts shown on a piperail (top), accented with Doc Marten buckle shoes (bottom)

The name "Dover Street Market" rung a bell when I heard a college peer mention her visit. When she said that Rei Kawakubo was the one who implemented it, I made a plan to visit the store that day. I am such a huge fan of Kawakubo and her deconstructed pieces. Never will I forget the Comme des Garçons Autumn/Winter 2005 collection, models slowly walking down the runway to organ music and dressed as romantic Victorian brides. The show changed my life (well, really sparked my interest in more conceptual fashion rather than pretty fashion).

My favorite display in DSM. It is so simple, but the clothing speaks volumes.

So off I went to this hidden gem that even most New Yorkers are ignorant of. The store was somewhat hard to locate due to the lack of signage or any indication whatsoever of "Hey, this is Dover Street Market! Come on in!" I did locate the old building and peeked around to see the entrance to the store. The only thing letting me know I had reached my destination were the glass front doors with "Dover Street Market New York" printed on them. I immediately walked into a cafe and noticed how small a space the floor level was. It is not cramped, but it's definitely not spacious. I suppose it adds a sense of exclusivity. Congratulations, you have found the most artistic retail store in the world. I saw some bags displayed and a...pole...or tree...or I-don't-know-what wrapped in knits. This "sculpture" extended through all seven floors. 

Simplistic display of shoes and small bags. The color theme of the entire floor was monochromatic.

I am not going to take you through my step-by-step progression through the store. What I will do is recommend you visit should you ever be in New York City. This store is incredible. It is like a luxury retail boutique mixed with a modern art museum. The lighting is incredible for portraying a clean, minimalistic mood, and the colors of the clothing appear as vibrant and saturated as they can possibly be. Each floor has different music, depending on the designers and general theme of that floor. Clothing is displayed in a manner I don't come across often, but one that struck me as ingenious. Clothing is displayed by itself; by this I mean one article of clothing is displayed in one size next to a different item displayed in one size, and so on. Why am I in love with this merchandising technique? It leads the customer to view that product as one-of-a-kind, precious, an art piece, something that will be theirs and theirs only. It cleans up the display. It seems so carefully curated, much like art in a museum. A more beautiful and immaculate form of merchandising has never been executed. I could kiss the merchandiser if I knew who they were. Each floor holds different designers. Names held here include Prada, Rick Owens, Junya Watanbe, Jil Sander, Jacquemus, and Giambattista Valli.

Christopher Kane

Simone Rocha's amazing frosted sandals

Dover Street Market is a must see for lovers of luxury and cutting-edge design. It doesn't hurt if you are a massive Rei Kawakubo fan, either! 

Location: 30th Street and Lexington Avenue, New York City

The Row Tori paneled poplin, chambray, and voile shirt

$1,090

The Row has quickly become one of my favorite lines, and I am usually opposed to celebrity designers. It seems hokey. However, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen have a true love of fashion and innate sense of style, and I truly believe The Row is a legitimate line. Every piece is clean and minimal, yet wearable and practical.

The combination of fabrics on this top is superb. It would be perfect for summer due to its lightness of weight and breathability. A beautiful tailored pant would accent the slight boxiness of the top, but I would love to see it paired with a loose-fitting boyfriend jean and ankle-strap flat sandal. So many possiblities!

A Creative Spark

As my semester is ending and I am about to graduate college, I am naturally reflecting on everything I have learned at school and the realization of what I want to do career-wise. For the longest time, I have gone back and forth in my goals for the future, and it has been an endless struggle (or seemed to be) to make up my mind.

The fashion industry has so many routes one can take. At first, I wanted to be a buyer; however, the thought of looking at spreadsheets all day and dealing with numbers, numbers, NUMBERS is far from appealing. I then thought a career as a model agent might be the route to go. Granted, I love models and fangirl over seeing models on the streets than I do celebrities. The problem is there is not creativity in either of these careers. Nothing you can make and see and touch and feel-- nothing tangible.

I am getting a degree in Fashion Merchandising from the Fashion Institute of Technology, and to be perfectly honest, I was 100% opposed to my major upon entering. I did not open my mind to the endless possibilities this path offers, and I assumed the only thing you could do with a degree like this was become a buyer. Nope. I was wrong. Very wrong.

I kept hearing the term "visual merchandising" thrown around. I did some research and, alas, I have found what it is I am meant to do. I know it in the depths of my heart. What appeals to me so much about visual merchandising is that I can apply the analytical skills and concepts I have learned at FIT with my own natural creativity. I can be both a creative and a business woman. I can create something tangible and seeable while making it useful and profitable for a retailer.

Because of my newfound passion and rabid interest in visual merchandising, I have been visiting stores all over New York like crazy. Any opportunity I have to see what is happening I jump on. I now notice minute details in stores and am constantly thinking to myself how I would merchandise product or how I would represent a particular garment. It's homework without feeling like homework.

My hopes are to begin documenting inspiring and beautiful stores I visit with photographs of interiors, displays, and window displays. I will be using Milkmaid Braids for this from now on. I also want to include garments I would buy if I were buyer for a high-end retailer (looking at you, Bergdorf). Perhaps one day I will decide to go into buying, but I absolutely must pursue my newfound passion for visuals.

I sincerely hope you enjoy my direction for this blog as much as I'll enjoy creating it. I may be graduating, but my desire to see and discover newness is not.