Farewell Throwaway Culture

Simple, sophisticated, and calm: materials such as solid cherry wood and brass underline the modern look.

Farewell Throwaway Culture. Selekteur/Düsseldorf

Felix Staeudinger’s company, Panorama Europe, distributes many brands which he also sells via his online store Selekteur. com. The declared aim is to exclusively offer high-end, soulful products that don’t need to be binned after one season. Now

Staeudinger has opened his own store in Düsseldorf’s inner city. Text: Kay Alexander Plonka. Photos: Schwitzke GmbH

Shortly before Christmas, Greenpeace published a survey that examines how we buy clothing. Kirsten Brodde, a textile expert at Greenpeace, summarises the conclusion as follows: “Fashion has degenerated into a disposable item and is just as short-lived as plastic bags or disposable tableware.” This throw-away mentality has a detrimental effect on our environment and health. As it were, the living antithesis of this mentality opened its doors to the public shortly before Christmas: Selekteur. The Selekteur team and CEO Felix Staeudinger strive to establish long-lasting products with character in the retail industry. The focus is on products that the consumers would not want to separate with so quickly. The location for this undertaking could hardly be more fitting. Selekteur is located in the premises of the former Tapken Paint Store (Hohe Strasse 6), in the midst of Düsseldorf’s Carstadt district, surrounded by delicatessen stores and other specialised retailers. One of the finest markets of the region, located on Carlsplatz, is only a few metres away. The area is full of life six days a week. The interior and the furnishing of the 120 square metre store were designed by Zurich-based Atelier Schumacher & Staeudinger. The implementation and supervision of the renovation work was supervised by Düsseldorf-based shop fitting experts Büro Schwitzke & Partner.

Don’t Buy Crap

The shop window displays the quite provocative motto of the store in neon letters: “Life is awesome. Don’t buy crap.” The product range is focused on traditional brands that produce their items almost exclusively at long-established manufactories within Europe or - in some cases - in the US and Japan. “This approach guarantees short production routes coupled with high standards. Special care in terms of production can be taken for granted”, Felix Staeudinger explains and adds: “We offer timeless classics that never go out of fashion and have been an indispensable part of our modern life since the 1950s.”

Selekteur Store

Hohe Strasse 6 40213 Düsseldorf/Germany www.selekteur.com Owner: Felix Staeudinger Store manager: Ilka Leissler Employees: 5 Opening: 27th of November 2015 Sales area: 120 sqm Brands for women, men, and children: Menil, Orcival, Schott NYC Accessories brands: Caran D’Ache, Dr. Bronner, Kaweco, MHL Studio, Naseweiss, Otter, Pendleton, Riess, Sabatier, Tolix, Tweedmill In addition to high-end clothing for women, men, and children by Schott NYC, Menil, and Orcival, the store also stocks carefully selected accessories by MHL-Studio and beauty products by Dr. Bronner, as well as collectibles such as knives by Otter, kitchen items by Riess and Sabatier, stationery by Caran D’Ache and Kaweco, smaller furniture items by Tolix, exclusive home textiles by Pendleton and Tweedmill, and - last but not least - especially child-friendly toys by Naseweiss. “We evaluated all products very closely before we opened and only listed items of which we are completely convinced in terms of quality and appearance. We adjust our product range on a seasonal basis and constantly complement it by adding new products that are

Just like in the grocery stores of old: Selekteur employees wear aprons. Felix Staeudinger, the founder, and Ilka Leissler, the store manager, are no exception.

defined by traditional craftsmanship, authenticity, and an unmistakable style. Life is too beautiful for bad products”, Staeudinger summarises.