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n Moscow, it is not uncommon to splash out a little more than elsewhere. After all, the city is among the most expensive cities in the world. Its inhabitants love extensive shopping sprees, opulent decorations, and large-scale presentations. As befits a capital, it houses countless luxury flagship stores and numerous premium department stores. One of the latter is, for example, the passage-shaped Gum Department Store with a total area of 75,000 square metres located directly on the Red Square of the Kremlin. The Tsvetnoy Department Store is the more modern equivalent. However, the beauty products, as well as the interior design and fashion brands, are almost
SVMoscow/Moscow
The concept store of Tatyana Strekalovskaya is hidden in a small side street in one of the many embassy districts of the Russian capital. Her customers simply love shopping in a location that is far away from the mainstream shopping streets. Text: Kay Alexander Plonka. Photos: SVMoscow
RUSSIAN EMBASSY 218 style in progress
congruent with formats such as the KaDeWe, Galeries Lafayette, or Selfridges. Small restaurants, cool agencies, trendy backyard bars, and flagship stores of the most famous luxury brands are located in the area around Stoleshnikov Street. In terms of fashion, even this area merely offers more of the same. PRIVATE SHOPPING If one wants to escape this global wasteland, one needs to look for a store called SVMoscow. Barely recognisable as such from the outside, the store hides behind an inconspicuous white door that leads into the basement of a former embassy building. “We want to afford our customers an opportunity to express their style and individuality in a way that isn’t merely based on popular trends and exclusively established brands. To this end, our portfolio combines irony, luxury, and affordability,” Tatyana Strekalovskaya explains. The French edition of Vogue named SVMoscow among the top 10 concept stores worldwide. The interior was designed by Russian architect Zurab Sabanadze. “Our customers appreciate the private atmosphere. We are a relatively small store, but we always have something new, rare, and unique to offer. Passion plays a major role in selecting our brands and business partners. Many of our clients are regular customers, including artists, musicians, and architects. Honest advice and a relaxed environment are more important to them than excessive luxury. They recommend us to others and many find us through our online shop,” Strekalovskaya says and adds: “The Moscow fashion scene has spawned a number of gifted talents who are gaining worldwide attention. Among them are designers like Gosha Rubchinskiy or Mikhail Panteleev of Volga Volga, model agencies such as Lumpen, as well as Lotta Volkova from Vladivostok, one of coolest stylists. In the past, Russian fashion was inspired by ballet or Tsarist art, but today street and sportswear are more influential. This was also reflected in the hoodie that we released as a capsule edition with Vetements. The Russian fashion scene is so exciting be-
cause there are so many talented people shaping it, thereby creating a new and fresh style that is currently highly relevant on an international scale.”
SVMoscow, Moscow’s best kept fashion secret, is hidden away in the basement of a residential building.
SVMoscow Malaya Molchanovka, 6, 121069 Moscow/Russia, www.svmoscow.com Opening: 2001 Owner: Tatyana Strekalovskaya Sales area: 120 sqm Brands: 32 Paradis, A.F.Vandevorst, Ann Demeulemeester, Ashish, Backlash, Balenciaga, Blackyoto, Blyszak, By Walid, Comme des Garçons, Damir Doma, DRKSHDW by Rick Owens, Enfants Riches Deprimes, Erickson Beamon, Faith Connexion, Faliero Sarti, Fear of God, Gareth Pugh, Golden Goose, Greg Lauren, Guidi, Haider Ackermann, Hender Scheme, Hood By Air, HUN Rick Owens, If Six Was Nine, Isaac Sellam, Junya Watanabe, KTZ, Kuboraum, L.G.B., L.G.R, Leon Emanuel Blanck, Linda Farrow, Lost & Found, Maison Margiela, Marni, Mary Katrantzou, Mykita, Oliver Goldsmith, Oliver Goldsmith Kids, Plume, Raf Simons, Readymade, Reinhard Plank, Rick Owens, Rick Owens Lilies, Share Spirit, Simone Rocha, Spalwart, The Row, UEG, Undercover, Urban Zen, Vetements, Volga Volga, Y’s, Yang Li, Yohji Yamamoto
