Mainstream? Never

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1 | Number seven – L’Eclaireur has re-invented itself yet again. 2 | Design items from Vicenzo de Cotiis’ Progetto Domestico collection. 3 | The picturesque little house on the premises of the Marché aux Puces. 4 | Archive pieces from the earlier collections of the other L’Eclaireur stores.

Mainstream? Never! L’Eclaireur/ Saint-Ouen

Martine and Armand Hadida remain true to their unconventional roots in their seventh L’Eclaireur store in Saint-Ouen. The new branch is a tribute to excellent design and a contemporary archive of collections from the years 1980 to 2000.

Text: Quynh Tran. Photos: L’Eclaireur

Martine and Armand Hadida have always turned their backs on conventional trends to tread more unusual paths. They are the driving force behind the legendary L’Eclaireur shops and are perceived as being major contributors to what we call concept stores today.

Part of Parisian Fashion History

Since opening their first store in the 1980s, which was merely a 28 square metre room equipped by Armand Hadida himself with wooden furniture and coconut carpets, the couple has played a major part in Paris’ fashion history. The Hadidas introduced brands such as Prada and Dolce & Gabbana to France, as well as discovering other then unknown designers such as Ann Demeulemeester, Dries van Noten, Martin Margiela, Junya Watanabe, Rei Kawakabu, and most recently Carol Christian Poell. They even promoted the newcomers at their own financial risk. The Hadidas have always complemented their fashion concept with spectacular architecture. Designers and artists including Philippe Starck, Piero Fornasetti, and Arne Quinze produced some great pioneering work in store design for them. There are now seven L'Eclaireur stores in and around Paris. Every single one of them has its own signature with a very unique selection of fashion brands and design items. The latest store is also anything but ordinary. One probably wouldn’t expect a highend boutique in a North Parisian suburb that was once ravaged by unrest caused by underprivileged citizens. However, the Hadidas have decided to move into exactly that area. The latest store is located in Saint Ouen, on Marché aux Puces, one of the city’s most famous flea markets, to be precise. This is also where the French furniture manufacturer Habitat, which was taken over by the local CAFOM Group in 2011, opened Le Village Vintage to celebrate its 50th anniversary. The idea for this 25,000 square metre area came from Hervé Giaoui, the director of Habitat. The individual concept of Le Village Vintage is aimed at showing design and fashion

L’Eclaireur Saint-Ouen

77 Rue des Roisiers, Puces de Saint-Ouen, 93400 Saint Ouen/France Owners: Martine and Armand Hadida Sales area: 450 sqm Brands: Ann Demeulemeester, Balenciaga, Céline, Dries van Noten, Marni Martin Margiela, Oscar de la Renta - all vintage Lifestyle brands: American Flyer (Vintage), Aristide Najean, Cipria de Fernando (Vintage), General Trains (Vintage), Hugh Findletar, Humberto Campana (Vintage), Lindsey Adelman, Vicenzo de Cotiis, Von Pelt conscious Parisians what a joyful experience analogue shopping can be. Alongside Habitat 1964 (which offers original vintage Habitat items), Gallery Gam, Mademoiselle Steinitz, and Tartes Kugler’s Café la Buvette, the new L’Eclaireur shop blends in perfectly.

Refuge Outside the Capital

To the North of the French capital, in a picturesque, vine-covered house, the interior of which is unusually simple for an L’Eclaireur store, the Hadidas now celebrate their love for design, but only at the weekends when the flea market is open too. They stock exclusive furniture, design items, unique pieces, and limited editions. The latter will be shown under the L’Eclaireur label at leading art fairs such as Art Basel Miami and Art Paris. Progetto Domestico, a limited edition of unique sculptural furniture designed by Vicenzo de Cotiis, was the first of this kind in 2014. Vicenzo de Cotiis’ uniqueness was the perfect embodiment of L’Eclaireur’s spirit and he will also be responsible for the first US branch of L’Eclaireur, which will open in Los Angeles in the course of 2015. The concept also allows space for fashion. Hidden between all the design items, one can find a contemporary fashion archive with pieces designed by the likes of Ann Demeulemeester, Dries

Armand Hadida, the managing director of the L’Eclaireur stores.

van Noten, Marni, Oscar de la Renta, Céline, Martin Margiela, and Balenciaga. The store does not stock current fashion, but iconic pieces from the years 1980 to 2000. “It’s beautiful because it’s so different”, Armand Hadida says. He wants the store to be a new experience for his customers, a chamber of wonders that invites customers to explore. Simply because this is what L’Eclaireur stores have always been about…

Closely Related Almliebe/Munich

The three individuals behind the rustic wooden counter are closely related in many ways: as business partners, by their family roots, and by their shares passion for presenting traditional clothing (“Trachten”) in a modern way. Following the first Almliebe store in the Lower Bavarian town of Pocking and the success of the eponymous online store, Almliebe opened a Munich branch

in March. Text: Isabel Faiss. Photos: Almliebe

A Trachten store in Munich is logical, but certainly not uncommon. This means the standards for those who want to stand out are even higher than usual. The Almliebe team decided on a clear, reduced, and stylish approach. The store owned by Sonja, Stefanie, and Claus Ragaller combines traditional, classic dirndl dresses and lederhosen with eye-catchers such as hooded knitted jackets by the Bad Tölzbased brand Liebling. “We’ve always been on the lookout for labels that interpret Trachten fashion in a modern way, which results in traditional jackets that can be combined with jeans for every occasion”, Sonja Ragaller explains. The business model of the three siblings is based on extraordinary head-to-toe Trachten looks that are never too fashionable, yet always suitable for everyday use. They kick-started their project as a store-in-store concept in the family business Modehaus Ragaller in Pocking and subsequently launched an independent online shop in

Almliebe

Ickstattstrasse 22, 80469 Munich/Germany www.almliebe.com Opening: March 2015 Owners: Sonja, Stefanie, and Claus Ragaller Store manager: Sonja Ragaller Employees: 3 Sales area: 90sqm Brands: 2964 Garmisch, Allwerk, Almsach, Alpenflüstern, Alpenterieur Bernhard Rieger, Alpenwahn, Anno Domini Design, ARK, Arido, Astrifa, Bauer, Basset, Bergvolk, Berwin & Wolff, Dirndl & Bua, Elmau, Faustmann, Franz Münchinger, FYFY, Giesswein, Gottseidank, Grace, Grasegger, Habsburg, Hammerschmid, Himmelgrün, Julia Trentini, Kaiseralm, Kaiser Franz Josef, Krüger, Lady Edelweiß, Liebling, Lodenfrey, Lola Paltinger, Luise Steiner, Luis Trenker, Lumisha, Lusana, Maddox, Maloja, Marjo, Mister Edelweiß, Mothwurf, My Herzallerliebst, Poldi, Pure, Sabrina Prexl, Schneiders, Sportalm, St. Moritz, St. Peter Trachten, Striessnig, Tramontana, Wallmann, Wiesnkönig, Wilderer, Zaubermasche 2012. Modern Trachten fashion, traditional styles, and Alpine lifestyle is the corporate motto, which is primarily implemented with regionally rooted brands such as Luis Trenker, Meindl, 2964 Garmisch, and St. Moritz. The fashion highlights include magnificent dirndl dresses by Fräulein Trentini, shoes by Dirndl & Bua, and sweat-fabric lederhosen by Krüger Madl. Classic lederhosen for men give shirts by Gottseidank a special twist that is equally suitable for the office and the beer garden.

Trachten Meets Multi-Channel

Sonja Ragaller believes that flexibility is the key to success. The three points of sale do not merely pursue the multi-channel principle. Customers, who cannot find the desired item in the store, can browse through the extensive range of the online shop on an iPad supplied by Almliebe. One can then ask for the chosen goods to be delivered to one’s home address, or have it brought to the stores in Munich or Pocking, where one can also benefit from the expertise of the sales assistants. The 90 square metre store offers sufficient space for events and all other ideas that complement the Almliebe concept. For the interior design, the Almliebe team hired Albert Dijkman’s young agency Fraai Berlin, which based the furnishing concept on high-end, solid real-wood furniture that can be bought on location or on order. The Ragaller siblings have managed to turn this bright and friendly space in Munich’s somewhat remote Ickstattstrasse into a completely coherent concept store for Trachten fashion. More importantly, it appeals to both Trachten enthusiasts and newcomers.