Description
Dover Street Market is a multi-level retail space and concept store developed by Rei Kawakubo, and her husband, COMME des GARÇONS president Adrian Joffe. With installation-like spaces and special pop-ups, DSM houses all of CDG’s lines as well as a variety of other labels such as Vetements, Raf Simons, Junya Watanabe and Balanciaga and many more. The retail space is also known for its creative visual merchandising and bi-annual interior change signalling the change of season, which is inspired by “tachiagari,” (translating to “beginning” in Japanese).
With poured concrete, bare ceilings and eclectic fittings, DSM introduced a famously industrial, anti-luxury aesthetic to the fashion retail sphere. Joffe has described its unique approach of mixing high and low-end brands as ‘beautiful chaos’. Each season, designers and artists are invited to produce and create visuals for the store, which results in a completely new look twice a year. Dover Street Market was first located in London, before expanding to locations in Tokyo, Beijing in collaboration with I.T., Singapore and New York.
