6 minute read
Destination Store. Apropos The Concept Store/Tegernsee & Cologne
“The last year has elevated shopping by appointment to the norm. A selection of products tailored to my needs, undivided attention, as well as styling and advice – all this is possible in pre-arranged appointments. Sounds like the perfect ‘me time’ to us,” argue Klaus Ritzenhöfer, Daniel Riedo, and Henning Korb of Apropos The Concept Store.
APROPOS THE CONCEPT STORET • TEGERNSEE & COLOGNE DESTINATION STORE
First foray into the countryside: Apropos The Concept Store in Gmund on Lake Tegernsee reflects the fact that an increasing number of people are seeking luxurious country escapes.
Going a step further seems to have become second nature for Klaus Ritzenhöfer, Daniel Riedo, and Henning Korb, the trio behind Apropos The Concept Store. In December 2020, they opened a 420-square-metre branch in Gmund am Tegernsee. “Lake Tegernsee is a magical place where we spend a lot of our time. We enjoy the relaxed nature of the people in the valley. The decision to open a store on Lake Tegernsee reflects the changing circumstances of life. An increasing number of people are working from home, meaning they have the option of living outside the cities. The city centres are becoming car-free and more difficult to reach. A weekend trip to Mallorca is currently only possible under certain conditions or is even deemed inappropriate. Tourism is becoming more regional. These aspects have made resort destinations like Tegernsee interesting for the luxury brands we work with, as well as for us,” explain the owners. There is also news to report from Cologne as of mid-July. The former Strenesse shop next to the famous pink entrance on “Mittelstrasse” is about to be transformed into a 300-square-metre shoe area that offers customers direct access to the inner courtyard. Just under a third of the retail space is reserved for a new café. “Lacey’s Patisserie” serves modern French cuisine, as well as Ladurée delicacies alongside breakfast and brunch options – on fine days on the terrace in the aforementioned courtyard. The space freed up in the original shop is to be replaced by an even larger interior and home section. Ritzenhöfer: “In a year like this, we want to set a positive example.” One thing is clear: “The current situation has certainly highlighted the sociological aspect of shopping and shows how important and satisfying the experience revolving around the purchase is. Recognition, compliments, companionship, interaction, a sense of well-being… a click on the ‘add to cart’ button and receiving a parcel cannot compensate for any of those aspects. In that sense, in-store shopping is the ultimate manifestation of luxury.”
Apropos The Concept Space
Mittelstrasse 12, Cologne/Germany Opening of expansion: July 2021 Sales area: 300 sqm Shoe brands: Bottega Veneta, Christian Louboutin, Dior, Gianvito Rossi, Manolo Blahnik, Tod’s
Apropos The Concept Store
Münchner Strasse 126, Gmund/Germany Opening: December 2020 Sales area: 400 sqm Brands: among others Balenciaga, Celine, Christian Louboutin, Moncler
The Magic of the Human Touch
25 years ago, in the summer of 1996, the first issue of x-ray was published, laying the foundation for style in progress as we know it today. I’m not really the type to celebrate anniversaries, but one or two thoughts do pop into my head when I look back – while simultaneously looking to the future. First of all, I had to laugh out loud when I saw that I, in this first magazine of my own, was seriously holding a cigarette in my portrait photo. And hey, that really shouldn’t be understood as an example of how “everything was better in the past”. Things may have been simpler, less driven by thought, in some respects perhaps more carefree… but, above all, the past is just the past. Nostalgia should never cloud our perspective.
Now, in the summer of 2021, following a year in which one could either fail or grow, my love for this industry is deeper than ever, as dramatic as that may sound. Firstly, and perhaps most importantly, because I have enjoyed the privilege of meeting so many really wonderful people over the years – from all kinds of cultures and backgrounds. Fashion has, in its own special way and beyond the superficial, always been diverse. I’ve met an abundance of talent, so much enthusiasm – so many people from whom I could learn. I sincerely hope that I was able to return the favour at times. On the other hand, I am experiencing the current transformation as by far the most exciting time in terms of content since I, rather by chance (or maybe not?), started writing about fashion and the fashion business. And content, meaning everything beyond the horizon of seasonal trends or monthly sales, is what drives me and my fantastic style in progress team. We strive to shape, not merely report. Daniel Grieder is someone I have, in fact, known for longer than 25 years. The fact that our friendship has endured over such a long time emphatically reinforces what I have just written. As a Swiss citizen, he hails from a culture that is indeed almost exotic. They even have a functioning railway network over there!!! Consequently, conducting the cover interview for this issue with him on the occasion of his eagerly awaited start as “Boss of Boss” was a very personal experience for me. I’d like to single out one statement, because it sums up what is at stake at this turning point in time in eight words: “If you prevent innovation, you prevent the future.”
Please bear with me as I share another, slightly longer quote from this issue of style in progress. Holli Rogers, who is remarkably proficient at combining vision and business, said the following while discussing Browns Fashion’s ground-breaking new flagship store in London:
“We all love fashion and get into it for the product, and I think people have been excited to be able to touch, feel, and try on the product again – most importantly they are looking for that element of discovery. We know that our customers were missing that personal interaction with their sales associates in real life, and that they were really keen to engage with them on what is newly in and what we are backing.”
The magic of the human touch simply cannot be replaced, not even – or even less so – in the bright future of fashion.
Without modesty, I would like to briefly mention for whom this conviction has been, is, and remains the core value of its brand – even after 25 years. Exactly!
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22 January 2022
