The New Normal

136 FASHION The New Normal

Photos: Jette Stolte www.jettestolte.com Art direction & production: Mody Al Khufash www.jlffstudio.com Hair/Make-up: Benjamin Becher with Kevin Murphy and Tom Ford products Model: Kiki @ Place Models Production assistance: William Schlesinger

Jacket: Tibi New York Pullover: Edith Ella

A Man’s Paradise

Stereo/Muc/Munich. Henrik Soller and Florian Ranft, the owners of the Komet & Helden fashion agency, opened their first multi-brand store in March. The shop is designed exclusively for men and is located in Munich, the founders’ home base. They wouldn’t have dared to make such a move anywhere else.

Text: Nicoletta Schaper. Photos: Stereo/Muc, Julian Henschel. The time was ripe for a long-cherished dream of Florian Ranft and Henrik Soller, the owners of the Komet & Helden fashion distribution agency. The opened their first own store in March; its product range is exclusively for men, even at a time when other retailers are finding out that the men’s fashion business is not running as well as many media outlets had predicted. However, Henrik Soller remains confident: “There is a niche for our concept here in Munich. We wouldn’t have dared to open this store in any other city, only here, where we are at home.”

Stereo owners Florian Ranft and Henrik Soller: “This store is very close to our heart.” They quite deliberately decided against an online shop, because they believe “stationary retail has more character.”

Hand-picked

The location in Munich’s Residenzstrasse is exposed; there is a large audience. To date, the store housed an outlet of local confectionery specialist Confisserie Rottenhöfer. It was carefully renovated for the Stereo store to ensure that typical elements of the 1950s were maintained, such as the lamellae walls and a suspended curved ceiling. A sweeping staircase leads the visitors to the upper floor, which houses a cafe. The gastronomy team headed by Arnold Jäger Werner is famous among locals and offers a carefully selected menu including various delicacies such as alcohol-free apple champagne and steam-cooked roast beef. The coffee is a special house brand that can also be purchased in the store.

Driven by Emotion

The fashion range of Stereo on the ground floor is equally exclusive. “We don’t analyse specific target groups, but we trust our gut feeling to find what we like and what our customers could like”, Henrik Soller says. Thus, off-the-peg clothing and sportswear blend into a self-evident style, whereby roughly 50% of the product range is sourced from the Komet & Helden brand portfolio, such as AG, Blauer, C.P.Company, and Hartford. The store also stocks - among others - Denham, Levi’s, Nudie, Church footwear, the archetypical sneaker model Adidas Stan Smith model, and Doc Martens. Florian Ranft and Henrik Soller believe in the special retail trade and in making fashion tangible, which is why the Stereo concept quite deliberately does not include an online shop. “You simply have to see and feel it; these are no standard products”, Florian Ranft explains. Rather, there are countless fashion delicacies to explore, such as beautifully crafted pocketknives from France, shoehorns with lion heads by Pasotti, hand-embroidered handkerchiefs by Jupe by Jackie, and even personal care products by Baxter of California. The latter are way too good to merely hide them in the bathroom cabinet. “The selection is more important than the width of the product range”, Henrik Soller stresses. The first financial results of Stereo prove him right. “Our customers mainly buy special products, such as jeans by Gilded Age or washed shirts and trousers by Pence”, Florian Ranft reveals. “Everything that’s different, unique, and special sells well.”

Stereo/Muc Gents Wear & Café

Residenzstrasse 25, 8 0333 Munich/Germany www.stereo-muc.de Opening: March 2014 Owners: Florian Ranft and Henrik Soller Sales area: 200 sqm + 100 sqm cafe space Brands: AG Adriano Goldschmied, Alain, Baracuta, Barena, Blauer USA, Bowery, BPD, C.P. Company, Denham, Gilded Age, Giorgio Brato, Harris Wharf London, Hartford, Jean Shop, Lacoste, Levi´s, Lightning Bolt, Mackintosh, Mastai Ferretti, Mauro Grifoni, Nudie Jeans, Pence, Roberto Collina, The Gigi, Tonello, The White Briefs, Spiewak, Original Vintage Style, WLG Accessories and shoe brands: Adidas, Atelier de l´Armee, Barleycorn, Baxter of California, Buttero, Church´s, Cote & Ciel, Cover Lab, Deus, Diemme, Dr. Martens, Dukes, Emma Opitz, Faizy Leather Goods, Filson, Geo F.Trumper, Grenson, Gino B, Jupe by Jackie, King Baby, Langer & Messmer, Makr, Miansai, Mühle Shaving, Pantherella, Pasotti, Passion France, Red Wing, Riccardo Forconi, Speedometer, Tricker´s, Vans, Want les Essentiels de la Vie

The product range mixes spe- cial items with more saleable goods, delib- erately without claiming to be exhaustive.