100 IN STORE
Times Two. Bungalow/Stuttgart Everything has finally fallen into place. Bungalow in Stuttgart has given women their own space - at the same address, yet still completely separated. Text: Martina Müllner. Photos: Bungalow
Next year, Bungalow will celebrate its 10th anniversary with a huge party. In summer 2015, Uwe Maier gave himself a gift in advance. He established a completely separate sales floor for women’s fashion, at the same address. “We could have only expanded our women’s section at the expense of the men’s area, which really wouldn’t have made any sense.” But let’s start at the beginning. In 2012, Uwe Maier entered the women’s fashion market with Bungalow Bel Etage, a store on the first floor above a well-known inner-city club. “Maybe I was a little too confident. It was also difficult for me to handle, because the location was far away.” This led to Bungalow unceremoniously integrating the women’s range into the initial store, which meant that the men’s area was suddenly extremely full. Uwe Maier always told his landlord, a household goods store, that he would gladly take whatever extra space becomes available. When the household goods store moved its incoming goods department
to a green-field site, the time for expansion had finally come. However, there was the small matter of reducing the harsh industrial backyard atmosphere and delicate feminine fashion to a common denominator. This was a mere finger exercise for Dongus Architects, the lighting specialists Pslab, and Uwe Maier. “We know each other well. We create original concepts quickly by exchanging ideas.” Examples include a lush, planted facade, the central lighting object made of brass, and the well-placed modern antiques throughout the store. The Multi-Brand Niche
Stuttgart has fallen in love with Bungalow, mainly because of its internationality with First Lines by the likes of Tom Ford, Saint Laurent, and Céline, in combination with exciting items by Kitsuné or Common Projects. Seeing that these brands are showcased in a backyard, the fine items instantly seem a bit cooler, which breaks down the fears some potential customers
may have in terms of high-end fashion. The regular comparisons with stores in New York and the high customer loyalty are no coincidence. “We have realised that our customers adore this multi-brand niche. Here, they can find something that department stores and mono-brand shops lack.” Some of those aspects include competent Bungalow Stiftstrasse 1a, 70173 Stuttgart/Germany www.bungalow-stuttgart.de, www.bungalow-gallery.com Opening: August 2015 Owner: Uwe Maier (managing partner), Lars Presche, Hans Peter Reichert (both co-owners) Employees: 4 full-time, 10 part-time Sales area: 200 sqm Brands for women: Acne Studios, Bottega Veneta, Céline, Chloé, Common Projects, Frame Denim, Kitsuné, Lanvin, Marni, Moncler, Saint Laurent, Stella McCartney, Thomas Maier Accessories brands: Dick Moby, Saskia Diez, Sumikaneko, Tsatsas, Vanessa Baroni, Und Gretel
advice, a product selection with character, and an interior with a distinct handwriting. Thankfully, the new store now adds spaciousness to the list. “We haven’t really expanded our product range significantly. We basically showcase the same amount of goods, but present then more attractively. We allow ourselves the luxury of not planning out every square metre, which means that our customers can actually walk a few metres before running into the next clothes rail.” The store has only added one or two new designer brands to date. However, Uwe Maier is “on the lookout for small niche products, like the men’s range already has. You need a bit of space to present such products, to showcase them separately.” That space is available now.
Uwe Maier opened Bungalow, which is rightfully considered to be one of Germany’s top fashion stores, (almost) ten years ago.
Uwe Maier designed the interior in collaboration with Dongus Architects and the lighting specialist Pslab.
415 style in progress
