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Back to the Roots Longing for the Genuine Consumers as Fans or Foes?

How to Create Desirability Trends for Autumn/Winter 2011/12 Parcas, Down, Fur, and More Retail Receipts Big and Small Where is the Money in Retail?

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losef Cover on the

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editorial

Merely A Question of Price?

What’s the value of fashion? The discussion on raw material prices is finally refocusing on the value of products – and the power of good sales consultants.

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he doubling of the price of cotton clearly indicates that industry and retailers will not be able to avoid some price increases. But does this mean that people will buy fewer jeans or T-shirts? This seems a poor excuse for businesses, as long as they do not operate in the discount segment. Do people stop driving to work when the price of petrol rises above 1.50 euros?

Certainly not! Along these lines, the sales of an emotional product like fashion don’t collapse because of higher price levels, but rather due to a lack of desirability. And there’s no simple formula for creating desirability in retail – it’s a highly individualised matter.

Learn more on page 38 .

on ways to combat this trend, which is definitely not based on prices (Starting on page 52). How can you encourage customers to spend more in your shop? Retailers are coming up with creative solutions, and you can read about them in “Retail Receipts Big and Small” on page 48.

Bland city centres and monotonous shopping districts can also dampen shopper’s enthusiasm. We present some groundbreaking alternative concepts that are inspiring the industry in “Back to The Roots” on page 26.

We hope you enjoy this issue.

Labels are also currently suffering from a decline in their appeal among customers. Our round table talk focused

on the cover losef

„I want to create art that changes shape based on the sensibilities of the viewer.“ Losef

It‘s a bit odd when you send an email with pages of delicately composed Japanese characters halfway around the world and get such a powerful, expressive illustration in response. Anyone who tries to get in contact with the illustration artist Losef from the Japanese island of Hokkaido fails at first. Not because of the time difference or problematic communication channels, but simply because of the language. Losef immediately apologises for his lack of English. So every correspondence first had to be translated into Japanese. The result was worth the effort.

Losef came up with a vision of petals, buds, berries and branches for the current cover of x-ray. Whatever message he might have wanted to communicate was lost, either in translation or in an email between Hokkaido and Salzburg. All the better that we don’t have to explain that.

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Farewell, Fan T-Shirt FC St. Pauli’s merchandising collection Editorial

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what‘s the story 22 Farewell, Fan T-Shirt

FC St. Pauli’s merchandising collection

24 Made in Holland

The appeal of producing locally: The House of Denim project 26 Back to the Roots

Handmade items are back

38 Hot or Not?

Addressing desirability in retail 42 Support Your Local Dealer 2.0

On-site marketing via social media platforms

44 In Touch

Style consulting in retail: This is how it works!

48 Retail Receipts Big and Small

Retail discussion: Where is the money in retail?

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26 Back to the Roots Handmade items are back

the talk 50 „I just did what was fun“

Khujo founder Tobias Schröder tells us his recipe for success 52 „You can turn your consumers into fans or foes“

Round Table Talk: How to create desirability 57 „Photography is a sense of freedom and a crutch“

Fashion blogger: Styleclicker‘s Gunnar Hämmerle fashion 58 Want it!

64 Trends Autumn/Winter 2011/12 in store 78 Retailnews

80 Doing Her Own Thing

Mädchenstolz, Neuss

82 No Rules Whatsoever

Precinct 5, Amsterdam 84 Just Shit?

Shit, Oslo

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„You can turn your consumers into fans or foes“ Round Table Talk

One Last thing

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publication details

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The new Fruit of the Loom Underwear line.

Once again, Amplified is scoring big with icons of the music scene.

Former Adidas creative director has moved on to O‘Neill.

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01 Fruit of the Loom Magenta Pink and Ice Blue Since the launch of the first Fruit of the Loom Underwear collection for men in 2003, the line has become an important and profitable additional business for the label in Europe, the Middle East, Australia and Asia.

In 2011, Fruit of the Loom presented another new underwear line, Ultra, to complement its existing lines Style Brights, Style, Rib and Classic. Ultra focuses on classic shorts and hip briefs with large-print logo bands.

Eye-catching colours - from magenta pink to ice blue – emphasise the line’s young, fashionable character. The colours are also featured in the other underwear lines. www.fruitoftheloom.com

03 O’Neill Thorsten Hochstetter Joins the Team On 15 December 2010 Thorsten Hochstetter assumed the newly-created position of Creative Director at the O‘Neill Group. He has many years of experience as a creative executive in Europe, Japan and the US, and focused on sport and fashion from the start of his career. Hochstetter previously worked as Creative Director Sports Style at Adidas in Herzogenaurach. At O’Neill, he reports directly to Keith Harkess, General Manager Product and Supply. www.oneill.com

02 Amplified A Cult Following

04 Hilfiger Denim New Collection at Bread & Butter

With designs like these, it’s no surprise to discover that a merchandising subsidiary of the Universal Music group is behind the label Amplified Bravado. Back in July 2010 Amplified presented its Ikonik line with XXL black and white images of cult musicians . The label is now building on that success by launching a new selection of Ikonik designs in time for the purchasing deadlines in March/April 2011. These designs were unveiled at the last Bread & Butter show. As always, the shirts feature musicians and bands from influential musical style periods such as rock, punk, rockabilly and pop. Highlights of the new collection include Britpop stars Morrissey and Paul Weller – and evergreens like Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, Kiss, Blondie, and Mick Jagger – nice. Wholesale prices at around 16.95 euros. www.universal-music.de, www.p4marketing.de

The Hilfiger Denim label has been making full use of its lavish trade show booth, an industrial container designed for last year‘s Bread & Butter. This year the booth was used to present the current autumn/winter collection, and also served as a platform and discussion forum for new business possibilities. Label creator Tommy Hilfiger also presented the new advertising campaign for spring/summer 2011, with its slogan “Kids of America”. “Thanks to its unique energy, Bread & Butter is the perfect location to present our new autumn/winter 2011 Hilfiger Denim collection,” he said ahead of the trade show. “I‘m also very pleased that our new ad campaign Kids of America, inspired by a young, talented and entrepreneurial generation, will celebrate its premiere in Berlin.” www.hilfigerdenim.com

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05 Sixty Deutschland GmbH Musical Marketing Concept At the end of last year Sixty Deutschland GmbH, a subsidiary of the Italian Sixty Group, launched its very own online radio format. A clever marketing strategy!

The programme introduces the latest music trends every Sunday between 7pm and 8pm and every Friday from 11pm to midnight on Radio Sunshine Live (www. sunshine-live.de). Seasoned DJ Steffen Baumann, an aficionado of deep and tech house, works the microphone and the turntables. Baumann is supported by Nico Hoffmeister, Head of Marketing & PR at Sixty Deutschland GmbH. In addition to playing the latest tracks, the programme spotlights lifestyle, night life, events and clubs.

The radio show has already been accessed in more than 50 countries, and since the summer of 2010, the Sixty Sessions are part of the weekly line-up at Ibiza’s Space Club. It’s been a huge success for Hoffmeister and Baumann, one that they’ve captured for all their fans on the CD compilation Sixty Sessions Volume 1. Shoppers can hear the Sixty Sessions sound and buy the CD at all Sixty stores. www.sixtysessions.com

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The first CD compilation Sixty Sessions Volume 1.

Daniel Hicking is the new contact for Orage in Germany.

New Marketing Manager at Frontlineshop: Thomas Haschke.

Winter chinos are a hot topic at ADenim in A/W 2011/12.

06 Orage New Sales Division for Germany In mid-January, Chris Sports Europe GmbH - based in Munich under the management of CEO Thomas Stumpp - took over sales and marketing operations for the Canadian freeski label Orage. This move is the direct result of the successful collaboration between the two, as Chris Sports Europe GmbH had already proven itself as reliable partner for the Austrian market. In future, the contact for the German market will be 30-year-old Daniel Hicking and the André Kentzler agency. In addition to selling the autumn/winter 2011/12 collection, Thomas Stumpp’s team will also assume responsibility for distribution of the autumn/winter 2010/11 collection, as well as organising dealer training programmes. www.orage.com

07 Frontlineshop New Marketing Man Since 1 January 2011,Thomas Haschke has been responsible for all marketing operations at Frontlineshop.

He comes to the position after eight years as online marketing director at Otto GmbH. “We‘ve invested heavily in logistics, IT and personnel in the recent past.

Now we‘re focusing heavily on marketing Frontlineshop.

Thomas Haschke‘s long track record in marketing will be an asset to our performance-orientated strategy,” says Frontlineshop CEO Stefan Puriss. On the top of Haschke‘s to-do list is the optimisation and synchronisation of the various online and offline marketing disciplines. www.frontlineshop.com

08 ADenim Chinos As A New Addition As of autum/winter 2011/12, ADenim‘s trouser line will now include chinos for the first time as well. The line had previously consisted only of handcrafted premium denims. Alberto GmbH, located in Mönchengladbach, presented the ADenim chinos to the retail trade at the Berlin trade shows in January. The first two models will be available in the colours sand, navy, camel and khaki as straight- and slim-fit with slit pockets. Depending on the model, the trousers retail at 119 to 159 euros. Just like the label‘s jeans, all chinos are made by hand in Casablanca. www.a-denim.com

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Replay is paying homage to the jeans ‚ of the 50s.

Panorama Distribution‘s Mark Gruetters and Felix Staeudinger.

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10 Replay Tribute to the USA

09 Cheap Monday Topsy-Turvy Swedish jeans and fashion label Cheap Monday, founded in 2004, has announced an expansion of its product line for the autumn/winter 2011/12 collection: Underwear and shoes will be added to the portfolio. Although the label started with its infamous skinny jeans in bright colours, Cheap Monday now offers complete looks. The shoe collection will include ankle boots, half-boots, pumps, biker boots and combat boots, amongst others.

Each season the collection will consist of one main and one intermediate collection with retail prices at between 40 and 170 euros. The first delivery is scheduled for August 2011. The underwear collection will offer one main and one intermediate collection per season as well as a small, special collection. There will be three series each for men and women, with retail prices between 10 to 20 euros. This collection will be delivered for the first time in October 2011. Both product lines will initially be launched on the Scandinavian, French, Italian, German, British and Australian markets. www.cheapmonday.com

The Italian jeans manufacturer has developed a capsule collection for autumn/winter 2011/12 based on the tradition of American jeans. The denim was designed ‚ according to archive models from the 50s. All trousers feature a vintage, handcrafted look. The washes range from dark to extremely washed and sometimes destroyed looks. Tops include work shirts and western shirts from chambray and flannel. They‘ve also been sanded, stonewashed and creased by hand. Sweatshirts and T-shirts from American cotton jersey were dyed in pigment colours. Even accessories like bags, belts and shoes are processed. The capsule line is sold at Replay stores as well as select multi-brand stores. www.replay.it

11 Panorama Distribution A Weakness for Classics Classic with a twist: That’s the motto of fashion agency Panorama Distribution from Düsseldorf, there for all to see. By founding the agency in 2010, the two experienced fashion experts Felix Staeudinger and Mark Gruetters put their idea of a full-service agency into practice: One-stop for distribution, marketing and sales. In doing so, Staeudinger and Gruetters decided to focus on the sales, marketing and distribution of traditional, innovative and, above all, authentic labels with substance. The agency was launched in January 2011 in a modern loft in Düsseldorf. With his company Panorama Distribution, Staeudinger is taking over the distribution of the labels Espadrij l’Originale, George Keys Dufflecoats, MM2M, Garrett and Polo de Deauville.

Gruetters will manage the sales of all labels launched for the autumn/winter 2011/12 season with his agency Fashion Factory. www.panorama-distribution.com

One Green Elephant A Good Cause In August 2010, fashion label One Green Elephant donated a total of 11,887.50 euros to the hospital of the Philippine Community Fund for the purchase of medicine and medical equipment.

The label has been selling wooden bead bracelets in its stores since mid-2009. 1.50 euros from every sold bracelet go to the organisation, which provides schooling and medical care for children living near Smokey Mountain, a large rubbish dump in Manila. After their last donation, a classroom was named after One Green Elephant. www.onegreenelephant.com

12 New Balance Strategic Partnership On 1 September 2010 New Balance entered into a strategic partnership with the French distributor Groupe Royer. The distributor now owns the sole sales and marketing rights for New Balance shoes and clothing in the French, German and Benelux markets. The contact partner for the German market is NBR GmbH - New Balance Royer, located in Düsseldorf (www.grouperoyer.de, T 0049.211.8763740). www.newbalance.de

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13 Fila Back to the roots

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Tennis legend and ever-present Boris Becker has signed a sponsorship agreement with Fila for the next five years. The brand has been a trusted companion of Becker’s throughout his entire career as a tennis star, as he played in Filas in his first professional season back in 1984. The sportswear brand is going to present its first Boris Becker intermediate collection for men and women in spring/summer 2011. Contrary to what many might expect, the collection will be a lifestyle and fashion collection and not focused on sports. Nicknamed „Bobbele“ in Germany, the star‘s glamour factor appears to be more valuable than his achievements as an athlete. www.fila.eu

14 Advanced Minority The Good Parking Tickets!

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„Christmas sucks ...“ is the motto of the guerilla marketing campaign of Viennese fashion label Advanced Minority in the run-up to Christmas. The campaign targeted Viennese who were overwhelmed with the stress in the run-up to Christmas. The campaign wanted to attract their attention without annoying them with yet another advertising measure. They handed out 10-euro vouchers disguised as parking tickets by placing them on the windscreens of parked cars in Mariahilf, the seventh district of Vienna. The successful campaign was the precise embodiment of typical Viennese humour. The vouchers were redeemable until the end of the year in the Am-beta.store in Zollergasse 2 in Vienna. www.advancedminority.com

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Boris Becker has signed a sponsorship agreement with Fila.

What a great practical joke: Christmas parking tickets from Advanced Minority.

The young label Campus is taking on the Netherlands.

Glitz and glam at Drykorn: The sequined Ledbury jacket.

15 Campus Launch in the Netherlands Just in time for the trade show and order rounds for 19 the autumn/winter 2011/12 season, Campus has announced its plans to distribute its clothing in the Dutch market. Plans include 25 new multi-brand customers with a young and high-quality portfolio per season.

In support of this offensive, Campus exhibited at the Modefabriek trade show in Amsterdam for the first time in January 2011. www.campus72.com

16 Drykorn Shine on!

Drykorn‘s sequin tops were quite popular last season.

Now the label is building on this success by introducing a new glitzy look for the spring/summer 2011 collection.

Thanks to the bronze-coloured sequins and very visible shoulder pads, the Ledbury jacket model has, in a way, earned the title of „sparkler.“ www.drykorn.de

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Successful partnership: Diesel and Adidas are continuing their collaboration.

The Chinese photographer Di Liu received the first Lacoste Elysée award.

Kim Kronester is the new supervisor for Bench Sport in Germany.

Agency sieben&siebzig is presenting its eco showroom.

Hubertus Effinger is the new Country Manager of MBT in Austria.

17 Adidas & Diesel Ongoing Collaboration Adidas Originals is once again collaborating with Diesel.

After the first successful collaboration in denim in 2008, the two global lifestyle brands are now pursuing a joint sneaker line in 2011. Linked through shared values such as authenticity, creativity and self-fulfilment, five carefully selected, classic Adidas styles were reinterpreted by Diesel. Distinctive details like rivets and camel leather patches were used for these models, bearing in the mind that the sneakers were designed in accordance with the Diesel philosophy for footwear, not for running. Whether they might still be used to give your unpleasant neighbour a swift kick remains to be seen… After Adidas used Diesel‘s expertise in denim to delve into a new segment in 2008, the reciprocal sneaker project now gives Diesel a chance for new product development. To mark the occasion, the series – limited worldwide to just 10,000 units – will be presented to 20 industry professionals on 20 January at Bread & Butter in Berlin. The sneakers will subsequently be sold exclusively through Diesel. Prices vary according to model from 120 to 160 euros. Potential buyers should visit the Diesel stores in Zurich, Munich, Cologne, Vienna, Berlin Mitte, and on the Kurfürstendamm shopping street in Berlin. www.diesel.com, www.adidas.com

18 Lacoste Tomorrow Comes Today „reGeneration: Tomorrow’s Photographers Today“ was the title of an exhibition at the Musée de l’Élysée in Lausanne, which Lacoste used to create an award for young photographers. The winner of the first Lacoste Elysée 2010 award, which came with a 20,000 CHF cash prize, was Di Liu from China. His photographs depict the conflicting relationship between humans and nature, based on the phenomenal speed at which Chinese urban development is moving. The jury, which included Lacoste Creative Director Felipe Oliveira Baptista, was particularly impressed by the quality and humour of Liu’s photos. The award is supposed to become an annual tradition. www.lacoste.com

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19 Bench Sport Supervisor for Germany The title has a ring to it: since June 2010, Kim Kronester has been working for the Bench Sport team in Germany as a supervisor. In concrete terms, this means she‘ll be in charge of structuring and organising the label‘s marketing, communication strategy, and distribution. „Kim Kronester is not only an expert in her field; as an active athlete and mother, she also knows exactly what young athletes can‘t live without when it comes to fashion. We‘re pleased to have brought Kim on board as a strong member of our international team,“ says Isabelle Opitz-Ferzandi, Sales and Marketing Director of Bench International. Ms Kronester previously worked at companies like adidas-Salomon AG, Powderhausen AG and Nitro Snowboards. At Nitro she headed the marketing, communication and PR department in Germany. www.benchsports.com

20 eco Showroom from Head to Toe In November 2010, the team of sieben&siebzig opened the eco showroom in Almstadtstraße 35 in central Berlin. The concept store focuses on ecological products such as Dr. Hauschka and Vilde Svaner and is based on the idea of designing a green lifestyle world. The product selection includes fashion, beauty and food, as well as furniture. The owners of PR agency sieben&siebzig, Kati Drescher and Nadine Valencic, primarily regard the shop as an opportunity to present green lifestyle and thus offer their customers a platform to present themselves to consumers in an attractive environment. www.ecoshowroom.de

21 MBT A New Team for Austria The Swiss shoe specialist MBT is splitting from its long-term distributor in Austria, Austro Masai Vertriebs GmbH, and establishing its own subsidiary to set up new sales and marketing structures and boost business in Austria. Hubertus Effinger is going to be responsible for building the team; he was appointed Country Manager for Austria on 1 December 2010 . „Our label has an identity that is unique around the globe. In order to maintain and continuously enhance this identity, we want to be more involved in the establishment of subsidiaries. They‘re in a much better position to realise international and country-specific requirements,“ explains Markus Walt, Manager for Germany, Austria and Switzerland. www.mbt.com 20

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Kaporal New Sales and Distribution Partner Starting with the 2011 spring/summer season, JMS Distribution from Mutterstadt will take over sales and distribution of French denim label Kaporal in the German market. www.j-m-s.net, www.kaporal.com 21

25 Liganova Head of Visual Merchandising 22 Gina Tricot Expansion in Germany Swedish fashion chain Gina Tricot opened two stores in October 2010, one in Düsseldorf and one in Cologne.

The headquarters of the German operation are based in Düsseldorf, with Mark Wittke at the helm. Gina Tricot is one of the leading „vertical“ retailers in Scandinavia, with roughly 170 stores in Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark. The company was founded as a family enterprise in 1997 by Jörgen and Annette Appelqvist in the Swedish town of Borås. The couple‘s children are both working in top positions in the company: Victor Appelqvist is the marketing director and responsible for expansion; his sister Annette heads the procurement team. In 2009, the company achieved sales of 250 million euros. Plans for 2011 include the opening of an additional ten stores in the German market, with locations in Oldenburg, Essen, Dortmund, Wuppertal and Hanover. www.ginatricot.de

23 Henrik Vibskov The World Traveller 100 days per city and per season and then the trip continues ... with luck, around the world. Designer Henrik Vibskov has lofty goals: His new retail concept plans to constantly change location. He wants to present the current theme of his collection for 100 days in one city and then move on to the next. His idea celebrated its premiere on 9 December in SPRSpace in Amsterdam with the current autumn/winter collection. www.henrikvibskov.com

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Two new Gina Tricot stores in Cologne and Dusseldorf.

Celebrity collaboration at Kangroos: Jimi Blue Blue Ochsenknecht is designing for the label.

Stefanie Gless is the new Head of Visual Merchandising at Liganova.

90 designers participated in the New Era design contest.

24 Kangaroos Special Collection Designed by Jimi Blue Ochsenknecht The month to mark on your calendar is April, when the American label Kangaroos will present a special collection designed by Jimi Blue Ochsenknecht and made up of fashion, bags and shoes. At just 19 the teen heart-throb is one of Germany‘s most successful actors and musicians of his generation. That was reason enough for Kangaroos to bring him in as a collaboration partner and testimonial. „Kangaroos by Jimi Blue“ will be marketed to trend-conscious, demanding teens aged ten to 19 years. The sporty urban style is comprised of hoodies, tees, casual jeans and Bermuda shorts for boys, and shapely jumpsuits and dresses for girls. Speciality retailers will also carry four bag models and five shoe designs. The Jimi Blue textile collection will be priced at between 34.95 euros and 119.95 euros. The shoes to match can be purchased for 49.95 euros to 89.95 euros. www.kangaroos.com

Stefanie Gless is the new Head of Visual Merchandising at brand retail company Liganova, with its offices in Berlin and Stuttgart. One of the first big challenges for the experienced 37-year-old visual merchandising expert, who previously worked for companies like Breuninger, Hugo Boss and H6M, is the development of a concept for a „jeans finder“ for Diesel customers. „These kinds of ‚silent-selling‘ tools are increasingly popular in multibrand stores,“ says Gless. Orders from a major department store in southern Germany and a few luxury department stores in India are already in the pipeline.

Liganova has declared the international development of its range of products and services as a goal for the near future. www.liganova.com

26 New Era 90 Years – 90 Designers To celebrate its 90th anniversary, New Era, the brand founded in 1920 by German hatter Erhard Koch, launched the art project New Era XC in late autumn of 2009. 90 graduates of renowned European design schools unleashed their creativity to design a cap model. The submitted caps were then rated by a jury headed by legendary British hatter Piers Atkinson.

They presented winner Craig Green from Central St. Martins College in London with a grant of £10,000 to help him jumpstart his own design career. New Era consequently toured through galleries in London, Paris, Milan and Barcelona to present the exhibits.

A book with the works, designers‘ biographies and the history of New Era was published as well. www.neweracap.com

What’s the story_st. pauli FC St. Pauli player Deniz Nake and Cleptomanicx mascot Captain Clepto present the collaborative friendship jacket „Straight outta St. Pauli“.

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Farewell, Fan T-Shirt FC St. Pauli isn’t just a football club – it’s an expression of the local lifestyle. With fashionable merchandising collections, designer collaborations and portraits of local heroes, the club attracts a lot of notice. The credo calls for “style instead of a fan uniform.”

Text Nicolette Scharpenberg, Photos David Luther, Rock ’n’ Roll Architecture

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ootball has returned to its roots – on the streets and with the fans – at least where St. Pauli is concerned.

Beyond the overpaid stars and pretentious clubs, there are still those role models who work hard year after year to finally make their way up into the first division. Compared with superstars like David Beckham or Christiano Ronaldo – who like to present themselves as fashion victims and have made football-playing careers acceptable for the upper crust – the fashion direction pursued by FC St. Pauli is more “populist,” as befits the club’s politics. Here, the subject of merchandising plays out on a completely different level – namely, in streetwear, with local labels and celebrities from the area’s own streets. It is no surprise that this approach has so much potential, inspiring more and more brands with the idea.

For the club’s 100th anniversary, a merchandise catalogue was issued that portrayed local street artists. Bild.de called them criminals. Why is St. Pauli using criminals in its advertising?

Hendrik Lüttmer, Product Manager, Upsolut Merchandising: We’ve been pursuing this kind of catalogue concept for three or four years now. The goal is not to produce a pure merchandising retail catalogue, but rather an image catalogue in which we focus on the unique character of the St. Pauli district in connection with fashion. Street art is a part of the St. Pauli attitude towards life, and we don’t see it as a problem that it’s being practiced in the visual sense of the word by criminals.

What image of FC St. Pauli do you want to communicate?

Lüttmer: I would like to erase the “FC” for once.

We are, in fact, defining an image of St. Pauli as a progressive, urban district with many faces and facets. Our slogan, “The street wears St. Pauli,” emerged from this, as the street is what this district represents to us all: music, art, urban life, youth, progressiveness, as well as fashion and football.

You’re showing a very fashionable collection in the catalogue. Why? Do you want St. Pauli to become a posh club like FC Bayern München?

Marie Richers, Head Designer, St. Pauli Merchandise: We’re certainly not posh. It’s a collection for the district, and doesn’t necessarily require you to be a fan of the club. My job is to design wearable pieces that also work for everyday. Fashion influences play a role here, of course! The collection should also stand out from the typical fan articles. I see the biggest challenge to be maintaining the balance between the distinctiveness of the club and my own signature style.

Lüttmer: At the distribution level, we take a different path than many other clubs. For us, the brand is sacred. For this reason, we have hardly any of the typical licensed products that differ from other clubs only in colour. We also have jerseys and scarves, of course, since FC St. Pauli is a normal football club. The skull as a logo

„The skull is our endorsement.“ Hendrik Lüttmer

provided us with the starting point for a more trendy collection. It’s the traditional symbol for piracy and the official club logo; in the meantime, it’s also become an official component of the club‘s corporate identity.

Vanity is a subject that has long been associated with football. The involvement of fashion companies with football is also an age-old thing. What do you do differently, and why?

Lüttmer: We don’t need any top stars. The skull is our endorsement, not the individual player.

With us, fashion is at the forefront, and it transports the image.

The FC St. Pauli fan shop was opened in August 2008. The cobblestone floor is supposed to bring the streets into the store, in line with the brand‘s claim „The street wears St. Pauli“.

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Are the players involved in the process?

Lüttmer: No. We didn’t want to pursue the star cult that other clubs build around their players.

There are constant interfaces, such as in the current catalogue with the goalie Benedikt Pliquett, but that only happened because he had a background in street art himself. The players sometimes wear our things privately and that’s more than enough for us.

Local heroes of Hamburg or not, in the end, it’s all marketing. Are the true fans of FC St. Pauli receptive at all to this commercial marketing of their own culture?

Lüttmer: The fact that there is very little complaining about us in the fan forums, blogs and fanzines tells us that we have apparently struck a chord with the hardcore fans. There‘s no doubt that FC St. Pauli has a nationwide aura that, other than them, only FC Bayern Munich has due to their success on the field. Of course, there are always fundamentalists who reject any type of marketing, but I think that our form of marketing is relatively harmless because it reflects the entire district, not just individual groups of fans.

Don’t you ever wonder if the philosophy of this authentic club can sustain so much fashion?

Richers: Our secret is that we speak the same language as our district, and I don’t want to be a traitor to the club with my designs. We are linked by what inspires us.

Lüttmer: Authenticity is the one thing that we have to hold on to in order to continue to be successful.

Hendrik Lüttmer has been the product manager of FC St. Pauli Merchandising since 2001. Marie Richers co-owns the Boombox Store in Hamburg and works as freelance designer for Upsolut.

Upsolut Merchandising GmbH & Co. KG Upsolut Merchandising GmbH & Co. KG holds the patent rights for the merchandising of all FC St. Pauli brands, including the „St. Pauli Skull“ label. Upsolut’s bridge to the world of fashion was the partnership with Dickies. Marie Richers has been responsible for the design of the St. Pauli merchandise collection since 2001. As part of her job application, she sewed a golden track suit with the St. Pauli logotype on the back, which perfectly suited the taste of the club’s product management.

what’s the story_house of denim

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A lot of Dutch brands are looking for denim talents. House of Denim offers a solution.

„‚We want to be the Central Saint Martins for denim.“ James Veenhoff, House of Denim

house of denim_what’s the story

Made in Holland

Premium denim countries like Japan, USA and Italy may soon face some serious competition, coming from an unexpected European corner: The Netherlands. If all goes well, the Dutch denim institute House of Denim will have a sustainable production facility, academy and research centre up and running in a few years.

Text Miranda Hoogervorst Photos House of Denim

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he concept of House of Denim consists of four elements: school, lab, archive and network. The school pilot starts in February 2011 with a ten weeks‘ students‘ course. Eventually, this will evolve into a full time, four years‘ denim course. The lab is the place where scientists, students and producers will develop new materials and production techniques, focussing on sustainability. The archive consists of a denim library and museum. Finally, the denim network will be the meeting place for anyone to discuss denim over drinks.

James Veenhoff is the initiator of House of Denim. He is a brand consultant and was one of the founders of the Amsterdam International Fashion Week. Being extremely passionate about denim, he started wondering if it would be possible to start up sustainable denim production in the Netherlands: “It started as a joke, but it got very serious. We want to be the Central Saint Martins for denim. Our goal is to develop craftsmanship, sustainability and innovations in jeans in the Amsterdam region.

It is not our goal to replace large productions from Asia, but we will certainly do exclusive productions and limited editions.” At the time of the interview, a location for House of Denim had yet to be found. James: “We are considering a few options; it would be great to have all activities in one place, but we could also split them up.”

Who will be joining House of Denim?

Brands, entrepreneurs, institutes and schools are excited by the idea of a Dutch denim institute. James: “A lot of brands have a hard time finding denim experts. They are willing to help us out with this project because we will – eventually - help them out with their need for denim expertise. Companies that have already pledged their commitment are: Scotch&Soda, Tommy Hilfiger, Levi‘s, We and America Today.”

The development costs of jeans produced in the Netherlands are pretty interesting in comparison to five other denim producing countries (Turkey, Japan, Italy, USA, Tunesia).

Based on six models in five sizes each, the total development costs for House of Denim are calculated at 3.733,25 euros (Tunesia: 4.696,10

euros and Italy: 5.534,50 euros). Due to huge savings in travelling and shipping expenses, Holland turns out to be the cheapest on the list. The retail price of a Dutch jeans would end up somewhere around 225 euros. A good price for a premium denim. The design will not be a big problem either, since House of Denim is closely connected with denim brands and progressive denim designers like Jason Denham and Kentroy Yearwood. Expectations are rising by the day. We‘ll have to wait for more news, but it sure would be great to have denim specialists around the corner; this would turn sampling into an activity you could do over lunch.

1 Calculations from thesis Handcrafted in Amsterdam (2010)

by Jelle de Jong, student at Amsterdam Fashion Institute

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Home-cooked food is always the best: Homey store and product concepts are taking the market by storm.

Back to the Roots_what’s the story

Back to the Roots

The McDonaldisation of the shopping experience is now so advanced that more and more people are turned off by the vast numbers of monolabel outlets stocking increasingly similar products. But there is a ray of hope, as local creative movements are taking shape in many places.

Text Ina Köhler, Photos Anna Rabbow, Brands

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Home-baked delicacies at the Munich store „Wir machen Cupcakes“ (We make cupcakes).

emember when you entered a store and it felt like home? Well, that’s a thing of the past today with high streets that are now so similar they blur into one. Today, the small Gallic village that possibly could provide an alternative is located in the districts where the designers actually live because the studios and shops are affordable. And just as in the story of Asterix and Obelix, these designers are passively resisting conformity with individual products and concepts. They are resisting homogenous products with obtrusive labelling, products that appear to look identical from Los Angeles to Johannesburg and that are usually produced in an anonymous factory in some part of Asia. Since the birth of mass production in 1913, when the first Ford Model T rolled off the production line, it appears nothing much has changed. Take a look at the international labels, and you’ll see little evidence of the muchtrumpeted individualisation of the world’s wardrobes.

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The Boss Is Still In Charge Here But there is another way. These days, more and more products are being designed and sold locally, in the manufacturer’s own region, neighbourhood or village. And these individuals are creating true homespun gems. Items that you can identify with, that are recognisable as regional products. Items created by designers who know what it means to make something with their own two hands. True to the motto: “The boss is still in charge here”, this production process is so honest and straightforward, you can watch it from start to finish.

One example is René Küppers: he prints his own T-shirts in the fashionable Dusseldorf district of Flingern. You can also watch designer Kiyo Matsumoto in Dusseldorf, printing cards in his shop Letterpress 77. In Munich, Iris Wagner serves up delicacies in a living room ambience at her shop “Wir machen Cupcakes” (We make

cupcakes). Welcome home - we can’t resist the appeal of a hand-roasted coffee, a hand-knitted hat or a homemade cake because in our daily diet of Starbucks and H&M, quality like this has become hard to find. And who doesn’t enjoy being captivated by personal service?

Crocheting, Knitting, Sewing The birth of industrialisation marked the onset of uniformity, when everything was supposed to look identical for the most effective mass production possible. Today the trend is pushing in the opposite direction: Products with character are in demand. They might have been mass produced, but are deliberately designed to suggest

something else. The “craftsmen” campaign by the luxury label Louis Vuitton plays with this idea: Its protagonists are far too beautiful to be real humans. Products that are handmade - or at least look as though they are - are currently a huge topic in fashion design, and feature in many collections.

Genuine craftsmanship is to be found elsewhere: people with skill and talent reach for their own needles, thread, crayon or hammer. Crocheting, knitting, sewing, sticking, sawing: the “do it yourself” approach has been booming in young designer circles for some time now, and books and courses offer instructions on how

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DaWanda founders Claudia Helming and Michael PĂźtz rely on the appeal of handmade products.

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Creative, handmade products are being developed at the Etsy labs in Berlin.

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to make your own furniture, clothing, design products or even magazines. Books and films such as “The Handmade Marketplace” by Karen Chapin or “Handmade Nation” by Faythe Levin even include a guide to global marketing via the Internet. Add a quirky name – such as “HartzIV-Möbel” (wellfare furniture) by Berlin designer Le van Bo, who posts montage instructions for his furniture online – and off you go. Crocheting and knitting circles are suddenly not just the exclusive domain of grannies enjoing their tea, but also of young progressive urbanites, who are taking up needles at the “Stitch’n’Bitch Café” in places like Berlin, Buffalo or Brooklyn. Knitting and crocheting as a post-feminist expression of autonomy and independence against cheap products. At the Linkle Café in Berlin, you can (learn how to) sew, or you can get a makeover for your old handbag.

Internet as Global Market Place The internet accelerates creativity through the concept of the global market place: while people used to sit next to each other at the village craft club, they can now exchange specialist information on the production of handmade items via blogs. Moreover, the Internet with its myriad possibilities is a fantastic marketing platform for young entrepreneurs who can use it to access new customers. So-called “indiepreneurs” pick up on the consumer’s desire for individual products, and deliver products via mail to people who are looking for alternatives to mass culture.

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Handmade Products for the Global Market And because these lovely handmade items have to be found as well, resourceful businesspeople established platforms such as the New York “etsy.com” or the German pendant “DaWanda” to market these products. Etsy was founded in 2005 and describes itself as an online market place for handmade and vintage items, art and supplies. The beautifully designed pages show the creators with their products and offer ample space for exchange between like-minded fellow craftspeople.

Since 2010, Etsy has also been present in Berlin, and not just in the virtual world: The Etsy Labs in Kreuzberg are both a community centre and event location for the “make it yourself” movement. There’s a different workshop every Tuesday – from glove design using cast-off knits to painted crockery. “We chose Berlin because we think it’s a very exciting city with many creative people,” says Etsy representative Anda Lewis Corrie, who’s been living in Germany for several months. More than 400,000 Etsy sellers offer 7.3 million products to 6.4 million members in 165 countries. These impressive figures are backed by hard facts: Founder and CEO Rob Kalin posted a turnover of some 180 million dollars with Etsy in 2009; in October 2010 turnover was already more than 230 million dollars. The Hubert Burda Group - parent company of the creative pattern - has already invested in the up-and-coming company.

Jeans by Girls Must Have look like they are handmade.

„Fashion is sold more than anything else at DaWanda.“ Ina Froehner, DaWanda

The German-language pendant DaWanda uses a similar concept, but has not yet attained quite such global coverage. 85,000 manufacturers offer more than 1,000,000 products, with approx. 6,000 new products joining the

platform every day. DaWanda, founded in 2006

by Claudia Helming and Michael Pütz, has more than 850,000 members to date. Media spokeswoman Ina Froehner says fashion is sold more than anything else on the site, which generally offers a wide range of products from buttons to harpsichords. DaWanda has defined clear rules: Manufacturers of mass-produced items are taboo. “It’s especially lucrative for young designers who are just starting. They don’t need to have their own shop, and can utilise the existing platform,” says Froehner.

The “DIY” Brand The theoretical superstructure for the local “make it yourself” trend is provided by a book,

what’s the story_Back to the Roots

“Marke Eigenbau: Der Aufstand der Massen gegen Massenproduktion” (The DIY Brand: The Revolt of the Masses Against Mass Production), published in 2008. The book leaves no doubt as to the political motivations of the trend, with a rejection of mass-produced items and substitution through local networks (see interview).

Authors Holm Friebe and Thomas Ramge even designed the cover of the book themselves: Each individual copy was sprayed with a different colour with a special stencil technique, making it one-of-a-kind. Although the writers’ sympathies lie with small businessmen, their analysis reveals that the “make it yourself” movement should not be neglected by the big brands. What can the giants learn from the little ‚ guys? “They can learn that the logic of the 90s, that the brand is everything, no longer cuts it,” says Holm Friebe. “Basically they can attempt to imitate or absorb these new structures.”

And this is something the industry has already been doing for a while, as the concept of mass customisation is nothing new. At NikeID, for example, you can stipulate what colour you’d like for your shoes, or what form of stitching. Puma developed a site with a similar concept, the Mongolian BBQ. However, it was recently shut down, and it’s unknown whether there will be a successor site. Adidas’ Originals by Originals produced a collection in collaboration with Japanese designer Kazuki Kuraishi, in which individual pieces could be tailored and changed 30 by customers themselves.

„People are increasingly keen to design their own products.“ Lukasz Gadowski, Spreadshirt

Adidas Originals by Originals has produced a collection where details can be changed retroactively.

Nevertheless, next to these high-end examples, there are a lot of half-hearted attempts as well: even if you could have a car in one of 30 different fixtures and fittings, or a shoe in one of a total of 297 mix-and-match rainbow colours, any enlightened consumer is going to suspect that the product is probably manufactured by underpaid people working on assembly lines in Asia. As a designer, it has its appeal to intervene in the production process. A good example of how this can work is the Leipzig T-shirt label Spreadshirt, which realises its customers’ own designs – an approach that’s proven highly successful. “People are increasingly keen to design their own products,” says company founder Lukasz Gadowski. By giving its customers a free hand in designing their own clothing, Spreadshirt has itself become a successful company.

Do it Yourself and High Tech The ‘do it yourself’ movement is not always characterised by dilettantism and micro-enterprise.

Look beyond the knitted hats and macramé owls and you will also find a high-tech aspect: The industry is currently working on developing laser printers that will be able to produce individualised products in small quantities; the form can be determined by practically any individual. This means maximum individuality, without forgoing the convenience of hightech products. There is already talk of creative consumers, who will design their own products with the touch of a button. And if the printer should stop working at some point, he or she can always learn how to knit.

Links on the subject of “Do it yourself” www.zentrale-intelligenz-agentur.de www.marke-eigenbau.org www.hartzivmoebel.de www.makezine.com www.hello-handmade.com www.labastellerie.com/blog www.maikitten.de www.schnittchen-online.com/index.php www.etsy.com www.dawanda.de www.linkle.de

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“The ‘Homemade Brand’ is a real brand” In the book ‘Homemade Brand’ (Marke Eigenbau) Holm Friebe and Thomas Ramge presented a new generation of global and local small businesses that have developed a niche in the worldwide market with their creative products.

Text Ina Köhler, Photos Marke Eigenbau

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t’s been two years since the initial publication of your book, “Homemade Brand (in German: Marke Eigenbau).”

What has changed in the fashion scene since then?

At the time, we predicted that the “homemade” label would become a real brand.

It has a distinctive quality and is becoming desirable. It used to be a last-resort solution for people who couldn’t afford to buy high-profile international brands. The brand character is increasingly being assumed by small, local labels, handcrafters and fashion designers whose customers are familiar with their history and workmanship. Local production now has more prestige than a worldwide logo. Having said that, the scene is now shifting from textile products to “hardware.” Labels are experimenting with 3D printers or laser-cutting that can be used to produce prototypes. This is the latest exciting development.

Does individualised culture have a chance against mass-market products?

Yes, it has a chance, but this doesn’t mean that the mass-market will be replaced. If you pour sand in a glass filled with peas, there are lots of spaces between the peas that will fill with sand without the peas actually disappearing. Sales bottlenecks and shortages in classic retail cease

to occur. The fact that we can become textile retailers through sites like etsy.com or dawanda.com allows the hobby culture to leave the neighbourhood scene behind to establish an interface with the market.

Don’t the classic brands imitate this as well?

Being recognized by the big brands is a big compliment to this style. Of course, you have to look closely: How is it being done – are they merely imitating the style or is there real craftsmanship behind it? Is it produced under fair conditions or in a sweatshop in a third-world country?

Can we make the world a better place with homemade products?

I do think that more and more people want to use their money to influence what, how and where things should be produced. We’ve seen this when it comes to food. It’s not only about how something looks and how good the quality is, but also how it is produced. The DIY culture makes the production process more transparent.

„The DIY culture makes the production process more transparent.“ Holm Friebe

Someone who only has 400 euros per month is not going to scrimp and save just to be able to buy an expensive, handmade designer piece.

Those who already spend a lot of money for brand-name goods do consider whether they would prefer to spend that premium price, which they were going to spend anyway, on a quality handcrafted item from a source they know.

What kind of advice to you give startups who are starting their own “homemade brand”?

But a lot of consumers pay more attention to the price than they do to production conditions...

Only the classic business advice: Keep fixed costs low. I would consider whether I really need a fixed bricks-and-mortar shop, or if I’d be better off with a facebook-based business model.

The whole discussion only applies to a clientele that has a certain amount of disposable income.

www.marke-eigenbau.org

what’s the story_Back to the Roots

Made With Love

Handmade used to be a bad word. Ugh. Handmade was totally uncool, with an air of the unfinished. But that was precisely the dilemma because criticising something handmade is something that you just don’t do. Today, the situation is quite different. The description “made with love” has regained its status as a mark of quality, distinguishing true collector’s gems from cheap, mass-produced items.

Text Isabel Baier, Nicolette Scharpenberg, Ina Köhler Photos Eugen Gebhardt, Isabel Baier, Nicolette Scharpenberg, Anna Rabbow, Stores

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ow it is quite quirky and nonetheless quite fun when shops have names such as Bube & Dame (Jack & Queen), Kaiserin (Empress), Die Welt ist schön (The world is beautiful), Strumpftante (Aunt Stocking) or Bea’s Schuhtick (Bea’s shoe obsession), Prachtstück (Real Gems) or simply Herrenabteilung (Men’s Department). You get what you 32 see. Incomprehensible anglicisms and insider abbreviations pale next to this new coolness.

Handmade products are back in style, as is evident in all lifestyle and retail sectors. Forget any ideas you might have of eco-warriors dressed in hand knits. These new shops were created with a great deal of love and passion, and are a world away from the stale fug of Grandma’s living room. They highlight local influences and are backed up with a good dose of personality: Astra beer crates as bar stools in Hamburg’s Superbude, handmade quilts at Mein Laden (My store) in Berlin, and real home cooking at Krug in Hamburg. Forget bizarre culinary hybrids or inaccessible designer goods – these stores offer unique products with character. They are not just points of sale, they are places to gather and indulge in some serious browsing.

The Munich quarter Schwabing is experiencing another renaissance thanks to wonderful boutiques like Liebschaften.

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Keeping it Local In true Munich tradition, Birgit Beck and Mareyke Ostermann have infused their newly-opened store Liebschaften (Liaisons) on Herzogstrasse with tons of charm and cosiness.

Maryke Ostermann (on the left) and Birgit Beck poured themselves into their concept.

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iewed from outside, the arrangement of Liebschaften next to the Schöntag restaurant is quite eyecatching and a felicitous symbol of the development of the Herzogstrasse area in the Munich district of Schwabing. The accent here is on collaboration, and the interior of Liebschaften is itself a reflection of the advantages of working together on a local level, with the neighbours in the area.

Out of the Ordinary The shop has been put together with loving attention to detail. “Initially we thought of asking a shopfitter friend, but there’s no standard concept to suit Liebschaften,” says Mareyke Ostermann. “So instead, we opted for some local colour,” Birgit Beck explains. The parquet flooring and lighting system are from specialist dealers just a few streets away, the in-house carpenter was commissioned to make the furniture, and the painter himself stopped by just before the grand opening to do a final check.

Both owners, who come from quite different walks of life – Ostermann from the fashion industry, and Beck from the world of finance – are seeing a clear-cut trend in the market right now. “The handmade issue is not just a trend, it’s an entire movement, one that is making itself felt very strongly. People don’t want to be overrun with products anymore. They don’t want to go into town to do their shopping, because the products there are all mass produced. I myself prefer shopping in the small stores. People don’t always want to see exactly the same things,” says Ostermann.

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The Name Says It All “In Liebschaften, you’ll find your absolute favourites,” says Beck. And the selection is indeed a blend of well-known and reliable sellers such as Skunkfunk, Fly London or Pepe Jeans and smaller collector’s labels that customers delight in ‘discovering’ such as Lucky de Luca and Made for Loving. The men’s range is still a work in progress. “The fact that Fly London, for example, is doing so well has really been a positive surprise,” says Ostermann. The Liebschaften duo have also been pleasantly surprised by the success of the store’s first few months, a success that confirmed their decision to house the shop in Herzogstrasse, and not nearby Hohenzollernstrasse with its numerous outlets.

„When I go into a regular shop, I miss that individual flair and personality. A lot of the time things don’t work anymore because no one’s got an overview and no one’s putting their heart and soul into it.“ Mareyke Ostermann

Liebschaften Herzogstraße 84 80796 München/Germany T 0049.89.55065740 freinds@liebschaften-laden.de www.liebschaften-laden.de Owners: Mareyke Ostermann, Birgit Beck Opening: November 2010 Labels: Björkvin, Eucalyptus, Fashion Duke, Fly London, Goosecraft, Hüftgold, Ilse Jacobsen, Lotus Jeans, Lucky de Luca, Made for Loving, Monrow, Pepe Jeans, Please, Rosebowl & Bricks, Skunkfunk, Wandelei

what’s the story_Back to the Roots Superbude Hotel & Hostel & Lounge GmbH Spaldingstraße 152 20097 Hamburg/Germany www.superbude.de www.facebook.com/superbude.hamburg

Cool And Creative 34

For a prime example of how “Do-it-yourself” can turn a simple building into a super-cool joint, look no further: Go to Superbude in Hamburg. The 1-starred hostel is part of the city’s Fortune Hotels group and is situated in the district of Hammerbrook. With style features such as Astra beer crates for chairs, stools wrapped in mooring ropes, an anchor as a logo and food mostly sourced from Hamburg producers, the Superbude exudes local colour par excellence. Its proximity to the I Punkt Skateland means the hostel is popular among young adults.

The many different room categories are attractive for solo travellers – many of them backpackers - as well as large families and business guests, which make up 40 per cent of visitors. Young families with children under 13 benefit from the free overnight stay and breakfast deal for kids. With a good dose of Nordic creativity and a small budget, the creators of Superbude have turned a basic joint into a hip hang-out.

Standing Out From The Crowd Mein Laden Böckhstraße 26 10967 Berlin/Germany http://mein-laden.blogspot.com

Dedicated fashion designer and experienced costume designer Miriam Blaich opened “Mein Laden” (My store) in Berlin’s Kreuzberg district in September 2008. It’s a shop where everything is handmade or hand-picked – not just the clothes and accessories but also the décor, with reconditioned furniture sourced from flea markets or antique shops. Once a week, Blaich carefully redecorates the living room style atmosphere in the store. Not only does she serve all customers herself, she also helps them decide on a type of fabric or a style of cut. “Every person is unique and wants something unique,” she says. “People are increasingly aware of clothing that has been made under fair conditions and not mass-produced. And they like it when fashion reflects the personality of its creator.

Many people are once again interested in handmade products. It’s a wonderful development that also affects small labels such as mine.” She is well aware that her concept is not without competition, particularly in Berlin, where the creative scene is booming.

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A Charming Choice

Nia. Prêt-à-porter Türkenstraße 35 80799 Munich/Germany T 0049.89.28673950 www.nia-pretaporter.de

Keeping it Simple Krug Weinstube Paul-Roosen-Straße 35 22767 Hamburg/Germany www.krug-hamburg.de

You won’t find any crocheted caps or handmade scarves in Nina Jäger’s fashion boutique Nia Prêt-à-porter on Munich’s Türkenstrasse. The rating “made with love” applies to the entire store concept. The selection is generally a blend of French labels such as Sessun and American Vintage, and smaller collectors’ labels from Scandinavia and Paris, for example Bel Air. Jäger began her career as a specialist fashion retailer in southern France, and brought her penchant for French fashion back to Germany in 2003, where she opened Nia a year later. The shop doubled in size in 2008, and the concept expanded further in 2010 with a shoe shop in the Barerstrasse. At Nia, clothes are presented in a highly personalised atmosphere that pays particular attention to individual personality – an approach that works very well, thanks to the staff and homely store design. Jäger’s assistants appear to be cast from the same mould. They are ideal models for the Nia range, and they are also charming without appearing obtrusive.

“It’s essential to have the right kind of service staff in Munich because people here aren’t particularly daring or open to trying new labels. For a jump suit, for example, we sometimes need two years before it catches on, because, by this time, it will have been featured in all fashion magazines, causing the girls to be courageous enough to buy it,” says Jäger. This small boutique exudes more friendliness and feel-good factor than some of the handmade concept stores.

Sausage salad and Toblerone mousse, perhaps washed down with a glass of delicious white Burgundy, or maybe a Silvaner? It’s quite difficult to make decisions at the Krug (The Jug) wine bar in the heart of Hamburg’s St. Pauli district. Over the past year, Krug has become an institution for devotees of good food and wine.

The no-frills and rather provisional character of this establishment, with 15 simple wooden tables groaning with guests after 8pm, indicates a focus on the essentials: Good food, good wine and hospitality. The menus, which change daily, are written out by hand and present rustic home-cooked dishes influenced by Palatinate cuisine. Customers are an illustrious mix of trendy types and original St. Pauli characters. Time it right, and you may well find yourself dining alongside Hamburg’s hip-hop legend Jan Delay.

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Irresistible Favourites Matthias Hülsebus and Mareike Münder prefer to stock their stores with personal favourites. It’s an approach that’s paid off, and there are already two branches of Unterhaltung Lieblingsstücke (Entertainment Favourite Pieces) – one in Dortmund’s Schillingstraße, and the second in the fashionable Dusseldorf district of Flingern. Highlights include the tree set (choose between pine or spruce) to plant yourself, unusual books, a selection of beautiful cards by Dusseldorf graphic artist Kiyo Matsumoto, who runs the printing studio Letterpress77 in the same neighbourhood, slippers, hats, gloves , and chocolate . Ideal for anyone who likes giving presents but may have run out of inspiration.

The store’s interior design is homely and welcoming.

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Simple Pleasures Iris Wagner and Sheloian Tanedo opened their café-shop “Wir machen Cupcakes” (We Make Cupcakes) in the heart of Munich on 11 December last year. The success of their online bakery – clients include Tommy Hilfiger, Diesel and Herrlicher – was proof enough that the home-baked cakes would be a hit in Germany. The two self-taught bakers, who previously worked in the digital marketing sector, developed their passion for cupcakes during a visit to Sydney. The café in Munich offer 15 square metres of taste and flair. In addition to the cupcakes’ own brightly-coloured décor, the pretty, quirky interior engenders a homely atmosphere. Cosy upholstered furniture, flower print wallpaper, an old wooden table that serves as a counter, large glass cloches, sweet lace tablecloths and dusky pink lamps suspended over the tables are reminiscent of a bygone era. The kitschy, living room atmosphere is broken up by clear, modern lines. Cakes are baked fresh every morning!

Wir machen Cupcakes Utzschneiderstraße 12 80469 Munich/Germany www.wirmachencupcakes.de

Letterpress 77 Flurstraße 77 40235 Dusseldorf/Germany T 0049.211.1799449 www.letterpress77.com Unterhaltung Lieblingsstücke Schillingstraße 27a 44139 Dortmund/Germany T 0049.231.9565943 Ackerstraße 161 40233 Dusseldorf/Germany T 0049.211.73286473 www.unterhaltung-lieblingsstuecke.de

Back to the Roots_what’s the story Wie es Euch gefällt Juliusstraße 16 22769 Hamburg/Germany nina@wieeseuchgefaellt.de www.wieeseuchgefaellt.de

Forum For Local Talent With its selection of clothes and accessories by young up-andcoming designers from Hamburg, the charming store “Wie es Euch gefällt” (As you like it) sets itself apart from the touristy shops in the nearby Sternschanze district. The shop, which is situated alongside the quaint “Café under den Linden”, is an antidote to the hustle and bustle, inviting customers to shop in a more relaxed setting. As well as fashion by local heroes such as Breitengrad535, Lena Schokolade, Lotta Heart and Miies, the store, which opened in May 2008, also stocks Scandinavian brands like Etui, Lise Lindvig, MbyM and Mio Animo, as well as its very own collection “Wie es Euch gefällt”, created by owner Nina Wirtz in the adjacent studio. Young designers can rent an extra space adjacent to her shop on a daily or weekly basis to sell their pieces or use as a showroom. Wirtz also regularly organises small exhibitions of work by young local illustrators and photographers.

Make Yourself At Home!

René Küpper had been slaving away in the advertising industry for eight years when the idea of starting his own store became increasingly appealing. He found a suitable location in Ackerstrasse in the fashionable Dusseldorf district of Flingern, close to other young designers. With his own label “Hausfreund” (Friend of the family), he has developed an entire product range that features designs playing on words and images, a range that includes T-shirts, baby clothes and notebooks to cards featuring his own designs. “The local reference to Dusseldorf is important to me,” says Küpper, which explains why the T-shirt with the Fortuna Dusseldorf football club logo is an essential item. The series “zu Haus” (at home) features the television towers of Dusseldorf, Berlin and Dortmund and consequently also has a national appeal. The prints are made using traditional template and screen-printing techniques in Küpper’s own studio. The children’s and baby clothing range uses eco-friendly cotton. The second pillar of his business is the “Flinger Botschaft” (Flinger Embassy) on the same street, which he set up with his partner Silke Roggermann. The concept gives a new home to other designers, with a selection of clothing, music, magazines, jewellery, knick-knacks and home décor items. Two true ambassadors for individual taste.

Hausfreund Ackerstraße 155 40233 Dusseldorf/Germany T.0049.211.2396362 www.dein-hausfreund.de Flinger Botschaft Ackerstraße 106 40233 Dusseldorf/Germany T 0049.211.99368540 www.flinger-botschaft.de

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what’s the story_DESIRABILITY

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Thomas I Punkt from Hamburg has been around for more than 40 years. Today, the name is a brand, being considered as the epitome of tradition and streetwear.

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Hot or Not?

Desirability is a hot topic in retail. However, it is no longer sufficient to collect the right brands.

The trend of shops becoming their own brands raises a new question: How can retailers develop and retain desirability?

Text Nicolette Scharpenberg, Photos Stores

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here was a time when all a retailer needed to be interesting for customers was a combination of flashy store design, artificial scarcity and an attitude of “absence makes the heart grow fonder”. Arrogance was considered equivalent to being well informed, unfriendliness was a sign of being hip. Some retailers still cling to this formula today, even if consumer behaviour has completely changed.

With the wave of online blogs came a new generation of informed customers who no longer fall for the high-and-mighty act, but instead order product themselves and without further ado. The early birds among store owners immediately adopted the online marketing concept.

They gave their shops a virtual life on the Internet, complete with their own communities that could exchange the latest news in seconds.

Glossy concept stores systematically spread information in the most prominent trend blogs in order to quickly make a name for themselves and therefore create desirability. Today, this is standard business procedure. But how long will this trend continue, and is it really enough?

Authenticity as Sympathy Factor Andreas Hesse, owner of the Civilist Store in Berlin, thinks: „Of course methods like limited segments or arrogant behaviour toward the cus‚ tomer worked at some point in time. In the 90s.

In my eyes, though, this thinking is outdated.

Today it‘s much more about humanity and sympathy, and having an authentic basic attitude.“ Hesse and Alex Flach have been operating the shop and gallery concept in the Berlin Mitte district since December 2009. Unlike their international competitors, who quickly make a name for themselves in the fashion scene with the help of blogs or hype sites, Civilist relies on natural growth. „We do have a facebook page, Twitter account, and blog, but that plays only a secondary role for us. We‘d rather grow step by step and not immediately have a virtual omnipresence,“ says Alex Flach. Both have

„Strategies like artificial scarcity or arrogant behaviour toward the customer are passé.“ Andreas Hesse, Civilist

Andreas Hesse and Alex Flach have been running the Civilist Store in Berlin since 2009. They have also been working for the Lowdown Magazine for many years and intimately know the scene.

been working for Lodown magazine for several years and intimately know the fashion scene, which means that connections significantly contribute to their success. „We are both from Berlin, grew up skateboarding and know a lot of people. Over the years other interests were added to the mix, including art, literature and photography. We combine these interests at Civilist without categorising them in rigid terms.

We try to continue developing the store, based on our own experience and according to the requirements we ourselves place on a store,“ Hesse says. Civilist clearly shows that a shop can be successful without arrogance and self-importance, as long as the products are right.

Becoming an Institution Desirability is generally a short-lived phenomenon. Does the fast-changing Internet really work to secure desirability in the long-term?

An alternative approach: Creating desirability through tradition and ideally becoming an institution. One of the most prominent examples is Thomas I Punkt in Hamburg, considered to be the oldest streetwear shop in Germany. It all started more than 40 years ago with three branches in the city centre at Gänsemarkt square. In 1989 a new branch was opened in Hulbe Haus, a building dating back to 1911 and located at Mönckebergstrasse 21. Up until six years ago, the Friese family, which owns the

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what’s the story_DESIRABILITY

„We concentrate on the essentials – selling – rather than on fast-changing marketing campaigns.“ Thomas Friese, Thomas I Punkt

that points visitors to the offline location. „We haven‘t yet found a virtual form that adequately shows what Thomas I Punkt stands for. There have been several suggestions, but they didn‘t meet our expectations.“

Viewing Customers as a Clique 40

To this day, Thomas I Punkt‘s own label, Omen, is still being produced in Hamburg.

The company is one of a very select few that still produces on-site.

building, used five storeys of the building to house their offices and production facilities for their private label, OMEN. Three storeys were used as retail space. At roughly the same time, streetwear and skateboarding were establishing themselves in Germany. The Friese family responded to these developments by reorganising the shop concept in the direction of sportswear and streetwear, and by building a skateboarding hall. Sports brands that at the time were known only from specialty shops like International Sports or American Sports could suddenly be found in the shelves of Thomas I Punkt. It was the first shop of this kind.

The name Thomas I Punkt turned into its own brand, exemplifying streetwear in Germany like no other. It is a trendsetter that nonetheless symbolises tradition and stability – and it has achieved all this without systematic marketing. „Naturally, the decision not to market is also a type of marketing, but it was not a strategy that we consciously developed and pursued,“ says Thomas Friese Jr. „We didn‘t see any need for it. The fact that we have existed this long, with this kind of stability, and that we have also been able to establish ourselves outside of Germany, confirms that marketing is not the solution for all.“ The store‘s website is really just a placeholder with the address and telephone number

As a target group, young women are especially fond of cliques. This phenomenon was recognised early on by the owner of the Chicas Store in Munich, which focuses on streetwear and board sport brands. Over the years a dedicated band of young women has formed around the shop, with owner Tatjana Bruss, manager Anja Ulmer, a hand-full of committed sales assistants and a group of regular customers. The top priority is personal and direct contact with customers in the shop – face-to-face, not through interactive Internet forums. „Our customers like to come to us because we aren‘t pretentious. We act like

a good friend and not a typical sales assistant.

This type of approach breaks the ice quickly and is much more sustainable than too-hip-foryou arrogance that goes along with some hype or trend that will change in a day or so anyway,“ says Bruss. She keeps the „Chicas universe“ up to date with personal newsletters, regular prize drawings, group snowboarding trips and small store events. Private shopping promotions are the latest concept being planned for the store. „We notice time and again that a clique of young women can really be unbelievably encouraging to one another and can have a huge amount of fun while shopping together. That‘s why we want to hold some big shopping events with drinks and music where we invite ten to 20 of our regular customers for a private shopping party with the ‚Chicas Clique‘,“ says Bruss.

Score Points With Service Who would have thought that a store aimed at a young customers could score points with good service? Professional advice and expertise are in again, while arrogance toward customers is, well, uncool. Word appears to have gotten around that when customers are scared of entering your store, sales go down. This is confirmed by the appearance of deserted high-fashion stores, decorated in the typical minimalist gallery style, which are increasingly losing their ability to attract customers when compared with the more cordial atmosphere

„Humanity is much more sustainable than too-hip-for-you arrogance surrounding some hype or trend that will change in a day or so anyway.“ Tatjana Bruss, Chicas

Tatjana Bruss, owner of the Chicas store in Munich, is very friendly with her customers.

Tons of events continuously intensify customer attachment to the store.

DESIRABILITY_what’s the story

„The service in streetwear stores often suffers from an overdose of coolness. We‘re friendly to every customer, and we‘re valued for our honesty.“ Sven Mederer, 874 The streetwear store 874 in Munich has always been known for its special service. Manager Sven Mederer particularly focuses on sustainability.

„We don‘t want to chase after the latest hype from the web. We‘d rather persuade customers with a comprehensive, intelligent range of goods.“ Andreas Feldenkirchen, A. Feldenkirchen

Andreas Feldenkirchen relies on a well thought-out product range in his menswear store. He sold American premium denim brands even before they had an European distributor.

of concept stores. Having a friendly attitude, creating trust, dealing with the customer as an equal and offering professional advice – that‘s the recipe for success today. At Munich‘s 874 streetwear store, professional consultation has utmost priority. „The service in streetwear stores often suffers from an overdose of coolness,“ says Sven Mederer, the manager of 874. „We‘re friendly to every customer, and we‘re valued for our honesty. Last week we even sold a pair of jeans to a 78-year-old! This requires a different way of addressing the customer, of course. He won‘t fall for a lot of empty talk. You have to really know your fabrics and materials. If I can convince this customer, I create a multiplier effect that in turn brings me even more new customers.“ Regular customers are the mainstay of 874, which means higher sales for the store. Sustainability is one of the most important words for the next ten years, according to Mederer. „Good service must first and foremost be honest service. It‘s not about pressuring the customer into buying something – they need to feel they‘ve received good advice.“

The Product is the Selling Point Can‘t find a product in the shop? With a couple of clicks it will be on its way to you in the mail tomorrow. Can a store really still achieve desirability through its product range? The best example that it can is the A.Feldenkirchen

menswear store in Hamburg. Instead of off-therack clothing that is driven by trends, this shop offers an innovative product range with labels that are backed by solid quality and tradition.

Owner Andreas Feldenkirchen specialises in premium denim, and he was among the first to import labels such as Earl Jeans, 7 For All Mankind and Earnest Sewn from the United States – long before there was a German distri- 41 butor. „We‘re very well positioned in the denim segment,“ says Feldenkirchen. „Our portfolio includes many well-established brands like Gilded Age, Rising Sun, True Religion, Jean Shop, Edwin Japan and Seven for all Mankind.

To find brands like these we do a lot of research in Berlin, Copenhagen, Paris, London, New York and Los Angeles.“ He stages the merchandise systematically with the help of unusual decorative elements like old typewriters or gymnastics equipment, creating a self-contained world of style. „The decoration doesn‘t have to cost a lot. It‘s about the concept and the idea behind it,“ says Feldenkirchen. He rejects the notion of constantly contacting his customers through social media. „In my opinion this whole social-media hype and Facebook has gotten out of hand,“ he says. „We have also noticed that our customers are distancing themselves from newsletters and blogs. We don‘t want to chase after the latest hype from the web. We‘d rather persuade customers with a comprehensive, intelligent range of goods that is perfectly tailored to our target group.“ All of these retailers agree on one thing: There‘s no set recipe for creating and maintaining desirability. Like the emergence of trends, desirability follows rules that are almost impossible to decipher. This is proven by phenomena such as the hype surrounding the Supreme label from New York. The critical ingredients are obvious and don‘t seem very new at all: stability, competence, appeal, honesty, friendly service and good products. Taken together they create the basis for desirability. At least as a start.

what’s the story_support your local dealer

Support your Local Dealer 2.0 Location-based service is the new buzzword in social media. After Gowalla and Foursquare, Facebook now has also discovered the magic of on-site marketing. An exciting race is on to capture customers.

Text Martina Müllner 42

T

he principle of location-based service is simple: you determine your location with a GPS-capable Smartphone and then use a platform such as Gowalla, Foursquare, Facebook Places or the German provider Friendticker to see what‘s nearby. From restaurants, cafes, public facilities, to underground stops and shops – the ever-growing community on these services ensures that there are places or venues to visit, virtually anywhere. The content in these directories is entirely user-generated – a telephone book made by the network, so to speak.

After Facebook cracked the 500 million user mark, anything seems possible for the social network - even becoming the number one for location-based serivce.

Once you‘ve found the location, you check in with a click on the Smartphone. Each time you check in, you can decide whether you want to let your network know about it –via Facebook, for instance. Friends with whom you are directly linked in Gowalla or Foursquare also see when you‘ve checked in.

The 2.0 Generation has made an entertainment out of things that paralysed the 1.0 generation with fears over data security and privacy. Both Gowalla and Foursquare offer rewards for frequent check-ins, i.e. by giving out badges that are awarded for a certain number of activities.

First-time users of Foursquare receive a “Newbie Badge”, but are usually not satisfied for long with it – so the race is on to collect virtual badges like „Super User,“ „Gossip Girl“ or „Trainspotter“.

Moreover, users can acquire a special status at locations that they visit more frequently than others. At Foursquare, for instance, you can become „mayor“ of a town. Becoming mayor in as many venues as possible gives you a good reputation in the Foursquare network.

The Hunt for the Fashionable Badge The makers of Foursquare determine the type of badges. It‘s not possible for users to create their own reward badges. However, the compa-

ny has already entered into partnerships with select firms, including Marc Jacobs, The Gap, Diesel and Hugo Boss. Marc Jacobs is considered a „first mover“: he created a „Fashion Victim“ badge for Fashion Week in February 2010. Every Foursquare user who checked in in the proximity received a message that they would receive the Fashion Victim badge when they checked into a Marc Jacobs shop – and the first four people with a badge would be invited to the fashion show. The run on the shops

support your local dealer_what’s the story

Small, but with tons of charme: Gowalla is a location-based service characterised by its particularly playful design.

Gowalla A location-based service launched in 2009 by Josh Williams and Scott Raymond. Gowalla users can update their network on their current location via Internet or Smartphone. Users receive virtual badges for frequent check-ins on Gowalla. Gowalla has about 600,000 users worldwide (as at November 2010).

Foursquare This location-based networking site features software that can be used on Smartphones.

With this software, users can check into „venues“ while on the go. Every check-in is awarded with points and badges for a certain amount of points. Foursquare was founded in 2009 by Dennis Crowley and Naveen Selvadurai, who pioneered location-based services with a similar project called Dodgeball in 2005. The service was closed after it was bought by Google in 2009. Foursquare has 4.5 million users (as at November 2010).

Facebook Places Facebook announced the launch of its own location-based service, Places, in August 2010.

Unlike Gowalla and Foursquare, the emphasis in Places is not on badges or rewards for check-ins, but rather on „Deals“. Deals can be created for (frequent) checking in by a user, checking in whole groups or for charity. With Facebook Deals, the company from Palo Alto, California, wants to offer a modern version of a frequentcustomer card or coupon.

Friendticker The Berlin startup Friendticker – which combines a social network with a geolocation service – was launched in March 2010. Users can employ a bilingual application (German/English) to check into restaurants, bars, clubs and other sites. Martin Pischke, Florian Resatsch and Uwe Sandner founded the company in 2008.

The perfect Foursquare activity: Marc Jacobs fans in New York could receive their own badge. had begun. And what‘s more: The promotion attracted a lot of attention for the label in both traditional news outlets and all types of new media. As a practical side effect, the lucky winners were all social media addicts who naturally couldn‘t miss out on the opportunity to report about the promotion and fashion show via Facebook, Twitter and their own blogs.

Diesel started a similar but much more elaborate promotion in October of last year. Shops in New York were used as the setting here as well.

As part of the „Be Stupid“ campaign, customers could obtain stickers in the shop, stick them onto someone or something – preferably in as ridiculous a spot as possible – and take a crazy photo of themselves. Participants could then send these to Diesel along with a short story.

The photos were published on a special website and each week a winner was declared and presented with exciting prizes.

What does this all have to do with Foursquare?

It‘s quite simple: Social networks were the primary channel used to announce the promotion, and the campaign was accompanied by a Foursquare promotion day on which any person who checked into a participating Diesel store was rewarded with a shirt as a giveaway. The agency conducting the promotion, Iced Media, was satisfied with the results of the campaign: 44 customers checked in on this day and took a shirt home with them. 44 customers for a worldwide brand like Diesel might not sound like a sensational success, but when you consider that Foursquare was the only channel through which this promotion was publicised, it was a respectable result. Furthermore, the only Foursquare

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users who were notified of the giveaway were those who had previously checked into another location within a three-block radius of the Diesel stores.

Will Facebook Places Win In the End? Although the early adopters in the fashion industry have shown that they are particularly fond of Foursquare – Foursquare founders Dennis Crowley and Naveen Selvadurai even modelled for The Gap in winter – the question remains as to what the future holds for the independent Foursquare and Gowalla networks.

Since Facebook decided to enter the locationbased services business as well, many experts have been expecting declining user numbers for both networks. It remains to be seen if the 520 million Facebook users will decide to take the convenient route by checking in directly on Facebook. And it wouldn‘t be like Facebook to launch this international service without an accompanying business concept. With the „Deals“ function, Facebook could quickly and easily implement similar campaigns as those of Marc Jacobs or Diesel. Be it discounts, special offers, new collections or an event – if it was up to Facebook, then regional marketing promotions would be increasingly announced on the world‘s biggest social network.

What’s the story_STYLE CONSULTING

In Touch

Are we all fashion lemmings, constantly chasing the same trends and remotely-controlled by the Internet? Commercial, off-the-rack clothes seem to be more popular with customers than individualised style consulting services.

Text Christa Catharina Muller, Photos Stenz, Pearls Women, Rocket Store

Why choose when you can have fashion store and coffee bar in one at Stenz in Kempten?

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STYLE CONSULTING_What’s the story

Bernhard Scharpenberg has been running the Pearls Women in Gütersloh since 1994. www.pearls-women.de

I

f you make the effort and examine things more closely, you’ll soon realise that cutting corners on service and classic consulting service practically amounts to negligence. After all, customer loyalty is the key to long-term success. Something has indeed changed. But what? Excess supply and constant availability of goods have permanently changed customers’ expectations for service and their buying behaviour. The retail trade has to offer added value.

Good consulting service is one way to give the customer exactly what he or she is looking for – and to beat the competition to the punch.

Visiting Friends Bernhard Scharpenberg discovered the enormous potential of good consulting services long before his competitors did. The owner of Pearls Womenswear in Gütersloh, a family-run business since 1994, places a priority on personal recommendations with serious tips from fashion experts. Sincerity plays a big role in this process. As does authenticity. At Pearls, every recommendation is backed by a mindset – not an anonymous sales consultant. „The phenomenon of customers coming into the shop to show me a page from ‚Instyle‘ with a very particular

piece has been around for quite some time,“ he says. „It‘s important to use this as a starting point to create an entire look and not to present the customer with just this one piece. That‘s what‘s critical – not the individual pieces, but rather the entire look that works. That‘s my view of good style consultation.“ Kirsten Almanstötter always keeps her customers in mind when putting together the sales mix for her Rocket Store in Munich. She believes the ability to correctly assess her customer is extremely important. „I can‘t purchase everything. For instance, I now have an appointment with Pop Copenhagen for next year.

We know that the complete suit with trousers, jacket and vest is simply too much for boys. The jacket goes great with chinos, but the complete outfit won‘t work for us.“ In addition to labels from the classic jeanswear segment, including Lee or Levi‘s, the Rocket Store primarily carries Scandinavian streetwear and fashion labels like Designer‘s Remix and S‘nob. Many of her customers already know what they‘re looking for when they enter her shop. This makes consultation easier and more difficult at the same time. „Half of them are very well informed. The specifically ask, ‚Have you got this from so-and-

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„It‘s not the individual pieces, but rather the entire look that works.“ Bernhard Scharpenberg, Pearls Women

so? I‘m looking for something like this‘. They only need help – if at all – when it comes to the finishes of the jeans.“ When it comes to consulting, the challenge for Almanstötter lies in finding the fine line between daring fashion experiments and personal style. To achieve a fashionable style, but not a disguise. „Just recently a customer came into the shop with her boyfriend, specifically looking for a new look. She was wearing jeans and a T-shirt – pretty simple. My recommendation was an untailored Scandinavian-style blue shirtdress with pinstripes. I combined it with sandals and leggings. It was a terrific outfit, and she was thrilled. Her happy glow made me feel like a success.“ Competent style consulting services can therefore become a decisive factor,

What’s the story_STYLE CONSULTING

Kirsten Almanstötter‘s Rocket Store in Munich is half store, half streetart gallery.

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especially at a time when the range of goods in the stores is becoming increasingly similar and the price has become the main factor in the decision to buy.

Not all customers are as informed when they come into the shop. Many welcome in-depth, professional advice. They often also don‘t have an idea about how to combine things, or they‘re unsure what might suit them. This is when the retailer is needed; he/she needs to approach and respond to the customer and „sense what he or she wants,“ as Scharpenberg puts it. „You might drape the blouse with a pair of trousers and a belt, and then add a blazer. When the customer can see a look as a combination, she can envision it better. This is where the nonverbal consultation comes in.“

Personal Shopping „Customers now have different expectations for consulting services,“ said Maike Türkner, Sales Manager at Munich‘s Ludwig Beck department store. „But we also have different expectations for our employees. It‘s not just about selling textiles anymore, but about creating a special experience.“ How is this achieved? The sales

consultant needs to try to assess the customer. What is his aura, for what occasion is he shopping, what is his profession and what kind of person is he privately? Beck trains their staff specifically on how to engage with customers.

This requires specialised knowledge, which itself is no longer something that can be considered a matter of course.

Ludwig Beck introduced personal shopper services in 2008 with the international stylist Mischa Oexle. Today the department store offers three professional shoppers and style consultants available at an hourly rate of 100 euros.

They comb the store ten to fifteen times each month for an average of nearly three hours. The months February-March and August-September, when the new collections arrive, are particularly popular. „I can‘t say whether we sell more this way, but we acquire a new customer with this service, someone who has relatively little leisure time and needs to take care of her shopping very quickly. She has no desire to fight her way through the whole store by herself,“ says Türkner. Customers are catered to and individually styled in the private atmosphere of a lounge on the fifth floor of Ludwig Beck.

„When the products arrive, we already know who might like them.“ Bernhard Burger, Stenz

Personal shopping is not supposed to result in a complete, 180-degree change in personality, but instead seeks to offer an individual consulting service tailored to the customer‘s type. „You should not dress the customer in a costume,“ says Türkner. Key looks and key items are constantly shown in the magazines. But when a sales consultant goes to a customer and says ‚this has to be combined with this,‘ or ‚this is the musthave item of the season,‘ it might be something the customer doesn‘t really feel comfortable wearing. When the customer tries the items on at home, he still needs to think ‚that guy in the mirror is me‘.“

STYLE CONSULTING_What’s the story The personal shopping market is booming, and it isn‘t limited to female customers – even if they still make up the majority of the clientele. „Personal shopping is also increasingly being used by men. They want to change clothes and have everything fit for once. I used to think that there was no market for men, but the time factor now plays a big role,“ says Türkner.

The demand for customised consulting services exists. However, the greater efficiency of personal shopping doesn‘t just benefit the customer. Retailers also profit from optimised time management. „You can focus on the subject matter and prepare the pieces of clothing to be considered. It‘s more about trying things on than about seeking things out,“ says Bernhard Burger, who has been managing Stenz in Kempten since 2008. „This naturally requires that we

combine with what they‘ve already bought, allows us to sell complete outfits,“ he says. In addition to the fashion store, Stenz also includes a coffee bar with seating for 120 customers. „We look for ways to link the two businesses,“ he says. „For example, we can organise a shopping night with a DJ and photographer relatively easily because the setup is already in place.“

engage with the customer very intensively. Our customer database is enormous, but filtered according to specific criteria. We try to discover what each person wants. Specific items are suited for certain customers, and we inform them when these items come in.“ The transparent customer? Yes and no. The more you know about your customers‘ preferences, the better the consulting service. And that pays off.

Cheap Monday, Nudie Jeans, Drykorn – the brand mix at Stenz in Allgäu is virtually unrivalled. Still, Burger believes that you constantly have to keep evolving. For the past year, he has been offering personal shopping services ranging from closet checks to extended shopping tours. „Combining the knowledge of what pieces our regular customers have already purchased from us, and what pieces they could

Kirsten Almanstötter also believes in the fusion concept. She finds individual styling events just as suited as permanent consulting services to acquire and retain customers. For this reason, the Rocket Store is also a platform for street artists from all over the world. What initially might sound quite revolutionary is actually nothing new and really as old as retail itself. Courtesy, attention and quality in service turn satisfied customers into regular customers.

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Since 2008, stylist Mischa Oexle has been providing fashion advice to customers in the Personal Shopping Lounge at Ludwig Beck.

Bernhard Burger and Claudia Kalocsai manage the concept store Stenz in Kempten.

what’s the story_Retail Receipts Big and Small

Retail Receipts Big and Small

Where‘s the money made in retail? How are price structures best weighted, and has there been a shift here?

And how important are accessories anyway? Four retailers answer the critical questions.

Text Nicoletta Schaper, Photos Stores

„The quality has to match the price“

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„Our core business is denim, most of which retails at 69 to 79 euros. The starting price is 59 euros, with the more expensive jeans retailing from 99 euros. But it‘s also important to include fashionable highlights from 139 euros. We want to offer a broad range after all.

Jackets usually push sales, but the last few rather mild winters have made this more difficult. We could have sold more in the cold August this year. The prices of between 89 and 149 euros worked well here, and even

jackets by Desigual, for example, went for up to 300 euros. We don‘t carry many accessories, but we have expanded our offering of scarves across all price ranges. But regardless of whether it‘s a bag, scarf, top or jeans: The quality has to match the price. Customers today pay a lot more attention to the value of the merchandise. And sometimes the articles we receive aren‘t exactly what we ordered. That makes it hard to sell the merchandise at the estimated price! When ordering I have to stay flexible.

I always try to work on short notice and to refrain from enormous pre-orders. Of course we have to feature new fashion trends, but we still have to stay on the safe side with a

reasonable price structure, because we are increasingly feeling the pressure from other vertical suppliers.“ Mario Baader is the manager of Crash in Darmstadt. His store specialises in denim, with brands and labels like Levi‘s, G-Star, Pepe Jeans, Only and Jack & Jones. www.crash-fashion.com

„Our core business is denim.“ Mario Baader, Crash

Retail Receipts Big and Small_what’s the story

„A no-sale means no sale!“ „Anything to do with skateboarding is important for us. It makes up 30 per cent of our sales. We earn quite a bit with shoes and trousers. One thing that‘s crucial here is always having a good selection. A no-sale means no sale! For instance, the starting price for shoes is 60 to 70 euros. We also sell a lot of drainpipe jeans for boys, such as the Reell Skin for 55 euros. You‘re not likely to find anyone else in the city that offers the same value for money. We sell jackets for up to 100 euros without having any discussions.

When we get to around 150 euros, it gets more difficult, and whenever a customer has to choose between a 100 euro or 150 euro

„Ordering is 100 per cent gut feeling for me“ „In the premium division of the Görgens Group, denim for around 200 euros is a major sales driver, especially jeans for just over 200 to 249 euros, for example by Rock Rock Revival and AG Adriano Goldschmied. But they can‘t hit the 300 euro mark. Only two or three years ago we could easily sell premium jeans for 400 euros, but the difficult economic times have brought prices down quite a bit. Ed Hardy opened new price ranges for tops with T-shirts for 150 euros. Today, our customers will spend 300 euros for shirts by Cavalli or Lauren Moshi. That wasn‘t always

„No one should leave our stores with a bad feeling in their gut“ „‘Kauf Dich Glücklich‘ (Shop yourself happy) is our motto. No one should leave our stores with a bad feeling in their gut. Our portfolio is designed to reach a large clientele. This also applies to pricing. The mix is crucial to meet our sales targets, which is why higher-priced offers are complemented by fast-moving, consumer-friendly items. For example, if a coat is somewhat less expensive, the trousers can cost a bit more, and their might even be some money left for a chic pair of laced boots. Customers can always find great additions to what they were originally looking for, such as a belt for a

the case! Accessories still play an important role, for instance scarves by Leigh&Luca for 200 to 300 euros. Jackets make up a rather normal share of the sales volume and are more consultation-intensive in the premium segment.

Ordering is 100 per cent gut feeling for me.

The business, like the stock market, is sensitive and unpredictable. As a multi-label retailer, we try to work with labels and brands that offer strong collections, with the largest share in the high-quality division focused on pre-orders. Flash programmes don‘t work here, the more so as collections like those from Vivienne Westwood, 34 White, Grifoni, Blauer and Ma.strum are already ahead of the trend.

dress or a handbag to go with a short jacket.

With more than 70 brands, this can certainly be a challenge when shopping.

Trendy customers don‘t come to us because they necessarily need something; they want to have fun. The critical factor at ‚Kauf Dich Glücklich‘ is the overall concept. Our customers like to combine their shopping. I really need a new jacket, but I can also find a great dress and matching shoes… and once I get to the register I‘ll take this cute little pink bunny as well.“ Andrea Dahmen is the one of the managers of Kauf Dich Glücklich, a mixture between culinary, fashion and concept store. There are currently six stores in Germany as well as an online shop. www.kaufdichgluecklich.de

jacket, he almost always goes for the less expensive one. Our target group is mainly made up of students, who often buy inexpensive accessories. Our store is supposed to feel like a museum, where there‘s something new to discover around every corner. If he comes into the store and his trousers are coming down, we give him a belt. If he feels like listening to music, we have headphones for him. These small things are important for sales, but also for the entire image of the store. The average sale comes out to 50 to 60 euros.“ Robert Bössneck is the manager of skate shop Stoffbunker (brands and labels include Volcom, Adidas, Element, Vans). He also sells the labels Zanerobe and Local Celebrity at Agentur Barb. www.stoffbunker.de

Björn Zeppenfeld is the Managing Director of the Görgens Group, with branches all over Germany, including shops like Kult, Olymp&Hades and Elb. www.guna.de

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„The business, like the stock market, is sensitive and unpredictable.“ Björn Zeppenfeld, Görgens Group

the talk_khujo

„I just did what was fun“ Khujo has transformed itself in recent years from a supplier of jackets to a producer of a complete range of products.

From the very beginning, founder Tobias Schröder banked on a good product at reasonable prices. x-ray talked to him about his label and having fun at work.

Text Ina Köhler, Photos Khujo

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hat does a typical day look like for you?

Very diverse. When you start a company like this and have done everything yourself, you know what‘s needed where and see certain things very differently. I‘m involved in many processes and can suggest solutions.

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What development stage has your company reached?

It‘s not just about making cool clothes anymore.

We‘ve reached the strategic level now. We‘re thinking about what tools and systems we can use to grow. This relates to design, accounting, logistics, delivery intervals and schedules, and sales floors.

In what direction are you heading?

In Germany, we have a really solid customer base of brand-name streetfashion dealers. People trust us and think: The products look great, they arrive on time and we can sell them well. So well, in fact, that we‘d like to do more with them.

This is a good starting point.

What is the secret of Khujo‘s success?

The collection is the foundation. We appeal to a very broad range of buyers. Khujo works just as well in skate shops as it does in high-end fashion stores. We make authentic products with a good value for money. We‘re not cheap, but in tune with the times and thus able to reach the end consumer.

How much Tobias Schröder is in the product?

Khujo stands for innovative styles at good prices.

Everything really. I spend a lot of time at the production facilities in Asia and travel around the world to make sure the collection looks like it should.

khujo_the talk

„I can spend an entire day with a single button if the button‘s worth it.“ Tobias Schröder

went anywhere. It has simply been entered by other brands, like us for example. In the past 12 months, we‘ve noticed a shift in business especially in rural regions. Those who used to focus on established large-area shops are now turning to young, innovative brands, brands that are not too crazy but produce good fashion.

Are you ready to expand?

I believe that expansion is an issue for every growing brand. It‘s bound to come up for us and will fall under strategic planning. But for now we‘ve decided on other areas of focus to secure our future.

Like what?

When a company grows, it requires more staff.

We‘ve been investing in new people. The next issue is ensuring delivery capacity. We basically produce everything in the Far East. In this case, it‘s important that our production partners can keep upand grow with us. We also want to look into European expansion in more detail.

What goals have you set for the next few years?

I don‘t really have any. The journey is the destination. I didn‘t start off with a goal in mind in the first place. I just did what was fun.

How much time do you invest in the product?

A lot. Which wouldn‘t be possible if this were just another job. But I enjoy working with fabrics and accessories. I can spend an entire day with a single button if the button‘s worth it.

Do retailers still see you as a jacket supplier?

Yes, but we‘ve long since moved beyond that.

Our core expertise is still in jackets, but the complete collection started strong and continues to sell well. People now recognise the Khujo signature.

How would you define this?

Attention to detail. I call it the 3D product.

A product always consists of three elements: the model, the quality of the material, and the accessories such as hangtags and sewn-on labels.

When these three elements are in harmony with one another, the article is understandable and appealing. And when you manage all that for a reasonable price as well, then you have an article that sells itself.

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What do you consider a „reasonable“ price?

Our prices start at 89 euros retail for jackets and go up to 199 euros. Not exactly cheap, but people don’t come to us looking for a bargain.

There were times when branding was very important and the product seemed secondary.

Has there been a change in thinking?

I think that depends on the company. Once a brand hits it big time, it will sell even the most basic T-shirt it‘s printed on. It will always find a buyer, and this buyer will be willing to spend money on it – more than for another product.

We‘ve reached this level and all of our products are multiply branded with our name. Unobtrusively to remain authentic, but nonetheless apparent.

How do you rate your potential for growth?

The number of multi-label stores is not necessarily going to grow, but they are exactly your customers.

The trend towards the individual will always exist, just as the mid-range fashion segment will always exist. Just a few years ago, the buzz was that you had to either upgrade or consume more. Many people moved upwards in price and a lot of things happened in the more price-aggressive segment, but the middle never

Tobias Schröder likes to take an active role in the product.

Khujo at a Glance It all began when Tobias Schröder was still a business student, importing sunglasses from Los Angeles. During this time, he founded a commercial agency in Hamburg and Berlin. Schröder was asked so often about his second-hand leather jacket that he decided to have the model produced, laying the foundation for the Khujo jacket collection. The jacket became a permanent item in the range of approx. imately 1.000 German retailers. Today, the line consists of roughly 400 articles, produced and distributed by HTS Textilvertriebs GmbH. Schröder successfully distributed various brands through his agency until mid-2010, when he decided to concentrate fully on his own „baby.“ The company grew considerably in the past year, and now the team in the north of Hamburg consists of more than 20 employees. Khujo is distributed throughout Europe, where the most important countries besides Germany are Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium and Sweden. Incidentally, Schröder never did finish his business studies in Lüneburg. But something became of him after all – a small consolation for his father, who had originally kicked him out of the house for importing sunglasses. www.khujo.com

the talk_round table The following people came together at the newest round table (starting from the left, clockwise): Norbert Erhard: Herrlicher Jörg Korfhage: Sixty Deutschland André Karkalis: Karkalis PR Ina Köhler: x-ray

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round table_the talk

„You can turn your consumers into fans or foes“ If we‘re to believe current studies, it is precisely young consumers in the developed world that will place less value on brands in the future. This development should set off alarm bells for every brand. In our round-table discussion, x-ray asked about the prospects and possibilities of brands.

Text Ina Köhler, Julia Lauber, Photos Peter Schaffrath

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Recently brands seem to have lost some of their acceptance among consumers. Does the brand as we know it still have a chance at all?

Jörg Korfhage: You first have to ask yourself what is considered a brand today and what it used to be in the past... I think that few brands can remain successful while offering a product over a longer period of time that is not consistent per se. This is the case not just in the textile industry, but everywhere. And I think a brand today still enjoys a high degree of significance and acceptance. However, it‘s the product that ultimately decides whether I‘m seen and perceived as a brand. And this is combined with quality and standard.

The study „Bravo Faktor Jugend“ (Bravo Factor Youth) reveals that the ten most coveted brands for adolescents are: McDonalds, Sony Ericsson and Nintendo, followed by Coca-Cola, PlayStation, iPod, Nokia, Burger King, Nivea and Vodafone. I find the absence of a single fashion brand on this list alarming. Do you have an idea as to why this is the case?

André Karkalis: I can‘t imagine that fashion brands do not play a role in this age group.

Market research actually says that adolescents have more brand affinity than adults. It could be that fashion brands are more self-evident and therefore no one names them anymore. It‘s simply a part of wearing brands.

Is it not alarming when fashion is no longer competing with other fashion brands, but rather with other consumer goods? After all, branding starts with very young consumers.

Jörg Korfhage: I think there have been brutal shifts within the individual areas of consumption in the last few years. And this is confirmed by industry discussions in the past years: Consumers have been spending less disposable income on fashion and more on electronics and other articles. The significance of clothing today is different than ten years ago. In the past, wearing Nike or Hugo Boss symbolised a certain status. That‘s not the case anymore…

Norbert Erhard: We can already see that the priorities of significant consumers have shifted.

Nonetheless, I think brands take on a very significant meaning in fashion. But what is a brand exactly? At the moment it‘s the desired status and quality of a general statement. A brand also entails feeling secure and at ease. Another interesting aspect on the topic of brands is the issue of private brands. This wasn‘t such a big issue at department stores or for textile manufacturers ten years ago. Today the world looks entirely different, as the focus is on them. Of course a lot of retailers are very clever in establishing their brand mix, but the lion‘s share of the range is made up of their own highly profitable brands.

Doesn‘t this also reflect a development seen in supermarkets? Private brands are playing an increasingly important role. They‘re not only accepted by customers, they‘re also equal in value alongside other brands.

André Karkalis: Not even Aldi shoppers doubt the quality of the store‘s own brands anymore.

But clothing also comes with expression and identification. When I‘m buying yogurt, the image doesn‘t factor into which one I choose…

(everyone laughs) André Karkalis: But in all honesty: The perceived image is an entirely different aspect in clothing. A lot of people understand that an expensive brand doesn‘t necessarily offer more quality. What they‘re actually buying is prestige.

Norbert Erhard: I don‘t think the food retail trade is so much different from what we do.

Sure, brand behaviour and brand comparability lag behind a bit. But if you had asked consumers 20 years ago where they buy, they would have been split up into an Edeka group and an Aldi group. These lines are increasingly blurred today. We buy yogurt at Aldi and salad at the deli. And the same phenomenon is evident in clothing. The end consumer has matured. He or she will spend a lot of money on great jeans, but then go to H&M for the top.

André Karkalis: We‘re all in full agreement that H&M is one of the strongest brands. But I don‘t shop at H&M to show off. It‘s where I go for a clear, reliable promise when it comes to the point of sale and the merchandise awaiting me.

What‘s interesting is that in various studies, H&M is mentioned as the most well-known fashion brand that is particularly popular among girls.

Boys, however, prefer sports brands like Adidas and Nike. But what does this ultimately mean for „real“ brands? How are they supposed to react?

Jörg Korfhage: It means they‘re no longer able to rest on the appeal of their brands. Other factors come into play, and these are what make the product itself very important! The quality, price and design have to be competitive. Once a product has become a brand, you have to ask

the talk_round table

„I see a serious risk in unlimited communication possibilities.“ Norbert Erhard

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how it‘s going to be established in the individual business channels.

Some marketing experts believe that brands are no longer dictated by companies themselves.

In their opinion, they are defined more by peers or the community. So is it the consumer who is taking over the interpretation of brands?

André Karkalis: One important theory is that the brand belongs to the consumer, not the company. Because the consumer‘s opinion of a brand is the ultimate determining factor.

And it‘s this opinion that the company is always trying to influence. Focus groups have shown what consumers think about brand XY. In the past, only a few consumers exchanged ideas on brands, but today that has changed significantly. The famous unhappy customer who used to tell his friends about a bad experience is now posting the information on the web for the entire world to see. It really hurts when I get bad reviews on Facebook. But this also isn‘t just a matter of social media. As a consumer I can instantly start a public dialogue with other brand users. Of course it‘s a challenge. But it‘s also an opportunity, since people want to do more than just have a conversation with sales personnel. This makes it interesting because a person can see how the brands react. Do they

have an immediate answer or do they drag their feet?

Norbert Erhard: Things are moving very quickly at the moment, and not only in communication. Today‘s 15 to 20-year-olds have an entirely different standard. My 14-year-old son, for example, sits at the computer, orders and expects to the merchandise to arrive the next day.

However, in fashion, we have delivery times of three to four months to work with. That just doesn‘t match up.

Jörg Korfhage: That‘s also the case for us. A company can only win if it can make up for the „slowness“ with a lot of innovation and status.

I‘m convinced this can spread like wildfire, as it also works with negative aspects through new channels of communication. You can turn your consumers into fans or foes. This works pretty rapidly thanks to the new media.

Norbert Erhard: The challenge for all of us here is to close these gaps. Customers have extremely high expectations, as consumers are constantly demanding more as far as speed is concerned.

Does this need for immediate availability apply to all products? I can certainly understand that people want their merchandise immediately. But there are customers that will camp out in front

„Consumers are constantly demanding more as far as speed is concerned.“ Norbert Erhard

of an Apple store for a week just to get their hands on the new iPhone or iPad. A brand has managed to create enough of a status for its product that customers are willing to put their lives on hold and be inconvenienced. How do they do it? And why isn‘t fashion able to do so?

André Karkalis: If anyone knew, they wouldn‘t give away the secret. (everyone laughs) André Karkalis: But all joking aside. H&M also has a limited range with its designer co-operations. So it‘s not as if this phenomenon doesn‘t exist at all in fashion. But it‘s a temporary special offer, a special case that makes the customer worry about acting too late.

Jörg Korfhage: I also don‘t think that we can

round table_the talk

„The product today plays the crucial role. It‘s the starting point for everything.“ Jörg Korfhage

simply apply this to fashion. The products are often not unique enough, with the exception of special events. They have become too uniform.

They can be distinguished by quality, price, etc., but they don‘t have the USP of an iPad or iPhone.

Can a brand create desirability through product innovation? Or does it have to be a distinctive campaign?

Jörg Korfhage: You can only be a brand if the product is right. And if you have the power to make this apparent at the point of sale, buyers have to follow. I can‘t say that we‘ve had so much success with any given advert or Citylight event that it would have triggered a boom at the POS. Sure, it created more attention, but did it show in sales figures? Zara, for example, doesn‘t use campaigns; it presents its pieces through its storefront and its stores in top locations. This works very well.

André Karkalis: Apple made a comeback mostly through quality and its product design. But you everyone laughs say that it was one particular campaign that brought Apple back to life.

So we have a comeback as a result of the product?

Jörg Korfhage: The product today plays the crucial role. It‘s the starting point for everything. If we were to talk about the most successful newcomers in our segment… no one knew them

before. And they didn‘t get to the point of sale due to some mega campaign. They got to where they are now because the product was right.

Norbert Erhard: Of course there are also negative examples that confirm this. We all know brands that started with a lot of financial backing and enormous print campaigns but still failed to gain a foothold. They just didn‘t master their product! The product was not desirable enough for the market. In that sense, the product is key.

A lot has changed in the last few years due to new channels of communication. Does this mean a brand has to communicate differently today?

Jörg Korfhage: Of course, but that creates other problems. At the beginning of October, we started a pure POS campaign with Killah, which was accompanied by a social media strategy. It‘s a really simple project: ‚Buy one pair of Killah trousers, get a piece for free.‘ We then turned this into ‚Killah-Jump‘ with the help of an agency: Anyone who filmed a performance in front of one of our stores and posted his or her video online would get a pair of trousers free. This event generated 450,000 hits in three weeks.

For me, as a layman, that‘s an unbelievable figure.

André Karkalis: I agree.

Jörg Korfhage: But now there‘s a conflict: This effect should not get the chance to die out, but should be continuously developed instead. But this leads to additional costs for supporting and carrying out these events, and uses resources that previously had not been taken into consi- 55 deration. That‘s the downside of social media activities.

„I think a brand today still enjoys a high degree of significance and acceptance.“ Jörg Korfhage

But it‘s actually great that these types of events allow you to get into contact with consumers. It can make a brand likeable. Isn‘t that the whole point?

André Karkalis: That‘s exactly the point! But one can just as easily disappoint end consumers. If we advise brands in this regard, it can be said that there‘s never enough discussions about the back end. It just becomes an issue of what happens when a customer asks for a special retailer in Stuttgart. But what happens to all the other inquiries? Companies have to restructure and organise precisely this. That‘s the biggest challenge in communication.

Jörg Korfhage: Absolutely! That‘s the only way you can still have brand status nowadays! If you really communicate with the end consumer

the talk_round table

„The brand very clearly represents a promise.“ André Karkalis

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„The consumer‘s opinion of a brand is the ultimate determining factor.“ André Karkalis

and show that you understand, register and implement the things coming at you as a brand, it‘ll work. You can‘t just make empty phrases…

On the other hand, you can‘t please everyone.

Norbert Erhard: I also see a serious risk in unlimited communication possibilities. Every failure to respond to an inquiry can result in one less customer.

André Karkalis: That‘s exactly what happened to a lot of brands in the beginning. They were quick to launch a site, just as long as it was social media, and didn‘t do anything beyond that.

But it takes manpower and structure. I honestly believe that companies with a certain size need a social media manager.

But that would require shifting investments away from classic campaigns and towards good pro-

ducts and social media events. Does this make marketing less important?

own on the Internet, or does this make it more difficult?

Norbert Erhard: I‘d even go so far as to say that it has become much more important overall. I don‘t think you should focus your communication on just two or three channels. Linking these channels –the internal and external communication – has to be done right. You can‘t send out message X if you can‘t sustain it internally.

This is especially true when the customer or consumer wants to get in touch with you. It‘s particularly important for small companies to come across as honest and authentic. It‘s a lot easier to verify this nowadays.

André Karkalis: There are simply more discussions and it‘s harder to control. For one customer that had opened two stores in Dusseldorf and Cologne we got bloggers involved who completely hyped the opening beforehand.

But then the second wave comes, and you can’t control that. Now the bloggers report directly on their purchases, they test the products and the store is having to prove its worth. The results are positive. But you also wouldn‘t be able to gloss that over with words.

Jörg Korfhage: The Internet has created a new degree of transparency. For example, if Zalando asks today if it can sell its worst seller at a discount price from the 15th of the month and you as a brand agree, then the phone will ring off the hook with protests from retailers in no time.

Norbert Erhard: The solution lies in the linking of sales and marketing. One example is Globetrotter. The flagship store in Cologne is constantly creating a stir. It offers highly qualified service, and you‘re brought down to product level through the store’s own internal TV. The same idea is applied on the website. They are very good at linking all of the channels. In time this will all merge into one. There are risks, but there are opportunities as well.

The Internet has become important to the retail trade as a generally effective sales and distribution channel. Is it easy for brands to hold their

One last question: What is the difference between a brand and a label for you?

André Karkalis: The brand very clearly represents a promise. It‘s about more than just the product. A label describes a piece of clothing in a way that allows me to categorise it.

Norbert Erhard: I agree.

Thank you for the interview!

gunnar hämmerle_the talk

„Photography is a sense of freedom and a crutch“ Thanks to his „styleclicker“ website, photographer Gunner Hämmerle is widely recognized as one of the leading German fashion bloggers. In the summer of 2010, his works were displayed for the first time in a German museum, the NRWForum in Dusseldorf.

Text Ina Köhler, Photos styleclicker

„It‘s more interesting to pinpoint weaknesses and to look for beauty in ugliness.“ Gunnar Hämmerle

Y

Gunnar Hämmerle finds his models in the cities of the world, from his hometown Munich to Paris and Stockholm.

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our first camera was...

...an analogue camera. When I was a kid, I had a snapshot camera, but the first camera that I saved up money to buy was a Nikon FE2 with a 50 mm lens. I still own it and take pictures with it from time to time. I love the sound of the shutter when the mirror makes that delicious clicking sound.

What does photography mean to you?

It‘s actually about a sense of freedom, but it‘s also a crutch. I unfortunately can‘t draw very well. Anyone who can draw only needs paper and pencil to express themselves. I need my camera, which is nevertheless fairly straightforward compared to motion pictures. So I enjoy a certain freedom because I can quickly and directly express myself. The way I take pictures is influenced to a great degree by what I find on location. I don‘t approach it with any preconceived notions. I initially have no idea what will be produced by the process; that‘s fun because things are created by the moment.

Are there others who you look up to, like the German photographer August Sander?

Cool, clear-cut and modern: the motifs on styleclicker.net

I knew him beforehand but wasn‘t familiar with his work. Then, when I got started, I stumbled across him again and realised that we had quite a lot in common. I definitely see myself as following in his footsteps. On „styleclicker“ there are pictures of people laughing, but in most of the photos the subjects look very serious.

Sander told his models: ‚Don‘t laugh – Laughing can be phoney.‘

Who do you appreciate as a contemporary photographer?

I find Andreas Gursky‘s photos rather interesting. He‘s created his own visual style. At the same time he‘s integrated a digital element into his work, but in a way that‘s very appealing. He blurs the borders between staging and reality in a manner I think is interesting.

Who inspires you in fashion photography?

I consider the works of Wolfgang Tillmanns and Jürgen Teller very realistic. If I were to photograph models in a straightforward way, I‘d personally find it rather boring. It‘s more interesting to pinpoint weaknesses and to look for beauty in ugliness. Someone who looks perfect is boring, actually borderline creepy – there‘s almost nothing human left in them.

You originally worked in the film industry – Do you still work as a cinematographer?

Yes, last year as an artistic experiment, I filmed the show staged by Talbot & Runhof in Paris. I shoot experimental films with my wife. I could imagine myself doing more of them. That‘s where the trend is heading, particularly on the Internet. At the same time, I have to say that I don‘t yet know what the final form will be. I think the attention span for film on the net is extremely short. www.styleclicker.net

Alegria Happy Shoes Nothing but the Best for your Feet California shoe label Alegria promotes its designs as comfortable, fun footwear. The women‘s collection launched in 2008 by American comfort shoe specialists Pepper Gate Footwear offers colourful, 58 lightweight shoes with ergonomic fits for fashionconscious women. Features of this unusually stylish footwear include a rounded „rocker bottom“ outsole and an anatomically correct footbed.

Following its successful market introduction in the US and Canada, Alegria is now bringing its two collections per year to shops in Austria and Slovenia. An expansion into southern and eastern Europe is planned as well. Alegria is presented twice a year at GDS. Wholesale prices range from 49.90 to 75 euros depending on the model.

CONTACT: Sinnergy e. U., Kurt Halbwachs, 2540 Bad-Vöslau/Austria, T 0043.664.2315694, happy@sinnergy.at, www.alegria-schuhe.at

frends There’s No “I” in Frends The seven professional snowboarders Kevin Pearce, Danny Davis, Scotty Lago, Luke Mitrani, Jack Mitrani, Mason Aguirre, and Keir Dillon are ‘frends’. „What‘s most important for us it that we have fun together and experience everything with our best friends instead of doing it just on our own: That’s why there’s no ‚I‘ in Frends,“ explain the founders. Their joint passion for music inspired them to create their own headphone label Frends in 2007. All headphones come with a headset and remote control. The style is minimalist and reminiscent of early American industrial design. The collection consists of two on-ear models and two in-ear models in eight different colour combinations. The headphones retail between 18 and 35 euros, with a markup of 2.2. Frends is already represented at Railslide in Frankfurt am Main, at Planet Sports, Mantis in Hamburg and the Burton Store in Innsbruck. CONTACT: ROF B.V., 1062 HK Amsterdam/ Netherlands, T 0031.2033.36233, amsterdam@wearefrends.com, www.wearefrends.com

want it!_Fashion

Bleed Sustainability is not a crime ... … this is the slogan the German newcomer label Bleed is using to offer sustainable fashion from natural and nature-identical materials to board sports fans and environmentally conscious guys and gals. The progressive and casual Bleed style looks as good in a half-pipe as it does in a trendy club. You can also wear the clothes with a clear conscience – they are made from ecologically grown cotton, viscose, bamboo and kapok fibre. All collection garments – the hoodies, tees, board shorts or long-sleeve shirts – conform to the bluesign® Standard and are GOTS certified. For the sake of the environment, the company even uses silk-screen prints with a water-soluble, PCB-free base in order to create the graphic prints. The label really pays homage to the favourite playground of all board and fun sports enthusiasts – Mother Nature.

Bleed is available in selected shops such as British Empire in Nuremberg, Surfshop in Kiel or the Echo concept store in Biarritz. Wholesale prices range from 10 euros for a T-shirt to 130 euros for a Soft Shell jacket. The two 40-garment bi-annual collections have a markup of 2.4.

CONTACT: Bleed Clothing GmbH, Michael Spitzbarth, 95233 Helmbrechts/Germany, T 0049.9252.350267, info@bleed-clothing.com, www.bleed-clothing.com

howitzweissbach A Stylish Splash of Colour Eva Howitz and Frieder Weißbach design clothes for individualists who do not shy away from bold colours. The howitzweissbach label has been in business since early 2010. Employing an unusual palette of colours and rigorous lines, the designer team from Leipzig aims to create an unmistakable style independent of current trends.

“Our designs are developed according to a principle of contingency, through the random layout and assembly of existing cuts and geometric shapes,” says Weißbach.

The current collection consists of around 50 items with hand-painted shoes, socks and scarves as well as dresses, shirts, skirts and coats made of materials such as silk, cotton and lamb nappa. With wholesale prices between 60 and 800 euros, the collection is positioned in the expensive bracket; all pieces, including shoes and accessories, are made in Germany.

CONTACT: Marcus Pester, 04229 Leipzig/Germany, T 0049.178.6331755, 59 office@howitzweissbach.com, www.howitzweissbach.com

G-Lab Fashion Engineering Now For Women As Well What happens when you mix motorsports with fashion? The Düsseldorf-based label G-Lab Fashion Engineering has been offering an answer to that question since 2003.

Originally founded as the design agency of Björn Gericke, G-Lab presented its first high-performance jacket collection for men at the Premium 2010 in Berlin. The collection consisted of five models featuring functional material and sleek urban design.

Now, just one year later, the women’s outerwear line is being launched. As with the menswear line, G-Lab is relying on a small but refined range of six form-fitting jackets in two colours. From now on, two collections each for men and women will be introduced annually. The sales prices range from 449 to 569 euros, in accordance with the label’s positioning. Wholesale prices for the models are between 160 and 212 euros. The functional jackets are available at select boutiques like Fidelio zwei in Zurich, Breuninger in Stuttgart, or Freudenhaus in Obertauern, Austria.

CONTACT: Blue Brain GmbH, Jörg Nürnberger, 40221 Dusseldorf/Germany, T 0049.211.23920566, nuernberger@blue-brain.biz, www.unifafashion.com

fashion_want it!

Wienzwölf The Name Says it All Hot off the press, so to speak, from the 12th district of Vienna, comes new bag label wienzwölf, produced by the Kostümhaus Wien (costume house Vienna) and introduced shortly before Christmas last year. The designer bags boast a number of practical features and an unusual look defined by an innovative mix of recycled products including an old duffle bag, a second hand parachute, a fire hose and felt made from 100% new wool. The internal compartments and the practical bag-in-a-bag system featured in every model are made from recycled advertising tarpaulins. All bags are made by hand in the Kostümhaus, 100% Made in Austria. Also typically Austrian is the humour of Managing Director Mathias Lippitsch, who describes his bags as “urbane and robust – like our customers”. “What you can‘t fit in, you don‘t need,” is his motto. The bags are available at retail prices from 165 euros at the Kostümhaus, selected outlets and on the Internet.

CONTACT: Kostümhaus Vienna, Peter Doujak,1120 Vienna/Austria, peter.doujak@kulturundmedien.at, www.wienzwoelf.at

sitka Canadian West Coast Lifestyle Producing surfboards in one‘s own garage is not a bad way to make a living, and that‘s exactly how the two Canadians Andrew Paine and Rene Gauthier started their business. They made a career out of their hobby when they founded their own surf and streetwear label Sitka in 2002. In order to survive in the market alongside the major players, they‘ve specialised in products that can hold up in the tough weather conditions found on Canada‘s west coast. Robust surfboards are still part of the base product range, but their focus today lies more on high-quality streetwear for men, women and kids. The current collection is made up of roughly 300 pieces and takes on the theme of „Found in the Woods.“ The designs are generally produced with organic cotton and bamboo cotton mixed fibres. The wholesale prices come out to 10.50 to 14.50 euros for T-shirts and 46 to 83 euros for jackets. The markup is 2.4. Sitka can be found at Van der Lilleberg in Hamburg, Supremesurf in Rostock and Populair in Cologne. CONTACT: SITKA Surfboards, Mel Greene, V8W1K8 Victoria/ BC Canada, T 001.250.3857873, mel@sitkasurfboards.com, www.sitkasurfboards.com

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Hanky Panky No Passing Thing This New York lingerie label does not want to be one of those brands that is omnipresent one moment, and gone the next. Hanky Panky is not a gag, fad or a brief flirtation; it focuses on the interplay between traditional values and modern celebrity glamour. The label already has some prominent fans such as Rihanna, Eva Longoria and Cindy Crawford. It all began back in 1977, when New Yorker Gale Epstein decided to experiment with lingerie due to her own high expectations for comfort, fit and durability. She created a handmade lingerie set for her friend Lida Orzeck using embroidered handkerchiefs, and the Hanky Panky project was born. Some of Epstein’s initial designs can now be admired at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. All products are manufactured exclusively in the US. The main reason for doing so was quality. For example, Hanky Panky uses only specific threads to ensure flexibility and corresponding fit. The wholesale prices are between 9.10 and 19.95 euro, with a calculation of 140 per cent.

CONTACT: Hanky Panky, NY 10016 New York/USA, T 001.212.7254996, contact-us@hankypanky.com, www.hankypanky.com

Electric Visual It‘s Electric!

For more than a decade the Electric Visual brand from France has stood for high-quality eyewear for board sport enthusiasts. The label became famous for its snowboard goggles and sunglasses, which have been worn and endorsed by celebrities including surfing legend Luke Egan, snowboarding great Peter Line and skateboarding icon Bam Margera. The latest addition to the product line is the RX series, a line with optical frames in striking colours and designs that will be available in Germany for this first time this season. In addition to the eyewear range, the label‘s soft goods and accessories ranges are also being expanded, with a wide selection of travel bags and trollies now being offered in addition to backpacks.

This year there will also be a first-ever strategic alliance with the French action sports brand Volcom, as well as additional models of the „Rider-Inspired Design Series,“ which will be designed by the Electric Visual Team‘s riders. Wholesale prices range from 35 to 90 euros for sunglasses, 26 to 74 euros for goggles, 38 to 59 euros for optical frames, and 21 to 80 euros for bags. The brand is represented online at Planet Sports and Blue Tomato, as well as at Railslide in Frankfurt and at TX Sports.

CONTACT: Electric Europe SARL, 40150 Soorts-Hossegor, Z.A. de Pédebert/France, T 0033.558700240, sales@electricvisual.com, www.electricvisual.com

want it!_Fashion

Drakewood Boys Only The collection Drakewood was launched in July 2010 as a complementary menswear range to the womenswear label iheart, founded in 2009. Whereas iheart presents a relaxed, contemporary look that is mainly based on layering, Drakewood features basic and casual T-shirts in high-quality, light jersey with modern necklines. Loving little details make the T-shirts special, and a fashionable mix is created through the combination of individual garments. All T-shirts are made in Portugal. The iheart collection is already available in more than 200 top stores such as Stierblut in Munich, Ingrid Döttinger in Stuttgart, Fidelio in Zurich and Jades in Dusseldorf. Drakewood is also available at Jades, Soeren in Hagen and Glam in Bremen. iheart wholesales at prices between 14 euros for T-shirts and 94 euros for knitwear. There are two main collections and two flash programmes a year. Iheart is currently available in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Holland. An expansion of the distribution network is already in the pipeline.

CONTACT: Loesch & Chrystall GmbH, 40233 Dusseldorf/Germany, T 0049.211.93653910, simone@iheart-thelabel.com, www.iheart-thelabel.com

Kamaeleon Ethical and Eco-Friendly Transform, enchant, change – that’s the goal of Austrian children’s outfitter Kamaeleon. Well-known and well-liked for its functional and playful features – velcro cherries that can actually be picked, or a Christmas tree that can be hung with decorations – the label founded in 2010 is increasingly making it into the wardrobes of children aged between 0 and 6 years. In addition to recycled fleece, designer Brigitte Wagner uses selected second-hand fabrics such as men’s shirts, tablecloths or cotton bed linen. These are supposed to be better for the skin, as the frequently washed second-hand fabrics contain fewer chemical and dye residue. The quirky and imaginative designs are then realised by women who are having difficulties finding a job. The label focuses on ecological and social responsibility. Prices for individual items range from 25 euros for a cap to 48 euros for dresses and kimonos. At present Kamaeleon is only available in Austria at www.kamaeleon.at. There are plans to expand distribution to retail outlets, and market the products in neighbouring European countries. CONTACT: Kamaeleon Recyclingmode für Kinder/Recycled Fashion for Children, Daniela Vadehra, 3013 Pressbaum/Austria, T 0043.660.5050360, info@kamaeleon.at, www.kamaeleon.at

Queen and Princess Fashion for Mothers and Daughters Revel in your own individual style – That’s the message of Queen and Princess, a label for mothers and daughters founded in 2009 in Berlin. Specialising in shirts, dresses and light blouson jackets, the designs created by Jessica Reyes Rodriguez are exclusive, individual pieces that are manufactured by hand in small batches by German companies. The process utilises only certified natural fabrics. The current collection AW 11/12 is comprised of 17 styles for mothers and 13 for their daughters. The designs are inspired by the fashion in late 19th century London. The look is sporty yet luxurious, with more than a hint of Sherlock Holmes. Wholesale prices range from 50 to 100 euros with a markup of 2.4 to 2.7. Ecologically aware and fashion-conscious women and girls have so far been able to track down these designs in selected German boutiques such as Maygreen in Hamburg or Spitzenreiter in Berlin. For unlimited access to the collections, go to: www.queenandprincess.de.

CONTACT: Queen and Princess – enduring fashion for mother and daughter, Jessica Reyes Rodriguez, 49716 Meppen/Germany, T 0049.5931.4099231, info@queenandprincess.de, www.queenandprincess.de

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s-fly Rebel from the Streets

The rebel‘s name is Patrick Fuchs. He was bitten by the graffiti bug in the early ‚90s.

After a number of years of passionate vandalism, the young man from Hamburg decided to become more „sensible“ by making a name for himself as an independent graphic designer and illustrator. These days, S-Fly is known for his humoristic, colourful illustrations of surrealistic creatures, such as dancing marker men, skateboarding sausages and mischievously grinning spray cans. His ideology is to never sell out with his ideas. In addition to his contract work for the Mantis Lifestore, Fuchs has been operating his S-Fly fashion label for nearly a year now. It consists of T-shirts (28 euros retail), hoodies (60 euros) and accessories (7 euros). The collection is available at a number of stores, including Under Pressure and Animal Tracks & Mantis in Hamburg. CONTACT: S-Fly Germany, Patrick Fuchs, 20359 Hamburg, T 0049.179.2248837, info@s-fly.org, www.s-fly.blogspot.com

fashion_want it!

Spirit of Hope More than Just Kid‘s Stuff Optimism, rebellion and cheerfulness are the ingredients that Spirit of Hope puts into its streetwear for kids and teens. Positive, contemporary statements such as „Vote Hope“ printed on soft fabrics like jersey and terry are characteristic of the label founded by Ayda Aufenacker and Carolin Detterbeck in Hamburg in 2009.

Depending on the model, Spirit of Hope retails for 25 to 89 euros, while wholesale prices range from 11.50 to 31.50 euros. Products include leggings, T-shirts, polos, hoodies and accessories. The label is currently available only at selected shops in Germany, for example at Conleys in Hamburg, Bambini in Hannover and Glückskind in Nuremberg. The expansion of international sales is currently in the works, as is a broader range: Selected styles and accessories for mothers envious of the children‘s line will be available in shops as of spring/summer 2011. CONTACT: Team 4 Tune GmbH & Co KG, 22529 Hamburg/Germany, T 0049.40.2380280, info@team4tune.de, www.team4tune.de

Yerse Feminine, Authentic, Versatile That’s the best way to describe women‘s outerwear label Yerse, founded as a knitwear company in Sabadell near Barcelona in 1964. In line with the vision of founder Lluis Generó i Doménech, the Spanish label has become an important player in the young women‘s outerwear segment in the last forty years. Under the management of the founder‘s son, Pep Generó, Yerse now appeals to natural, feminine women looking for uniquely authentic and therefore comfortable styles. Inspired by urban and nature-oriented elements, Yerse offers two collections per year, each with 180 62 pieces. The product line includes everything from dresses and leggings to T-shirts and anything else a woman‘s heart could desire. Since its German market launch in 2009, the Spanish label has already delivered to 280 locations, including select boutiques, department stores and multi-brand stores. The number so far in Austria and Switzerland is 80. Wholesale prices range between 8 and 39 euros depending on the model, with a markup of 2.8. CONTACT: Yerse, 08205 Barcelona/Spain, T 0034.937.451700, export@yerse.com, www.yerse.com

United Nude Architecture for Male Feet Isn‘t exclusivity achieved through design and not the price? The Dutch architect Rem D Koolhaas and British shoemaker Galahad Clark, the minds behind the label United Nude, are convinced that this is the case. Founded in 2003 with the launch of the distinctive Möbius shoe model, United Nude has become internationally known for its innovative and extravagant women‘s footwear, as it does not shy away from pushing boundaries in the search for new materials, shapes and constructions. As long as the designs are sexy, minimalistic and comfortable. United Nude can now be found in more than 40 countries and at 400 points of sales. Starting in 2011, men will also be able to enjoy United Nude’s designs. Given the sheer number of requests from male shoe enthusiasts, the label will launch its first menswear line on the market in the summer of 2011. It will mainly be made up of classic designs in different colours. The collection will be released with the same frequency as the women‘s collection: twice yearly. Wholesale prices start at 23 euros and go up to 180 euros.

With a markup of 2.6, this comes out to retail prices of between 60 and 380 euros.

CONTACT: United Nude, 1012 SM Amsterdam/The Netherlands, T 0031.2033.09796, customerservice@unitednude.com, www.unitednude.com

the hip tee Getting Shirty After a fruitless search for the perfect T-shirt, the two Spaniards Claudia Fabra and Claudia Hernandez decided to take matters into their own hands and founded their own T-shirt label The Hip Tee. There are two women‘s collections a year, consisting of 30 garments with a very vintage look. These collections are split into two themes and can be ordered by package. The chemical-free shirts are made of very fine and soft cotton and bleached in the sun. Since January 2011, the company has been exclusively using 100 per cent organic cotton. In addition to basic, oversized and V-neck models, dresses, scarves and tunics are being added to this coming season‘s product range. The T-shirts retail between 25 and 29 euros, with a markup of 2.7. To date, The Hip Tee is being sold at Werkhaus in Hamburg, Ekseption in Madrid, Mayurka in Ibiza, Il Theatro in Monte Carlo and Tanja Gündling in Salzburg.

CONTACT: The Hip Tee, 28004 Madrid/Spain, T 0034.917023743, info@thehiptee.com, www.thehiptee.com

want it!_Fashion

Eucalyptus Charmingly Feminine Charming, independent, fun – Founded in London in 2001, the women’s outerwear label Eucalyptus is using these attributes to advertise its creations. Inspired by the ‚ ‚ fashion of the 50s and 60s, designer Sonia Au-Yeung will be providing confident young women with cheerfully feminine styles this winter. Key design features include colourful prints, sophisticated gathering and attractive cinched waists. Every year, Eucalyptus launches two collections consisting of 50 to 60 garments. 80 per cent of every collection are made up of dresses that are designed with attention to detail. Each collection also features matching tops, jackets, coats, trousers and skirts. Eucalyptus is available in selected boutiques, including Faster Pussycat in Berlin, Petera in Innsbruck or Rag Republic in Munich. If you are a woman and interested in these fashionable garments: they retail at prices between 31 and 125 euros. If you are a retailer and interested in selling these garments in Germany and Austria: they wholesale at prices between 12 and 47 euros.

CONTACT: Deluxe Distribution/Dunja Fey, 10179 Berlin/Germany, T 0049 30 69 59 76 90, Email dunja@deluxe-distribution.de, www.deluxe-distribution.de

Mons Royale Warm and Toasty Winter No more shivering. After three successful seasons, the New Zealand-based underwear and first layer expert Mons Royale is now offering its functional garments in Germany, Austria and Switzerland as well. Founded in 2009 in Lake Wanaka as a board sports-related label, Mons Royale offers boys and girls one collection a year, consisting of casual shorts, leggings, tops, long-sleeve shirts and tees in bright colours. All items are made of 100 per cent Merino wool to guarantee ideal temperature regulation and comfort – Forget scratchy, smelly sports underwear, as the Mons Royale team riders and other fans can attest – The functional garments have been available in selected winter sports stores such as Workshop Sports in St Moritz or Amalgan in Zurich and Laax since November 2010. The garments wholesale from 15 to 39 euros. Retail prices range from 35 to 89 euros.

CONTACT: Mons Royal, Hamish Acland, Lake Wanaka 9305/New Zealand, T 0064.21.622172, hamish@monsroyale.com, www.monsroyale.com

loreak mendian Style Flowers Numerous collaborations, nine own stores in Spain and the Australian city of Melbourne, a „shop in shop“ in the Citadium in Paris, represented at Colette in Paris and in countries like Japan, Belgium, Italy and Switzerland – the men of Loreak Mendian have definitely been hard at work. In 1995, the two Spaniards Victor Serna and Xabi Zirikiain opened their own shop in their hometown of San Sebastian with a small collection made of hand-printed T-shirts. Today the label’s range consists of complete collections for men, women and kids as well as accessories, and includes a total of 350 pieces of functional outdoor clothing and knitwear. The women‘s collection now makes up 40 per cent of the overall collection. T-shirts wholesale between 13 and 18 euros, sweatshirts between 25 and 35 euros, shirts from 25 to 41 euros, knitwear between 29 and 50 euros, jackets at 41 to 117 euros, and trousers from 31 to 41 euros, with a markup of 2.38. As for the name, Loreak Mendian is Basque for mountain flower.

CONTACT: Yannick Urquijo, 20305 Irun/Spain, T 0034.943667271, yannick@loreakmendian.com, www.loreakmendian.com

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open.

Camper Together Tokujin Yoshioka Farmers Market Space E12, Building E. 6333 West Third Street Los Angeles/USA www.camper.com

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camper The Exquisite Beauty of Nature Japanese artist Tokujin Yoshioka sees Mother Nature as a muse. His approach is both beautiful and cutting-edge, closely connecting him to the Spanish shoe brand Camper, which has made sustainability one of its highest priorities. Camper recently opened a new Camper Together Store at the Farmers Market in Los Angeles, California, which is already the label’s second collaboration with Tokujin Yoshioka. The opening is a symbol of the company’s continued expansion in the American market and highlights how important unconventional design with added value is for Camper. The Camper Together stores are supposed to highlight the brand’s identity through the originality of a carefully selected designer.

Yoshioka‘s basic principle: Minimalist design with white furnishings meets lush and vibrant red flowers. “With their changing forms of expression, elements of nature such as plants and flowers are exceptionally attractive to us. The flowers are in harmony with the brand’s red colour, and they bloom throughout the entire space. The varying colours of the flower petals evoke a feeling of constant change, which exhibits the beauty and grandeur of nature,” explains Yoshioka, who closely works with designer Issey Miyake, among others. He has been managing his own design studio since 2000 and has already worked for companies such as Hermès, Toyota and Swarovski.

The Biggest of its Kind Premiere in Korea: The first Camper Together store in Korea – and worldwide largest Camper brand store to date – opened its doors in Seoul in late 2010. The brand’s products are presented on three storeys and 300 square metres of floor space. The store’s design comes from the charismatic Argentinian designer Albert Häberli, who now lives in Zurich. He employed tricycles in the store design because they „leave tracks that look like a race track and because they’re ideal to arrange the Camper shoes on them. They are also so smart (as only kids can be) that they can even drive up walls and ceilings. It’s funny to imagine that they could be our next SUV,“ explains the designer, who has designed everything from wine glasses to cars.

Camper Together Alfredo Häberli 1-3F CAMPER 530-3 Sinsa-dong, Kangnam-Gu Seoul/South Korea www.camper.com

news_in store

Folk Launch in Munich The first German branch of Folk, a store for high-quality menswear, opened in Munich on 18 November 2010. The new shop is located at Amalienstrasse 44, on premises formerly occupied by an American Apparel chain store. In the 100 sqm showroom, the London-based brand offers high-quality outerwear, knitwear, trousers, T-shirts and shirts, as well as shoes and accessories. The store is managed by Philip Stolte, owner of the Harvest store. The Folk flair for details is reflected in both the clothing and the interior design of the shop. Recycled wood was used for the walls and fittings, and three marble busts by sculptor Paul Van Stone function as innovative decorative elements. Scaffolding poles and a specially designed lighting installation made from hanging neon tubes immerse customers in the brand environment. In addition to three brand shops in London, Folk operates shop-in-shops in London‘s Liberty stores and the Cowboys to Catwalks store in Amsterdam.

Folk Amalienstraße 44 80799 Munich Germany www.folkclothing.com

Mustang And Another…And Another…

The list of newly opened Mustang stores reads like a serial novel: Four new stores were added in Germany alone in 2010 (in Memmingen, Weinmarkt, Ludwigshafen and Lörrach). The pace is as fast in Asia: one new shop was opened in the fashionable district of Pudong in Shanghai, and two in Hong Kong (one in the famed Silvercord Mall and one near Causeway Bay). To mark these events, the renowned denim brand sent buses with visuals from the latest fall/winter campaign through the city. After management at Mustang decided to open an own branch in Moscow in 2009, the brand has continued its expansion in the Russian market. The new store in the Kosmoport Center in Samara represents the sixth store that has been added in Russia. And just recently, the brand made news in Poland, when the fourth brand store opened in the Galerie Sefra in Bielsko-Biala.

The brand is now represented in 41 countries. www.mustang-jeans.com

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Mavi XXL in Dusseldorf After the overwhelming success of the two stores in Berlin and Frankfurt, Mavi is opening a big flagship store in Dusseldorf in February 2011. The entire collection of Mavi jeans for men and women, including accessories, will be presented on an area of 300 square metres at the new address at Kasernenstrasse 1. The new store‘s design is based on the „maviterranean“ spirit of its two predecessors.

Red Wing Shoes Store Poststraße 41 20354 Hamburg Germany info@redwinghamburg.de

RED WING SHOES Now in Hamburg Following the opening of its Berlin lifestyle store in 2009, the US brand is now also represented in Hamburg. As the official license holders, retail duo Shane Brandenburg and Kay Knipschild, who run the Berlin store Burg & Schild, designed the Red Wing Store on their own. Their 50 square metre store in Hamburg‘s Hanseviertel features over 60 shoe models from the European lifestyle collection and a number of American and Japanese special editions. The brick shop façade resembles the exterior of the Red Wing Shoes headquarters in Minnesota. It‘s interesting to note that company founder Karl Beckmann passed through the port of Hamburg over 100 years ago when he immigrated to America. Kay Knipschild had this to say about the Red Wing‘s more recent ties to Hamburg: „The brand fits well with the Hanseatic style. There is an emphasis here on values like consistency and durability. The final motivation to open the store came from Andreas Feldenkirchen who brought this commercial space to our attention. We believe in good synergy effects thanks to his menswear concept.“

Mavi Store Düsseldorf Kasernenstraße 1 40213 Dusseldorf Germany www.mavi.com

in store_mädchenstolz, neuss

Doing Her Own Thing The industry is already familiar with the name Michaela Gerst. 20 years ago, she opened Vibes in Dusseldorf. Today she’s doing it alone – with a shop that’s truly for women.

The extensive selection has women’s hearts beating just that bit faster. Mädchenstolz in Neuss is striking the right chord with shoppers.

Text Nicoletta Schaper, Photos Peter Schaffrath 80 as well as fashionable rabbit skin waistcoats by Oakwood which break with the store’s ubiquitous style. The selection is complemented by hand-crafted jewellery and bags by Dutch label Cowboybelt, as well as cowboy boots by Sendra from Spain, Emu boots and Wellington boots by Hunter.

For the Love of Shopping

Michaela Gerst is pleased by the success of the name Mädchenstolz.

T

here’s nothing at Mädchenstolz (Girls‘ Pride) to interest men. Which means there’s all the more for women. The shop’s centrepiece is a long table displaying all manner of pretty items: candles by Bridgewater, picture frames by Rice or tea towels by Green Gate.

The clothing range is in a similar vein. The rail is crammed full of dirndls, jumpers with puffed sleeves, gypsy-style blouses, sequin tops and pink lace underskirts. But there are also more simple items, such as jeans and chinos by Meltin’Pot, Replay, and American Vintage Shirts

finding a new lease of life, with other fashion and home décor boutiques and a pleasant café directly opposite. But Gerst knows that she herself has to back this kind of store concept, even though she’s found the perfect colleague in her best friend Ela Spix. “I’ve simply got too many ideas,” she laughs. Whatever happens, the name for the new kids’ store has already been agreed upon: Kinderstolz (Children‘s Pride).

“I’m not interested in what others are up to,” says Michaela Gerst, “and that goes for other stores or Instyle, the magazine.” Instead, she follows her own instincts and gives full expression to her own personal taste. It’s an approach that goes down well with her customers, who can be 13 or 70, but on average are between 30 and 60 years old.

Without a doubt, Mädchenstolz is Gerst’s “own thing”, and it’s proving to be a great success. She opened the store over a year ago, after splitting with Oliver Gerst, with whom she established four fashion boutiques named Goods and D-tails in Neuss, Kaarst and Mönchengladbach.

These shops also bore her creative trademark style, just like the three shops that Gerst opened with the Faeh brothers in Dusseldorf, among them Vibes, which she managed for 13 years. But she’s no longer attracted by the prospect of a store concept for men. “Men only shop on weekends,” she says, and that’s not enough for her. Instead, she’s toying with the idea of opening yet another store, this time for children. Preferably in the same street, a busy pedestrian zone in Neuss that’s currently

Mädchenstolz Am Büchel 12-14 (Neustraße) 41460 Neuss/Germany www.maedchenstolz.de Owner: Michaela Gerst Opening: 2009 Retail space: 60 sqm Staff: 1 Womenswear: American Vintage, Blutsgeschwister, Branting Sweden, Cream, Dept, Gundi Blind, Lysgaard, Meltin’ Pot, Oakwood, Replay, Snob, St. Martin, St.Tropez, Vive Maria, Yumi Shoes: Emu, Hunter, Ruby Brown, Sanita, Sendra Accessories: Cowboy Belt, Erfurt, Lua, Lundvist, Uno de 50, Vive Maria Home accessories: Bridgewater, Green Gate, Rice

mädchenstolz, neuss_in store

„I’m still a bit girly, and still a bit crazy.“ Michaela Gerst, Mädchenstolz

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in store_Precinct 5, amsterdam

No Rules Whatsoever

With all due respect, but the Amsterdam police isn‘t really the best dressed force on the planet. However, since December 2009, this same force has been unmistakeably linked to one of the most stylish fashion stores in Amsterdam. In a former police station you‘ll find Precinct 5.

Text Miranda Hoogervorst, Photos Abel Minnee

It‘s definitely a challenge to house a store on the fifth floor of a former police station.

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P

recinct 5 was initiated by four entrepreneurs who are connected through the Amsterdam music scene and world famous sneaker store Patta: Guillaume Schmidt and Edson Sabajo are co-owners of Patta; Hans Brouwer started the music production company Massive Music and Malvin Wix – aka dj Mr. Wix – has been spinning records and organizing parties for more than fifteen years.

They form a team that has an interesting view on fashion, a daring business sense and an impressive network of early adaptors. These qualities convinced most brands to enthusiastically jump on board right away. Stüssy was a believer from day one, and opened a Stüssy Chapter store that covers 50 sqm of the shop floor. Nike was also

pleased to have a new opportunity to reach their target group and settled an Amsterdam Nike Stadium in the shop.

Clothing for life

lious when it comes to fashion. Dickies has a 30 year old history and still makes great silhouettes with its pants. All our brands are timeless in a certain way and that‘s what we like about them.

They make clothing for life.”

Precinct 5 only selects brands that have an interesting story to tell, such as labels White Mountaineering, Deluxe, Neighborhood, Penfield, A.P.C., Head Porter and Orginal Fake. Creative director Malvin Wix explains: “In general all our brands have their roots in functional sportswear or utility wear. Stories behind the labels are also very important. Perks and Mini, for instance, is an art collective from Australia, they do not follow any fashion rules whatsoever. We support that attitude; it is the same attitude a brand like Stüssy has as well. Stüssy has always been rebel-

The building is quite challenging for a store space: the actual shopping space is situated on the third floor and thus has no windows on street level. Malvin: “When we bumped into this building, it seemed a bit of a risk at first, but we actually couldn‘t have dreamt of a better space for what we wanted. It is located next to the famous Kalvertoren shopping centre, it has an entrance of its own and it covers 300 sqm in the heart of the city. So it wasn‘t a tough decision to make.”

Precinct 5, amsterdam_in store

Trace, pick up and transfer When the shop opened it automatically got a lot of attention because of the ‚famous Amsterdam names‘ behind the store. But for the real fashion lovers, there are way more interesting facts: for one, Precinct 5 is one of the four exclusive points of sale in Northern Europe of the label Neighborhood, which gives all the reason to run up the concrete stairs. Clients are attracted by the exclusive brands and know that they will be surprised with exciting new things after the climb. They spread the word in their network and with an extensive use of social media, the client database grows rapidly. With this popularity it‘s not a surprise that a webshop is already on the agenda of Precinct 5.

But first the owners are focusing on building a steady shop, attracting different sorts of clients and making a strong brand out of Precinct 5.

This should not be too big of a problem, with their talent for finding quality, stylish brands and selling them to a specific target group. The cops may have left the building, but at Singel 459 the police code 100 (‘Trace, pick up, and transfer’) is still very much alive.

Malvin Wix (on the left) is one of the infamous four from Amsterdam who initiated Precinct 5.

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„When we bumped into this building, it seemed a bit of a risk at first, but actually we couldn‘t have dreamt of a better space for what we wanted.“ Malvin Wix

Precinct 5 Singel 459 1012 WP Amsterdam/Netherlands T 0031.20.3301270 www.precinct-five.com Owners: Hans Brouwer, Edson Sabajo, Guillaume Schmidt, Malvin Wix Opening: 2009 Retail space: 300 sqm Staff: 3 full-time, 2 part-time Brands: Andpress, A.P.C. Jeans, Bedwin & The Heartbreakers, Converse, Denham, Deluxe, Dickies, Folk, Garbstore, Gitman Bros., Gourmet Footwear, Head Porter, Head Porter Plus, Heritage Research, Made Me NYC, Moscot, Mykita, Neighborhood, Nike Sportswear, Norse Projects, Ohwow, Opening Ceremony, Original Fake, Penfield USA, Black Bear Line, Perks and Mini, Rizzoli USA, Stüssy, Vans, White Mountaineering, Woolrich Woolen Mills

in store_shit, stavanger/oslo

84

Just Shit?

For Frode Goa, „shit“ is not a swear word – it’s a passion and an attitude towards life. That‘s why he named both his label and corresponding store „SHIT“. Together with his friend Kim Stokke, Goa founded the business in Norway.

Text Sebastian Schulke, Photos Shit, Bon Tomme Håland

I

t all started more than ten years ago in Stavanger, a small city on the southwest coast of Norway. That‘s where they got the idea and the name, and that’s where Frode Goa and Kim Stokke started off on their skateboards to show the great, big world outside their „SHIT,“ which wasn‘t necessarily meant to be nasty and also doesn‘t have a horrific smell. „The word ‚shit‘ is understood all over the world,“ Goa says. „But it doesn‘t just stand for negative things – it stands just as much for positive things. And it‘s provocative. That‘s exactly what we liked about it.“

Shit is Versatile and Unpredictable You can see that in the label‘s own collection: in addition to trousers, T-shirts, pullovers, jackets and shirts, Goa works with designers, artists and friends to create skateboard decks, surfboards, bags, caps, jewellery – and recently, shoes were added as well. „Our roots are very clearly in skateboarding,“ says Goa. „We started in the

streets of Stavanger, we got on our skateboards and discovered new worlds.“ New worlds that go beyond the sea, the fjords, the woods and the mountain ranges of Norway. „SHIT is not purely a skateboard brand. That would be too one-dimensional. We also see the world around us and keep our eyes open.“ In addition to the shop in Stavanger there is another one in Oslo. The two stores are like identical twins: the walls and floors are made of wood and resemble a mini-ramp with boxes and small obstacles. The sales counter is built as a giant, curving ramp, and features tons of speech balloons with „Shit“ printed on them.

Next to fashion for young men and women, there‘s also a small collection for kids. „I love kids,“ Goa confesses. „If I had more peace and quiet, I‘d really like to start a family.“ At least he can say he has his own team: Oystein Ellingsen, Kim P. Karlsen, Gustav Tonnesen and Marcus Vik are all Shit enthusiasts. The label‘s collection is

now available beyond the borders of Norway, in Italy and Austria. „Customers from countries like Germany, Holland, the United States and Denmark are showing more and more interest,“ says Goa. „We‘re having our first discussions in those places.“

Shit Skateboard Company Ovre Holmegt 25, 2nd Floor 4006 Stavanger/Norway post@shittm.com www.shittm.com T 0047.51595159 Owner: Frode Goa Shops: Stavanger (since 2007), Oslo (since 2009) and the Webshop on shittm.com Retail space: 50 sqm in Stavanger, 75 sqm in Oslo Staff: 8 Labels: Shit

shit, stavanger/oslo_in store

Only flying is better: Frode Goa is taking off with his skateboard.

The same is possible at his store in Oslo - with or without board.

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one last thing_stephan Huber

Longing!

I 86

t‘s not that long ago that handmade knitted or sewn items were considered the most boring and conservative thing ever. Of course, this doesn’t do them justice, but it‘s understandable because people just weren‘t into them at that time. Handmade items were reminiscent of the pre-emancipation post-war period, old and cheesy movies, Burda dressmaking patterns and tight household budgets. But today, the post-war period is in the distant past, old and cheesy movies have acquired cult status among many fans, and Burda dressmaking patterns are available on their own highly successful homepage. Handmade/Homemade creations and gardening and cooking make up the trinity of bourgeois self-discovery.

But beware of making fun of this trend.. After all, this new desire to (BE ABLE TO) do things ourselves is part of a much bigger context. It‘s about longing. Longing for honesty instead of only PR-generated authenticity, longing for closeness. And ultimately it‘s about longing for home – A term that has been used for far too long by those who turned it into a chauvinist battle cry. But it‘s not an expression of neo-conservatism. Instead, this boom is fuelled by the Facebook generation who undogmatically welcome the new and combine it with the old.

This has a particular impact in the (young) fashion sector and, above all, in its retail landscape. Small, individual and, above all, locally established concepts are blossoming in almost all larger towns, particularly in alternative districts. These shops are often the homebase of local and, increasingly, locally produced one-person labels. In conjunction with bakeries, pubs, florists and galleries that are based on similar ideas, they constitute an organic counter-pole to the stereotypical

uniformity of large shopping streets and shopping centres. The towns benefit as because it makes them interesting and lively. Consumption benefits because interesting and lively towns are more likely to win back young consumers. Society benefits because this rapid development of local communities represents an excellent antidote for one of the greatest sufferings of „modern urban civilisation“, namely anonymisation. Because these small shops, cafés and galleries are frequented by those people whom some have mistakenly dubbed as the victims of digitalisation. Direct and personal communication. Because it‘s what people want and need. Even if updating their statusin their social network or ordering something online is just as much a part of their everyday life. This is not a contradiction, it‘s a complement.

What can we learn from this?

1.

The (frightening) vision of a global, universal consumer has been debunked as utter nonsense. Just like every other vision of people acting like robots.

2.

Individuality is not just a cliché, it‘s an opportunity. Whoever manages to reach people with a product and its message will not only win customers, but also a community.

3.

Creativity and entrepreneurial spirit remain the most import economic drivers. And they are behind society‘s development in general.

That‘s good. That‘s the future.

flag Editor, Publisher and Owner B2B Media GmbH & Co KG A-5081 Salzburg-Anif Management Stephan Huber, Nicolaus Zott Verlagsbüro Salzburg-Anif Salzweg 17, A-5081 Salzburg-Anif T. +43-6246-89 79 99 F. +43-6246-89 79 89 office@ucm-verlag.at www.ucm-verlag.at Publisher Stephan Huber (stephan.huber@ucm-verlag.at)

Editors-in-Chief Isabel Baier (isabel.baier@ucm-verlag.at) Ina Köhler (ina@ucm-verlag.at) Editor Daniela Angerbauer (daniela.angerbauer@ucm-verlag.at) Publisher‘s Assistants, Distribution Sigrid Staber (sigrid.staber@ucm-verlag.at) Christina Hörbiger (christina.hoerbiger@ucm-verlag.at) Art Director/Grafik Design/Production Christian Görgl (christian.goergl@ucm-verlag.at) Image Editor Anouk Schönemann

(anouk.schoenemann@ucm-verlag.at) Advertising Director Stephan Huber (stephan.huber@ucm-verlag.at) Advertising Kay Alexander Plonka (kay.plonka@ucm-verlag.at) Contributing Writers Christa Catharina Müller, Miranda Hoogervorst, Martina Müllner, Julia Lauber, Kay Plonka, Nicolette Scharpenberg, Nicoletta Schaper, Sebastian Schulke Photographers Bernhard Musil, Peter Schaffrath, Eugen Gebhardt, Anna Rabbow

English Editing Laura d‘Elsa English Translations Laura d‘Elsa, Creative Translation Printing Laber Druck/Oberndorf Printing Coordination Manfred Reitenbach Account Info Volksbank Salzburg 105 627, BLZ 45010

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