It’s not every day that two of the biggest forces in luxury retail come together in a room. But on this Friday afternoon, I am sitting on a circular stool in the office of Adrian Joffe, president of Dover Street Market. Alongside him is Carla Sozzani, a former editor and gallerist and the founder of 10 Corso Como.
The two entrepreneurs, who are dressed largely in black, greet each other the way you would a very old friend. And that’s because they are, having known each other for over 40 years. Although, as Joffe recalls, “she knew my wife first!” He is referring to his partner in life and business Rei Kawakubo, the influential founder of the fashion label Comme des Garçons, of which Sozzani is a devotee.
It’s endearing to observe the two interact. Despite their cultural differences — Joffe is South African, while Sozzani hails from Italy — they are, in many ways, two sides of the same coin. Unlike some executives who take a politician’s approach of swerving questions they’d rather not answer, both speak plainly — but thoughtfully — sharing with unabridged enthusiasm the need for creativity and independence, which they have fiercely championed over their decades-long careers.
Such ardour has culminated in their latest collaborative project, Dover Street Market Paris, which marks the first time in three decades that Joffe and Sozzani have worked together. Opening on May 24 in the Marais district, it is the seventh iteration of Dover Street Market, the innovative multi-brand retailer co-founded by Joffe and Kawakubo in 2004 in London. DSM, which also sells via ecommerce, has since expanded to multiple cities including New York, Tokyo, Los Angeles, Singapore, Beijing and Los Angeles. Today it brings in $450mn in annual revenues, with the Comme des Garçons label accounting for 60 per cent of business, according to Joffe.
Despite DSM’s growing footprint, the store has retained its insidery, if-you-know-you-know vibe (its entrance is discreet and easy to miss, while the clothing it sells can be challenging for the everyday customer to wear). It has also stayed relevant, driven in part by its merging of creativity, culture and commerce. Unconventional the approach may be, yet it has created an enviable blueprint that many others have attempted to emulate, although few have succeeded.
A retail reckoning has seen the closures of high-end boutiques such as Colette, Barneys, Opening Ceremony and, most recently, Matches. 10 Corso Como’s New York outpost also shut its doors, following the closing of its Shanghai, Beijing and Tokyo locations. (The original Milan store, which opened in 1990, and its Seoul location remain; Sozzani has not been involved in the business since its 2020 sale to entrepreneur Tiziana Fausti.)
Joffe dipped a toe into the French market with the opening of a beauty-focused branch, Dover Street Parfums Market, in October 2019, and cultural events space 3537, in May 2021. However, DSM Paris is unlike other stores in that it sits within the 3537 building, instead of independently. And while other locations sell retail across multiple floors and buildings, DSM Paris has a smaller allocation, despite there being five floors in the building (the rest is reserved for events, pop-ups and food and drink via the Rose Bakery, as well as a showroom for the brands under its umbrella, such as Vaquera and ERL).
It’s all part of a vision to prioritise community and interaction before sales, says Joffe. The entrance is behind two large doors that you could easily walk past and not notice on a busy street. It reminded me of luxury retail in Tokyo — where Joffe spends much of his time, and also where high-end brands, such as Chrome Hearts, have been opening stores in discreet locations that a passer-by would never accidentally discover. They don’t need to; they know that loyalists will seek them out.
“None of the DSM locations have ever been found with intention. Each of them arrived on our radar through word of mouth — a friend passing in front of an empty building and telling us about it, or an offer from a developer who fancied us as a tenant,” reflects Joffe. “They were all happy accidents, the right thing at the right time. This aligns with the design of each store, where we hope people can discover things and experience something they didn’t expect. This is why we avoid windows to entice, displays to entreat and layouts that are obvious.”
Our walk-through opens at the courtyard, which has five large cylinders standing at over four metres high. They will be plastered with blown-up images by Paolo Roversi during opening week. A selection of work from the photographer, who has been shooting Comme des Garçons for 40 years, will also be exhibited in the building. There’s also a basement area reserved for guest pop-ups (the first takeover will be by Matty Bovan, who will seek to recreate his apartment and also design exclusive pieces).
The building remains untouched and as close to its raw state as possible. It stands in stark contrast to some of the new furnishings that have been installed, such as the curved white structures that resemble “spaceships”, says Joffe, and which help to divide up the space for discovery (the idea is to not be able to see what’s coming up next). He adds that Kawakubo, who designed the cylindrical posts and furnishings, “likes buildings that breathe”.
Perhaps the most radical of its approaches is that the major luxury brands that will be sold when DSM Paris opens, such as Prada and Miu Miu, won’t have a dedicated concession space. The products are dispersed, regardless of label or category. It’s hard to imagine many luxury brands, who have long struggled to concede control, responding favourably to the idea. Sozzani notes that what she and Joffe offer is curation and access to culture, which in recent years has become a priority for many brands.
While DSM Paris shares the same DNA as its other stores, the new location provides a home for fashion’s most independent creative thinkers. Joffe is most excited by the designs from four of this year’s LVMH Prize finalists (Duran Lantink, Hodakova, Niccolò Pasqualetti and Pauline Dujancourt) as well as emerging talent who think outside of the box, such as Torishéju, Chopova Lowena and Doublet. The Paris store is smaller than the others so it required being “more selective”.
Are these kinds of names really driving sales, rather than the various brands of Comme des Garçons, which include secondary lines such as Shirt and Play? “People are buying everything,” Joffe insists. “For CDG, and for all other brands, we sell as much strong fashion as simpler perennial items.” However, he has noticed an uptick in sales — particularly in Asia — for Comme des Garçons Girl, whose pieces have a youthful and irreverent charm. Sozzani remarks that it might have to do with the current climate in which similar girly, ugly-chic brands like Miu Miu have had a revenue boost.
I observed a pivot away from larger luxury labels and even streetwear. Joffe says that the shift has been “organic”, adding that “the lines between luxury and streetwear are in any case blurred. Our particular focus for DSM Paris was the will to work more with people with a vision and something to say.” He adds: “The classifications themselves seem outdated. Perhaps the rigid departmentalisation of department stores has been a factor in their decline.”
“I’m always looking for an individual voice, a clear point of view and free thinking,” adds Sozzani. “Fashion is a way of expressing creativity and a message. It reflects social changes and can be a clear message of time changing. The one good thing about social media and fast communication today is that it gives young designers a tool to express themselves and be noticed.”
Despite that, Sozzani warns of an over-reliance on technology. She observes that while it can aid connection, it can also create separation. Online’s role in retail is predominantly as “a service”, she believes, “because it only uses two of our senses”, unlike the five that is possible with a physical experience. “Participation is fast: chosen, bought, done. There’s no emotional enjoyment” — which could aid a more responsible attitude to consumption, she says.
“Classic multi-brand retail, just racks and racks of clothes, is not the answer for today’s consumer,” Sozzani continues. “We all need to be involved emotionally in our choices. There must be a reason why we want to own a certain design. It’s not a trophy of acquisition but one for our feelings.”
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