Accessories, Clothing shopping in Europe
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Vanity
Vanity has been around for more than a decade, opening boutiques inside the city's finer hotels and shopping centres. But in 2007, this name in fashion became a name in architecture, dining and culture. Vanity's latest endeavour is its largest store yet, housed in a modern structure of glass and steel, tucked in behind Kazan Cathedral. Everything here is jaw-dropping gorgeous, from the all-designer-all-the-time fashions for sale, to the perfectly-coiffed beauties selling them.
Be sure to stop by the 5th-floor Terrassa for a cocktail or a coffee before you hit your credit limit.
reviewed
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Colours
This huge, light-filled loft has great used clothes going back to the 1960s (sometimes earlier) for both men and women, plus a smaller selection of new street- and club-wear threads for today’s cool kids. Most items are clean, in good condition and priced by the kilo (€14, or €10 during happy hour, 1pm to 3pm Wednesday). There’s a good range of accessories too. It’s in the back courtyard, upstairs on the right. In Schöneberg there’s an affiliated outfit, Garage (Ahornstrasse 2).
reviewed
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Wild Orchid
Underwear is yet another measure of Russia’s amazing transition to capitalism. Gone are the days of one-size-fits-all, baggy cotton briefs; sensational, sexy lingerie is on sale all over St Petersburg (and often modelled by women on the street). This top-of-the-line store carries lingerie by European designers that is devastatingly sensual (and devastatingly expensive). There are several other outlets around town, including one in Grand Palace and one on the Petrograd Side.
reviewed
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Kisselenko Fashion Salon
Designer Lilia Kisselenko uses sublimely simple fabrics to create women’s clothing that is at once linear and flatteringly feminine. This is a name to watch out for – she’s not quite flashy enough to appeal to the New Russian nouveau riche (who don’t care for Russian products anyway), but rather caters to connoisseurs with a discerning eye and upper-class fashion sensibility. If you like this place, check out Kisselenko’s other boutique, Defile.
reviewed
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Boss Orange Concept Store
Boss Orange Concept Store ‘Concept’ doesn’t half cover it, with famous German label Hugo Boss’ creations housed in an architectural statement more akin to an art gallery than a mere retail space. You’ll find denim jeans embedded in the floor, quirky displays of unrelated modern-day paraphernalia and even regular exhibitions from contemporary artists and photographers in the downstairs ‘interactive space’. Oh, and some clothes.
reviewed
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AM1, AM2, AM3
So hip it hurts, Andreas Murkudis’ cluster of minimalist-chic shops tucked away in a pretty Mitte courtyard offer a wealth of sartorial temptations for men and women from designers such as his Berlin-based brother Kostas Murkudis, internationals Sophia Kokosalaki and Martin Margiela, sturdy Ludwig Reiter footwear (from Vienna) and Schiesser underwear (given a twist by Kostas). There’s also furniture and jewellery, plus helpful, refreshingly honest service.
reviewed
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Bukle
The collection of Lyudmila Mezentsevaya, called Vereteno, is on display at this little café-cum-boutique. It’s not so outrageous – but no less creative – as some other Russian fashion. On sale is mostly casual wear, including T-shirts, skirts, sweaters, scarves, handbags and watches, all with an innovative twist. For shoppers who are not worried about squeezing into a miniskirt, there is an outlet of Gogol-Mogol on site.
reviewed
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Bustier
Underwear is yet another measure of Russia’s amazing transition to capitalism. Gone are the days of one-size-fits-all, baggy cotton briefs; sensational, sexy lingerie is now on sale all over Moscow. Several top-of-the-line stores stock European designer lingerie that is devastatingly sensual and devastatingly expensive. Bustier is more moderately priced, but also features classy French and Italian styles. One of many outlets around town.
reviewed
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Chapurinbar
Fashion maven Igor Chapurin got his start designing theatre costumes, but his creativity knows no bounds: in addition to men’s and women’s clothing, he has a line of children’s clothing and sportswear. Following in the footsteps of Denis Simachyov, he has opened a boutique with a hip club to accompany it. Set on two storeys, the place was designed by Chapurin himself and furnished with elements of the Chapurincasa line.
reviewed
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Fuck Fashion
Youthful hipsters and the young at heart flock to this cheap and cheerful store, jam-packed with the latest street-wear must-haves. The last time we checked, this included pop culture–splashed T-shirts, Mexican wrestling masks, a rainbow’s worth of trainers, kitsch knickers, and jewellery for every body part – eyebrows to unmentionables. There’s also a branch in Charlottenburg (Joachimstaler Strasse 39-40).
reviewed
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El Tintero
Terrific T-shirts are all that El Tintero sells, so if you’re looking for a colourful camiseta with Spanish-language slogans that translate as ‘I’m tired of being good’ and ‘Looking for a habitable planet’, this is your place. A few doors down, El Tintero Niños takes the same approach but with kids’ wear, from newborns to those aged 10 years.
reviewed
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La Tipo Camisetas
T-shirts in bright colours, T-shirts you’d have to be feeling pretty preppy to wear and T-shirts with witty (Spanish-language) slogans that rarely stray into the question-able taste that can be Malasaña’s forte are what this shop is all about. It’s all good, clean fun that would be out of place in the heart of hard-rocking Malasaña, but they’ve found a good home here in Conde Duque.
reviewed
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Natalie Kvasova
When it comes to winter hats, Russian fashion really comes into its own. Nowhere in the world are women so expressive with their headgear as on the snowy streets of St Petersburg and Moscow. The designs of Natalie Kvasova are up there with the best of them, sporting feathers and fur, bows and brims. This boutique also carries a small selection of fur coats and wraps warm enough to get you through any winter.
reviewed
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Parfionova
Tatyana Parfionova was the first St Petersburg couturier to have her own fashion house back in the 1990s, when the New Russians turned up their noses at anything that was not straight from Paris or Milan. Now this local celebrity showcases her stuff at her Nevsky pr boutique, where you’ll find her striking monochromatic prêt-à-porter designs as well as her famous crimson scarves.
reviewed
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Defile
If you are into fashion and you are in search of a uniquely Russian souvenir, this sweet boutique is the place to come. Owned by designer Lilia Kisselenko, of Kisselenko Fashion Salon, Defile carries elegant and eclectic clothing and accessories – almost exclusively by Russian designers. This shop also hosts the biannual fashion event, Defile on the Neva.
reviewed
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Mekhlandia
The Russian word mekh means ‘fur’, so the name of this place translates as Fur-land, evoking a sort of animal-run amusement park. Alas, this place is no fun for animals, as it contains a huge selection of fur and leather clothing, especially coats, hats and handbags. (We know it’s not nice to kill animals, but it gets you through the brutal Russian winter.)
reviewed
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Adidas
A mainstay of German leisure, this Adidas showcase holds a wall of creatively hued trainers (sneakers), plus lots of logoed T-shirts, pants, dresses and suitable accessories. Strangely enough, finding gear you can actually exercise in is not the store’s strong point, although the helpful staff will point you in the right direction if you’re in need of that sort of thing.
reviewed
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F95
One of Frankfurter Allee’s few outposts of icily smooth style, this taut collection of international and local labels attracts the pretty types to Friedrichshain to slap down credit cards for high-end denim brands, right-this-moment Maqua dresses, Filippa K separates, Veja trainers, and assorted fripperies such as tea, chocolate and perfume – all too cool for school.
reviewed
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Popland
Popland ‘Curiosity and Retro’ are the buzzwords here and Popland has both by the vinyl-suitcase load. ‘Go Eighties’ T-shirts, Pink Panther dolls, Elvis card games, candy handcuffs, mirrored disco balls, space invaders handbags… If you can’t find it here, it simply didn’t exist in the world of street pop art.
reviewed
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Yekaterina
One of Russia’s oldest furriers, this place has been manufacturing shapky (fur hats) and shuby (fur coats) since 1912. While Yekaterina has always maintained a reputation for high-quality furs and leather, its designs are constantly changing and updating to stay on top of fashion trends. There is another outlet in Dorogomilovo.
reviewed
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Berlinomat
This minidepartment store presents the latest visions from a pool of Berlin creatives working in fashion, accessories, furniture and jewellery. Showered by electronic beats, you can inspect sassy jeans by Hasipop, cult GDR-era-style sneakers by Zeha, messenger bags by MilkBerlin and other Zeitgeist -savvy stuff you won’t find on the high street back home.
reviewed
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Fuck Fashion
Youthful hipsters and the young at heart flock to this cheap and cheerful store, jam-packed with the latest street-wear must-haves. The last time we checked, this included pop culture–splashed T-shirts, Mexican wrestling masks, a rainbow’s worth of trainers, kitsch knickers, and jewellery for every body part – eyebrows to unmentionables.
reviewed
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Holalá
If you’re into tattoos, Black Sabbath and can relate to T-shirts that announce ‘My Space is the Devil’, Holalá is your spiritual home. Zombie Clothing is the name that drives everything you’ll find here, from cool-again fur coats to retro sportswear that wouldn’t look out of place on a Malasaña night out.
reviewed
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El Templo de Susu
It won’t appeal to everyone, but El Templo de Susu’s second-hand clothes from the 1960s and 1970s have clearly found a market among Malasaña’s too-cool-for-the-latest-fashions types. It’s kind of like charity shop meets unreconstructed hippie, which is either truly awful or retro cool, depending on your perspective.
reviewed
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Grandpa
With a design inspired by the hotels of the French Riviera during the ’70s, Grandpa’s second Stockholm location is crammed with atmosphere, as well as artfully chosen vintage and faux-vintage clothing, cool and quirky accessories and whatnots, random hairdryers, suitcases and old radios, plus a cool little cafe serving good espresso.
reviewed
