Amsterdam Walkabout
Hot out of Amsterdam
It’s been a while since we’ve had a summer like this in Northern Europe. What better excuse to get out and about and do a bit of shopping? Chris Blaydes, Senior Designer, took time out of the studio last week to take a walkabout and cast his creative eye over what’s happening in stores and spaces around Amsterdam.
Luxury menswear boutique, ETQ store, looks effortlessly cool with its concrete/terrazzo trainer wall, wide staircase leading into the basement, open cage displays and curated lifestyle.
A favourite on designers’ Pinterest pages, The Cold Pressed Juicery is as beautifully detailed as it looks. Too tiny for more than a few people to stand in, let alone take photos. As you enter the space you are immediately hit in the face by a tree branch. Pick up a juice for a mere 10 euros (gulp).
The science lab of sneakers, we loved Solebox. Each conical flask moves gently creating movement in the space. The women’s centre display pumps dry ice. Magic. They have a few boutiques around Europe, each with a concept centred around its city. This one focuses on Amsterdam’s reputation for innovation.
We’re not crazy about the store design at Oquim (the changing LED wall plays with your eyes and you can’t really see the colour of a product), the basketball memorabilia wall was great, with shrink-wrapped original Jordans (worn by the man himself), and limited edition Back to the Future Nikes.
We originally thought the name was bound to be ironic, but when we got to No Boys Allowed, we soon realised this one really is just for the ladies.
A bold and simple design language in this curated lifestyle boutique. We really loved the circular backdrops to brands such as Scandi favourites Wood Wood and Han Kjobenhavn, set with other high-end fashion at The Pelican Studio.
Droog have a widespread reputation for innovative and quirky design. We visited their flagship store, café and one room hotel.
More like a museum than a store, we had several “what the heck is that?” moments.
Moving on to Sissy Boy we found a beautifully curated selection of fashion, homeware, kids, and café (complete with velvet sofas). Makes you want to buy everything.
Last stop of the day is Men At Work. We liked the eclectic displays with LA-chic mannequins and indoor palms, an interesting (if not entirely practical) display method for denim, and some ‘Dutch style’ neons with a nice alcove detail.
