The concept store is a strange beast. Just like Opening Ceremony in New York, Dover Street Market in London, 10 Corso Como in Milan and Colette in Paris, i-D in Athens does all the work for you. It’s the kind of highly curated destination where you can walk inside with your eyes closed and know that every single item on display will make a memorable addition to your lifestyle. On a par with its international counterparts, the i-D flagship concept store in Kolonaki is a slow shopping destination, where consumers are encouraged to interact with the merchandise and become a part of the owner’s retail philosophy. Heavy on the jewelry, as well as wearable technology (mainly watches and gadgets), it reps a variety of highly coveted brands you won’t find anywhere else, like luxe stationary by superstar blogger Garance Doré, artisanal chocolate bars by the Brooklyn-based Mast Brothers and understatedly stylish Common Projects footwear.
Photo © George Kroustallis.
Photo by Costas Voyatzis.
The irony of featuring viral brands in a brick-and-mortar location is not lost on the i-D team that does a bang-up job of bringing the online and the physical experience under the same roof. Itinerant exhibitions by artists currently making an impact on the art & design world are part and parcel of the same philosophy. Instead of sticking to old retail methods, i-D concept store prefers to involve customers in fashion history in the making. Welcome to the future!
Photo by Costas Voyatzis.
