AllSaints Spitalfields Rocks Lincoln Road Mall
Big news on Lincoln Road this week as cult UK mega-brand AllSaints Spitalfields finally opens it’s doors in the former Touch Restaurant space. A triple-height loft with traditional Spanish architecture and ornate printed tile floors, the shop has been transformed into a retro-futuristic fantasy replete with a herd of ram skulls, floor-to-ceiling black iron fixtures, dozens of outsized industrial extending lights bolted to the ceiling and room dividers made of gleaming rows of hundreds of pristine vintage sewing machines. During a recent visit, startled shoppers either cooed with delight or seemed daunted by the sheer impact of the decor. A similar installation recently debuted in the former Agnes B. spot on North Robertson Boulevard in Los Angeles to mixed reviews.
Love it or hate it – you’ve simply got to see AllSaints to believe it.
While Lincoln Road has transitioned from a Morris Lapidus designed futuristic retail confection to a funky haven for local artists and now a decidedly mainstream shopping mall, the addition of AllSaints adds a dash of up-market European flair to the mix. Passers-by first notice the open air windows where traditional mannequins are eschewed by savvy visual design directors in favor of rows and rows of vintage sewing machines framing the new store logo. Curiosity piqued, shoppers must venture inside to experience the full impact of the dynamic installation. Clothing in the current collection is a sea of inky blues, crinkled black leather and wintery wools, a striking gambit when Miami’s wintertime temperatures are still stuck firmly in the bikini zone.
Women’s dresses are a study in volume with tight bodices offsetting wider skirts that are draped, tucked and gathered to add visual interest and width to the hips. Tattooed sales associates wearing the severe frocks look like they were selected by casting directors rather than human resource managers. Holiday-ready sheaths ripped right out of the 1920′s flapper playbook are beaded, bowed and mixed perfectly back to the harder edges of the modified overall-strapped dresses and biker boots. Only the gothic-inspired skull print screen tees seem far too similar to the ubiquitous offerings in the local market. New York shoppers can check out the collection at the 1,000 square foot concept shop hosted by Bloomingdale’s on 59th and Lex.
Menswear looks seem snatched off the backs of Seattle Grunge loving indy rockers with a signature washed, crinkled and distressed looking leather turning up on everything from tattered jackets to shirts to worn-looking boots and wallets. The pre-worn quality should prove irresistible to Miami teens who have grown weary of post-preppy Hollister, A&F and most of the other big names jeans brands who’s shops are just steps away from the new AllSaints store on Lincoln Road. Premium denim, the anchor of nearly every upscale mall store’s collection, is featured heavily along the walls with classic, skinny and modified cuts suspended by heavy metal hooks to highlight their sinewy lines.
A menswear brand started in the United Kingdom in 1994 by the Baugur Group, AllSaints – Spitalfields started wholesaling to big box UK retailers Harvey Nichols and Harrods before finding a niche at Barneys in New York and Japan. Opening their first stand alone shop in Fouberts Place near iconic Carnaby Street on All Saint’s Day in 1997, the store is specifically designed to capture the character of the building and to establish the brand’s carefully calculated independent and non-corporate image. A women’s collection followed in 1998 to fulfill the demands of female shoppers who roamed the menswear racks to create their own distinctive “boyfriend” wardrobe.
Inspired by popular music and worn by some of the biggest names in the industry, AllSaints has collaborated with U2, the Stereophonics and the Kings of Leon as it has hosted underground music parties to showcase emerging talent. The brand currently encompasses menswear, women’s and children’s clothing, accessories, footwear and home accents. Men’s and women’s clothing and accessories are currently on sale at the impressive new South Beach flagship shop where everything down to the hangars bears the trademark of the brand.
AllSaints Spitalfields is located at 910 Lincoln Road on South Beach.
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