With every new shop that opens we are told how much effort has gone into giving it a vintage, reclaimed look.
Vintage being old and reclaimed being ‘shit that’s been found somewhere and now reused’. We can’t help thinking as more and more fashion shops open up in ‘warehouse’ and half finished styles we are being conned a little into thinking this is the height of cool.
You don’t have to go far to find a fashion flagship that doesn’t include exposed concrete that leaves out the need for plaster, exposed piping leaving out the need for boxing and all sorts of bits of wood stuck about the place that has probably been picked up from somewhere or other not to mention a carrier crate or two – carrier crates are key.
Do we like shopping in these surroundings is our question? I mean hell, we’ve got Boxpark now that’s solely made out of shipping containers – this is great and all and a novelty to an extent but the novelty is wearing off as the ‘reclamation’ tag spreads and with it weakens into an extra tag line in a press release from a corporate giant. You also know it’s gone seriously sour when Starbucks get involved. In America they have launched a ‘reclamation drive through’ which earns it’s name by featuring a shipping container atop a drive through that has a forest scene painted onto one end of it.
It is certainly ‘in’ to do your bit to help the planet, which is good, it’s also good to be recycling and remaining ethical at all times but does that really mean a load of flagships need to look like the school basements and with that all the same? There is only so much you can do with an aged bit of wood and the corrugated sides of a metal box.
All Saints were one of the early adopters as they brought their salvage/industrial vibes to the high street. We are certain that upon seeing this many a chain realised they didn’t have to make quite such an effort and all the while could be visually seen to be doing their party to recycle by following suit.
It would be nice to have a change in theme now considering this one has been travelling to it’s peak for almost 5 years. It seems however that before we are granted a change we must travel through the artist collaboration.
Making those bare paint-less walls, steel boxes and big echoing spaces about to look good are the artists. They come in all shapes and sizes from installation artists through to the obligatory street artist and they paint the walls and install some bits and pieces here and there and brighten the place up.
It’s nice and all but a full on change would be nicer. Here’s to a lick of paint.
