You know you’ve been there…dress up to go shopping. Maybe you’re heading to Kitson in LA, Plaza 66 in Shanghai, Barney’s New York, Liberty in London, and you’ve put on that little something to impress. But the ultimate snob shopping has to be Colette, but they have a good reason to be.
Although some people hate to admit it, but Colette is the ultimate trendsetting concept store in the world. This is where fashion industry people get the latest info on what’s hot.
Everything in the store has a concept to brag about. It would be impossible to find a Parisian who has never heard of Colette. With three floors of clothing, music, jewelery, accessories, cosmetics, books, and even high-tech gadgets from around the world. A cafe with water from around the world and music bar you can download CDs onto your ipod.
But I was a little confused walking into this supposed “coolest” store looking for signs to tell me a theme or a concept. The store has no visible identification besides cards with two blue dots at the cashier. It was only after reading about it and hearing people talk about Colette, did I really get the “real” concept. A concept of no standard concept. It is this anonymity that allows Colette to remain in a category of its own. By not giving the store an assigned face, it lets people decipher the store for themselves and allows them to make their own assumptions and discoveries about what Colette is really all about.
It reminds me of MTV, which no longer stand for “music television” but “pop-culture”, so why choose one standard logo and not let their fans the creative control over their branding. Its no longer “products” but a “lifestyle” that companies are selling. Red Bull is about “energy” not “energy drinks”. So why create just a “store” not “trends”.
Since its opening in 1997, Colette has revolutionized the Parisian streets with their new approach towards consumer culture. Located on Rue Saint Honoré, Colette is more than just a retail outlet, serving an international hub of pop culture, rare, specialized fashion, design and exhibitions. Colette has since become a brand in itself. Those two blue dots means something different to everyone and thats the most beautiful concept of all.
Colette Music
Colette Hello Kitty
Colette Timberland
Storevolution 