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All over the shops

From Portland to Helsinki and Singapore, our selection of world-class retailers has you covered. Discover essential destinations for fashion, books, beauty and gifts in our global guide.

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1.
Pilgrim Surf + Supply
Tokyo

Japanese retailer Beams has been selling goods from Brooklyn’s Pilgrim Surf + Supply since 2013. Now it has created a new shop for the US brand in Tokyo’s Shibuya.

Filling the gap between fashion and outer wear, offerings include a made-in-Japan line for Pilgrim, items from Japanese outdoor specialist Snow Peak and fashion pieces from the likes of Toujours and Ace & Jig. For Tokyo’s surf-minded shoppers, there is also a selection of boards and swimming trunks.
pilgrimsurfsupply.jp

Three essential purchases:

Nonnative × Pilgrim Surf + Supply quilted vest

Waterproof jacket in olive from Mountain Research

Kaptain Sunshine flannel shirt for women


2.
L’Amie
Munich

“I’ve always loved fashion, even when I was a girl,” says Lucia von Braun, who recently opened her first multibrand womenswear and accessories shop in Munich’s bohemian Schwabing-West. “I decided it was time to take that next step and offer designs that aren’t available everywhere.” A stripped willow tree in the window artfully displays von Braun’s top brands, such as Sofie D’Hoore, I’m Isola Marras and Suzusan.
+49 (0)89 3076 2439

Three essential purchases:

Metallic leather clutch by Zilla

Shawl by Suzusan

I’m Isola Marras culottes


Spruce Apothecary storefront in Portland with light wood facade, large windows displaying beauty products and interior shelving.

3.
Spruce Apothecary
Portland, Oregon

“Spruce was envisioned as an alternative to big-box beauty stores or department-store counters that often deliver more hype and brand marketing than helpful service and product expertise,” says owner Craig Olson. He and partner Sean Igo started the shop, which caters to men and women looking for a global mix of skin, hair and bathing products.

Finish your visit at Spruce and head up the street to Canoe, the duo’s other shop, for a sharp selection of homeware.
spruceapothecary.com

Three essential purchases:

Kalastyle Swedish Dream sea salt soap

Baxter of California oil-free moisturiser

Spruce Dopp Kit by Chester Wallace


Avery boutique interior displaying fashion items including black wallets, bags and clothing on white shelving against a white wall.

4.
Avery
Mexico City

When Bernardo Domínguez opened multibrand shop Avery a year ago he wanted to create “something that didn’t exist yet in Mexico City”. An art director at design studio Savvy, Domínguez got together with Joseph Harari to set up the boutique just north of Chapultepec Park.

The space is a blank canvas for international and Mexican-made collections ranging from Sunnei’s Italian menswear to womenswear from Simple by Trista. A must visit in the Distrito Federal.

Three essential purchases:

Ruiz-Musi’s leather weekend bag

Handvaerk’s cotton sweatshirt

The Architects Club fragrance by Arquiste


Overhead view of curated homeware display featuring white cookware, wooden utensils, ceramics, and textiles on wooden table.

5.
Calliope
New York

Tucked away in New York’s West Village, this inviting shop is the work of husband-and-wife team Caroline and Michael Ventura. “We wanted to create a space that felt like a public living room,” says Caroline. “When you go into someone’s home, everything should have a purpose and a sense of provenance.”

The inventory – including a stepladder from Lostine, vintage barware and Caroline Hurley throws among much else – is a just-so mix of old and new. Thanks to a few homely sofas, a decent shelf of books and a selection of vinyl, the Venturas have hit the mark: once you enter the charming space, you’ll want to stay a while.

Three essential purchases

Throw by Haptic Lab

Vintage barware

Table objects by Tadahiro Baba


Pass the Baton shop entrance in Kyoto's Gion district, a wooden traditional townhouse with walkway and lantern signage.

6.
Pass the Baton
Kyoto

Founder Masamichi Toyama’s first two shops combine handsome interiors and a flair for storytelling with a knack for venerating other people’s cast-offs. Toyama opened his third shop in August in a renovated 120-year-old two-storey, wooden townhouse along a river in Kyoto’s historic Gion district.

Designed by Wonderwall’s Masamichi Katayama, the shop has a selection of clothes, collectables and knick-knacks with personal messages from the previous owners, as well as copper tea canisters and wooden cutlery from all around Kyoto – perfect for a thoughtful purchase. A small ground-floor café serves tea and light meals for shoppers wearied by the breadth of goodies on show.

Three essential purchases:

Nakagawa Mokkougei wooden cutlery

Kohchosai Kosuga bamboo chopsticks and porcelain Kyo-yaki rest

Kaikado copper tea canisters


Interior of Pedder on Scotts Singapore shoe retailer with neon-lit turquoise bicycle and wooden display fixtures.

7.
Pedder on Scotts
Singapore

Multibrand shoe retailer Pedder Group is trying on a bigger fit in Singapore. In October the Hong Kong-based company opened Pedder on Scotts in Scotts Square shopping centre. The location boasts seven sections including footwear for athletics, kids and formal occassions.

The space was created by Raymond Chan from Hong Kong’s Ply Union and Toronto-based Abraham Chan. As well as carrying the best shoe labels from all over the world, the shop also offers Pedder Red’s comfy in-house footwear line.
onpedder.com

Three essential purchases:

Shoes by Valentino

Bag by Want Les Essentiels

Woolly hat from Lock & Co


Display of colored pencils in wooden holders at Choosing Keeping stationery shop in London.

8.
Choosing Keeping
London

Tucked away on London’s bustling Columbia Road – well, it bustles on Sunday mornings when the famous flower market arrives – stationery haven Choosing Keeping has been supplying artists and people of all walks of life with the finest pens, notebooks and beautiful bric-a-brac since 2012.

Expect jotters from Lettres, Arts Plastiques pencils and hardback diaries from Tsumugi. “I love to find that something special at the back of a shop, the back of a catalogue, the forgotten and unloved supplier – it’s about discovery or rediscovery,” says the shop’s owner, Julia.
choosingkeeping.com

Three essential purchases:

Collectable melamine tray designed by Ettore Sottsass in 1999 and produced in Japan

Danish desk stapler made by Folle since 1946

Four colour ballpoint pens in gold


9.
Bynd Artisan
Singapore

Bynd Artisan is the premium brand of family-run Singapore stationery firm Grandluxe. Conceived last year by the founder’s granddaughter Winnie Chan and her husband James Quan, the fourth shop sprouted steps from Monocle’s Singapore outpost this August; so do pop in and say hello if you’re in the neighbourhood.

European-sourced paper and leather is transformed into customisable notebooks in Singapore by expert craftsmen, many of whom have been with the company for decades. Customers can choose the leather for their notebooks or pick a limited-edition sketchbook from a smaller capsule collection; Bynd frequently collaborates with designers such as President Design Award-winner Larry Peh. You can also sign up for a workshop to learn more about the craft of bindery and there is a small snack bar selling sweet treats by Singapore pastry chef Ignatius Chan.
byndartisan.com

Three essential purchases:

House-brand leather tote

Bynd Artisan cardholder

Bynd Artisan folio


White shelving display with books, beauty products, and home goods in a modern retail interior.

10.
Schwittenberg
Munich

A stone’s throw from Munich’s central Odeonsplatz and leafy Hofgarten, Schwittenberg is run by Sandra Schwittau and Christopher Romberg.

Having recently moved here, the company has made a name for itself with a discerning selection of men’s, women’s and children’s clothing by the likes of Stephan Schneider and Maison Margiela. Also on offer is a selection of jewellery by Saskia Diez, Dries Van Noten shoes and tidbits such as German Stählmühle schnaps if you’re after a warming winter tipple this Christmas.

Three essential purchases:

Knitwear by A Kind of Guise

Orange cedarwood carnation-scented candle by Schwittenberg

Ayzit Bostan bags


Country of Origin knitwear shop interior with colorful sweaters on display and knitting machines visible.

11.
Country of Origin
London

Determined to bring manufacturing back into the shop environment, knitwear designers Alice Liptrot and Benjamin Taylor transported some of the knitting machines they discovered on their travels around Scotland to their outpost in London’s Clerkenwell. In doing so they have woven a link between their new home and the Scottish workshop where the brand started producing its bright lambswool pieces last year.

Home to its handmade collection of simple sweaters, hats and scarves, Country of Origin’s London outpost also offers made-to-order knits. You can select both the colour and size of your custom creation, which will be made within a few days. Alternatively, come by a bit early and get a sneak peek of them being made in the shop.
countryorigin.co.uk

Three essential purchases:

Madeira sweater with crew neck and subtle double-rib stitching, especially festive in its ruby-red hue

Go matchy-matchy with a Trestle hat, also available in vivid blue and yellow or light grey

A soft handmade scarf completes the perfect wintry trio


Need Supply Co Tokyo store interior with yellow coat on display and clothing racks

12.
Need Supply Co
Tokyo

Shibuya’s Shoto neighbourhood is a long way from Richmond in Virginia but this is the location for the first Tokyo opening of Need Supply Co, the fashion and lifestyle shop that started out in 1996 selling vintage Levi’s. The Japanese remix brings together different but like-minded labels such as Comoli by Tokyo designer Keijiro Komori, Shaina Mote and Studio Nicholson from London.

The shop is located above Trattoria Babbo, the latest venture from popular Italian-trained chef Shoichiro Aiba. A second Need Supply Co shop in Kumamoto in Kyushu has swiftly followed the Tokyo opening.
needsupply.jp

Three essential purchases:

Men’s overcoat by Comoli

Cashmere women’s rollneck from Studio Nicholson

Handwash by Grown Alchemist


Man with dark beard sits in modern shop interior with red decorative branches and patterned textiles.

13.
Hic
Istanbul

Even though the shop’s name literally means “nothing”, at Hic you will discover handcrafted, practical things ranging from porcelain and tableware to furniture and textiles.

Owner Emel Guntas believes in “simple, organic designs that make people’s lives better and easier”. In his two-storey space on Luleci Hendek Caddesi you will come across a cornucopia of objects that adheres to that maxim, as well as ready-to-be-remade bespoke items.
hiccrafts.com

Three essential purchases:

Turkish coffee-maker

Porcelain cups

Brass paperweight


14.
Home of the Brave
Brooklyn

Greenpoint-based Home of the Brave is the second iteration of a retail space by Bethany and Max Vogel. The artist-cum-stylist and graphic designer founded their first shop in 2011 to surround themselves with goods made by the creative minds in their pocket of New York, as well as a few friends from across the US.

Sister to its clothing-and-accessories shop Wolves Within, Home of the Brave is stocked with covetable homeware. In the shop’s rotation are pieces of Japanese porcelain, Turkish cotton throws and brass spoons to fit any kitchen.
homeofthebravenyc.com

Three essential purchases:

Dishes by Chicago’s Up in the Air Somewhere

Porcelain tumblers

Indigo-dyed Sari cotton quilt


Two men stand between bookshelves in Berkelouw Bookshop's interior lined with books.

15.
Berkelouw Bookshop
Sydney

More than 200 years have passed since the Berkelouw family made its first foray into the book trade in Rotterdam. Having crossed continents after the Second World War, the family continued the tradition in Sydney by opening a succession of shops specialising in rare books and Aussie publishing.

The Paddington shop – complete with a café and wine bar in which to flick through some of the literature on offer – houses three levels of ceiling-to-floor books, including an impressive catalogue of titles that are particularly hard to find.
berkelouw.com.au

Three essential purchases:

‘A Table in the Orchard’ by Michelle Crawford

‘Secret Garden: Artists Edition’ by Johanna Basford

Harry Hartog classic explorer leather satchel


Woman browsing eyeglasses displayed on wooden shelves at Oscar Wylee showroom in Sydney.

16.
Oscar Wylee
Sydney

Oscar Wylee has opened its second sleekly outfitted showroom, which is designed by architect Smith & Carmody in Sydney’s northern suburb of Chatswood. Owners and brothers Jack and John Teoh keep the manufacturing process for the glasses in-house, overseeing the products from the first stages of design through to their sale.

The range of retro-inspired frames are cut from premium Italian-made acetate, hand assembled and delivered directly to the showroom floor. A must for those of you eyeing up a new look for the year to come.
oscarwylee.com.au

Three essential purchases:

Harper model glasses in striped Chippendale

Garrett model sunglasses in auburn tortoise matte

Brooke model sunglasses in beryl tortoise


Two people standing in front of a wall displaying magazine covers and posters in Soop Soop retail shop.

17.
Soop Soop
Toronto

Soop Soop is a charming flourish on a rather welcome pattern in retail in Toronto: a shop that began online, that now has a bricks-and-mortar space of its own. “We decided to just go for it,” says Christina Pretti, 32, who founded Soop Soop with her boyfriend Jordan Puopolo nearly four years ago.

The shop, which is located along Toronto’s vibrant Dundas West strip, first opened its doors in 2014. It sells an eclectic range of men’s and womenswear – both in-house lines and international brands including Nattofranco and Dom Sebastian – and a selection of magazines such as Marfa Journal and Novembre.
soopsoop.ca

Three essential purchases:

Sunnei green felt sweater

‘Dapper Dan’ – biannual arts-and-philosophy magazine for men, published in Greece

Woodlot Candle Original


Two men in tailored suits stand behind a wooden counter in a menswear shop with shelves displaying clothing, accessories and bottles.

18.
Pelikamo
Basel

This September Pelikamo launched its second menswear shop, this time in Basel’s historic Alstadt, where the city’s annual Christmas market takes place. The shop sells both ready-to-wear and made-to-measure garments and accessories.

Located in a turn-of-the-century art nouveau building, it offers its own line of trousers, suits, knitwear, coats and shoes as well as Swiss-made whisky and items designed by Mismo and Simonnot Godard. “Our objective is to support men who dress well,” says co-founder Mia Vadasz whose original outpost in Zürich is just as alluring should you find yourself in the vicinity.
pelikamo.com

Three essential purchases:

Pelikamo raincoat, made of English-manufactured, densely woven cotton fabric originally used for RAF pilot immersion suits to keep you dry and warm

Pelikamo pyjamas, fashioned in a small atelier in Naples with the finest cotton

Pelikamo windbreaker, a refined take on a classic Bomber jacket and a contemporary essential for every man’s wardrobe


Arkadia International bookshop interior with floor-to-ceiling shelves, armchairs, and a library ladder in Helsinki.

19.
Arkadia International
Helsinki

The best bookshops are about people as much as books and Helsinki’s Arkadia is one of them. Launched by Ian Bourgeot in 2008, its collection includes paperbacks and hardbacks on subjects ranging from French philosophy to Finnish culture.

Unlike many second-hand bookshops – fussy and piled high with dusty tomes – Arkadia has space for armchairs and hosts regular talks and events. “We consider the shop as our home,” says Ian. Great for a one-off find for a book-loving loved one.
arkadiabookshop.fi

Three essential purchases:

‘Viaje de la ilusión primaria’ by Julio Roberto Srur, Arkadia Publishers, 2013

‘5: Designing Media Ecology’ magazine

A long-lost book for yourself


20.
RSVP
Berlin

To wrap up? Near Berlin’s heritage Hackesche Höfe sits stationary shop RSVP, whose two locations lie on opposite sides of the same street and stock everything from delicate and delightful wrapping paper to stationery. RSVP is perfect for ribbons in all hues and greeting cards from the capital’s own letterpress printer Martin Z Schröder. “Most of our products are sourced from small companies or one-person-workshops, designers and artists,” says founder Meike Wander.
rsvp-berlin.de

Three essential purchases:

Martin Z Schröder card

Caran d’Ache pen

Ribbons from RSVP’s ribbon bar

Images: Josh Partee, Liz Seabrook

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