“Tachiagari” and “Kachikan”
Although I love the option of on-line buying, I prefer the experience of walking into a brick and mortar. Because of the role my clothing plays in the performance of my life, part of that is the actual experience of going into a beautifully designed space and “being” with clothes and interacting with the people who make and sell them. I think because of my training and interest in qualitative research or research that emphasizes the importance of looking at variables in the natural setting in which they are found, my desire to learn more about fashion means going into the spaces where it is played.
Just as the impetus for design starts with the CDG “kachikan” (value) of creating something different, the question that the duo also must answer in order to balance the art and commerce mandate is “how can we sell in a new way?” The first response to this question was the advent in 2004 of the guerilla store, or the first of what is now known as “pop-up” stores. As a way of moving “dead” stock, the brand offered fans in cities where there were no existing CDG stores, the opportunity to open a store for a period of one year. They could not spend more than $2,000 and the shop could not be run by persons in the fashion business. When the concept was no longer unique CDG stopped doing it.
The next evolution was the incredible Dover Street Markets. Inspired by Kawakubo’s love of bazaars and an inspirational vision of “beautiful chaos”, the Dover Street Markets are a living bricolage (construction or creation from a diverse range of available things) of layers, textures, installations, tiny stores within stores and the experience of walking in is akin to falling down the rabbit hole. The clothing is mixed up, men’s with women’s. Parfumes appear next to sneakers and there are a mix of CDG lines, luxury designers like Jil Sander and Louis Vuitton and streetwear lines like Supreme. Each designer can create their unique space and has no idea what another designer or Rei herself might envision and create. Kawakubo designs the overarching interiors and Joffe decides the mix of designers. The result: exactly as intended, “beautiful chaos”.
The New York Dover Market, a frequent haunt, is located in the most unlikely place for a clothing store in a small neighborhood characterized primarily by Indian restaurants and nowhere near where any upscale clothing is sold. Prior to last Tuesday the Market had incredible sales of up to 70% off (for those of you who think you cannot afford) and now is closed until Saturday for the bi-annual “tachiagari”, or renewal for the Spring. During this time there is destruction and reconstruction and a mix of new and old designers are asked to have a vision and something to say in the way they design spaces and installations to showcase new collections. I really love the idea of shutting down twice a year for “creative destruction”, reinvention and renewal.
So rather than show you too many photos here, a future post will show the results of this season’s tachiagari. But…here is Louis Vuitton’s vision of the Iconoclast collection with the guest of honor being “The Bag With Holes”, my Christmas present! Since my mandate from Rei is always do something new, my “Bag With Holes” has been also used to play peek-a-boo with my glorious granddaughter!
If I did have a “tachiagari” for Accidental Icon two times a year what would you like to see when I return?
I want to have a "tachiagari"! What a brilliant idea.
I was just in NY and had no idea about that market. I need to write it down for my next trip there.
I am a lover of all things colour so I’d probably really like to see some colour photos. : )
bisous
Suzanne
http://www.suzannecarillo.com
Thanks for responding. That will present an interesting challenge in that I will need to maintain my vision yet do something completely new and perhaps as some might saw, in opposition to the black and white. But as I say no black and white thinking so I will need to ponder how color can make an appearance.
I want to have a "tachiagari"! What a brilliant idea.
I was just in NY and had no idea about that market. I need to write it down for my next trip there.
I am a lover of all things colour so I’d probably really like to see some colour photos. : )
bisous
Suzanne
http://www.suzannecarillo.com
Thanks for responding. That will present an interesting challenge in that I will need to maintain my vision yet do something completely new and perhaps as some might saw, in opposition to the black and white. But as I say no black and white thinking so I will need to ponder how color can make an appearance.
Wuaoooo I love your blog I hope you will like mine
http://instagram.com/ladyfur?ref=badge
http://www.welovefur.com
Thank you, I will make a visit!
Wuaoooo I love your blog I hope you will like mine
http://instagram.com/ladyfur?ref=badge
http://www.welovefur.com
Thank you, I will make a visit!
Such a great post! Thanks for sharing and amazing photos.
Heidi D.
http://www.wishesndreality.com
Thank you for reading and taking the time to comment. You feedback is the key to my personal development as a blogger and I love hearing from readers
Such a great post! Thanks for sharing and amazing photos.
Heidi D.
http://www.wishesndreality.com
Thank you for reading and taking the time to comment. You feedback is the key to my personal development as a blogger and I love hearing from readers
I would love, in terms of your tachiagari, for more photos that enable your readers to appreciate the details and/or overall silhouette of your outfits. I don’t mean tens of pictures of an outfit, but the lovely atmospheric illustrations you tend to favour are rather tantalising. We can tell that you look great, but not much more!
I will think about how I might do that in way that conforms with the vision I have for the blog, it is a very good design challenge for me to have, thank you for presenting it!
I would love, in terms of your tachiagari, for more photos that enable your readers to appreciate the details and/or overall silhouette of your outfits. I don’t mean tens of pictures of an outfit, but the lovely atmospheric illustrations you tend to favour are rather tantalising. We can tell that you look great, but not much more!
I will think about how I might do that in way that conforms with the vision I have for the blog, it is a very good design challenge for me to have, thank you for presenting it!
I learn something new every time that I visit your space. I knew about the Dover Street Market, but haven’t had to opportunity to enjoy it YET! It will have more meaning now, when I do.
Your earrings are perfection!
I think you especially with your artist’s eye will enjoy it.
I learn something new every time that I visit your space. I knew about the Dover Street Market, but haven’t had to opportunity to enjoy it YET! It will have more meaning now, when I do.
Your earrings are perfection!
I think you especially with your artist’s eye will enjoy it.
To be totally pedantic, it’s bricolage, not bricolege. (I justify this instance of pedantry by telling myself others might be learning a new word, and don’t we want them to learn it correctly?)
I thank you for catching the typo, your point is well taken and I will remember to do a more careful edit on future posts.
I thank you for catching the typo, your point is well taken and I will remember to do a more careful edit on future posts.
Love the idea of “creative destruction, reinvention and renewal." Sometimes it’s pushed on us by personal, national, or global tragedy, but we can choose it, too, proactively and positively, as you suggest here. Once heard an author say he believed that every 4 years or so we ought to (figuratively) throw ourselves out a window and see where and how we land. Yes.
Not sure I would do the window, but we do tend to move to a new neighborhood every few years, it keeps it exciting. Yes, the choice is always ours even in the midst of larger structural forces. Thanks for the thoughtful comment.
Love the idea of “creative destruction, reinvention and renewal." Sometimes it’s pushed on us by personal, national, or global tragedy, but we can choose it, too, proactively and positively, as you suggest here. Once heard an author say he believed that every 4 years or so we ought to (figuratively) throw ourselves out a window and see where and how we land. Yes.
Not sure I would do the window, but we do tend to move to a new neighborhood every few years, it keeps it exciting. Yes, the choice is always ours even in the midst of larger structural forces. Thanks for the thoughtful comment.
Lyn, I have enjoyed reading and looking at the lovely black
and white photos on your blog! Being 67,with a mix of white
to gray hair and having to wear eyeglasses, myself, I think you have
a unique style. The photo and clothing "colors" are really very
closely aligned ,to me, to Japanese calligraphy.
Thanks you for that astute observation, which pleases me as I am so inspired by the Japanese aesthetic. Thank you and so happy you found a kindred spirit.
Lyn, I have enjoyed reading and looking at the lovely black
and white photos on your blog! Being 67,with a mix of white
to gray hair and having to wear eyeglasses, myself, I think you have
a unique style. The photo and clothing "colors" are really very
closely aligned ,to me, to Japanese calligraphy.
Thanks you for that astute observation, which pleases me as I am so inspired by the Japanese aesthetic. Thank you and so happy you found a kindred spirit.