Sulki and Min Choi, both graduates of the MFA program in Graphic Design from Yale University and now both researchers at the Jan van Eyck Academie in The Netherlands designed a book in 2006 for a Korean artist by the name of Sasa. The book was titled, “Our Spot: New York”, a sewn paperback book published through Specter Press. The relationship of the book title’s name to New York and a place closer to home seems more than highly coincidental. A creation of a small independent conceptual store existing in a manner of socially vibrant individuals in a bourgeois collaboration of artists, photographers and designers alike in a place such as New York would only exist, right?
Our Spot, Liverpool Street Darlinghurst
In the same ‘underground’ idea, what probably most on lookers in Sydney who regularly make trips to upper Oxford Street to Darlinghurst, Paddington and further onwards is what would perhaps be very unfamiliar if heard by word of mouth and if not seen before. A polished black street corner sign reads out, ‘Our Spot’ in a beautiful serif typeface that immediately follows the familiar familiar initials of ‘A.P.C.’. Our Spot is a small highly defined independent menswear and womenswear gallery store established by Dion Kovac and Claire Cooper back in 2002. The inception of their store was first in Surry Hills’ Sydney’s Crown Street, an avenue full of new and vintage clothing and a street clothes vibrancy. Using Dion’s background as a former professional street skater and Claire’s background in the music industry, the duo combined identities including Adidas Originals, Umbro by Kim Jones, Rittenhouse and the introduction of Nom de Guerre.
One of the apparent problems that happens now in Sydney boutiques situated in the culturally wealthy concentrated localities of Paddington and further up north is not being able to continually progress and offer something new and fresh. This lack of transformation is in great contrast where both Dion and Claire have use their international travelling experience to keep Our Spot as a yearly metamorphosis, a refinement that retains the fun and playful nature of garments brought in chosen new names but still keeping the theme of beautiful utilitarianism. Keeping Micah Hamdorf and Sally McDonald’s clever Rittenhouse, Our Spot introduced new and faithful names that have become bookshelf identities included A.P.C. by Jean Touitou, United Bamboo by Miho Aoki and Thuy Pham, Beat Poët, Common Projects and Sunshine and Shadow.
In a recent interview in the February 2008 issue of Soundvenue, the Danish magazine publication following this year’s Copenhagen Fashion Week, Danish design maestro Henrik Vibskov mentioned that the fashion industry is one that is incredibly short-lived. In saying so, the store continuously revitalises itself, adding extra spirit in character but above all a function of an inherent quality in all chosen garment pieces. One of the aspect of the store perhaps is a sense of intimidation. A German super-slick clean modern aesthetic interior with dark polished veneer wood shelves, garments free-flowing which are hung effortlessly from dark shaded wood coat hangers. But any sense of doubt suddenly just disappear. The concept gallery store supports the honesty and the character of each of the represented designers where their collection is highly complimented with each other.
Travelling to Our Spot is more than just a conventional ‘retail’ experience. For one rare aspect, both owners of the store are present in-store and not locked away at a head office somewhere not near the actual store. As you walk closer up the stairs to the very large glass reflected door and introducing yourself to Dion, you finally realise and understand what you could not define before. The store’s direction and approach is not only about the elective, highly unconventional clothes housed inside but a close-neat meeting place, something special and something you do not often experienced. As the store has matured and progressively developed, the strong sense of a weekly venture to your ‘book club’ becomes self-evident with Dion running the store throughout most of the week. Conversations aren’t just restricted to Fashion – it begins and muddles itself and unfolds to music, arts, photographers, architecture and the trials and tribulations of who’s who in Fashion Design.
Lisa Dionisio of Refinery29 had spoken to Dion and Claire mid-last year. This idea of missing a great selection of individual designers offered widely in Europe had a completely void presence in Sydney. Dion explains:
‘Claire and I both wanted to start fresh with labels that were previously unavailable here.
But these collections are our favourites too.’
This has created Our Spot’s own vision and distinction from many of the current existing boutique stores in Sydney. The fact that the individual design collections chosen by Dion and Claire with a sharp eye brings together a personal interrelatiship between Fashion and the designer and with those who come into the store selecting garment pieces. No doubt this has started and reflected Our Spot’s running longevity. Dion’s original vision for Our Spot to be an intelligent, pragmatic store has further consolidated with the synthesis of new identities including of recent, Raf by Raf Simons, Comme de Garçons, Deadly Ponies, New York’s Robert Geller, Opening Ceremony and accompanied by this year’s womenswear collection, Arnsdorf by Jade Sarita Arnott. With the recent Rosemount Australian Fashion Week 2008, Dion was very happy to speak about Our Spot to date.
Through your personal travelling, you said that some of the labels you saw overseas particularly from Paris and the States weren’t available. Was this a reaction to the way men/women dress in Sydney or more so that you felt these labels were great and wanted to share with everyone here locally?
‘Basically we thought that the labels were great and personal favourites of ours. We wanted to bring them to Sydney and introduce them to wider audience that we knew would really love & embrace the labels.’
I don’t know if you realise it, but myself as well as many other people who regularly visit the store know you made a great vision and place an original direction. It seems in one way, Our Spot would be non-existent in Sydney and something like the store would only be in somewhere like New York. Do you find it incredible how Our Spot has grown?
Perhaps once apon a time we thought that Our Spot could only exist in somewhere overseas or even Melbourne. Sydney today is different and people are seeking out the individual boutiques that can offer them an alternative to the mass market. Our Spot has grown over the last few years – this of course is to do with what we offer our clients but it also has to do with the fact that the world is getting smaller and information is so easily accessed through the web. When we started the store we felt that there was nothing similar to what we were doing it felt like such a big risk. Back then we brought in brands that were only just starting to make a name for themselves overseas (for example Nom De Guerre) we built up these brands in Sydney and worked hard to create a following for them. This forms the basis for the whole Our Spot concept bringing in something new.
Menswear collection
Womenswear collection
Our Spot as I know has been doing very well. This year you both have brought in new faces such as Raf Simons and Opening Ceremony. I wanted to ask if the number of labels each year is kept in a similar number? Would you like to house more faces at one time or is the store about trying to keep it succinct? Have you both considered for Our Spot to be bigger in space than what it is currently?>
We buy labels that we feel will sit well with what we already stock. For example with Opening Ceremony it was a natural progression, we had our eye on the label for some seasons, due to the growth of the store the time was right to introduce Opening Ceremony this August. Raf also seemed a natural chioce for us to stock as the aesthetics of his line nicely compliment the store and our clients. As you know Our Spot is fairly small space I think in some cases this hinders the amount of labels we have in a season. A priority is for the store to be merchandised in a way so that over crowding of the rails/shelves can be avoided. This does limit the number of labels that we carry but worth it as the labels that we do have are presented beautifully.
What is the day-to-day running of the store like? Both yourself and Claire are always there actually in person at the store which is fantastic. Are there other people also part of team and if so, what are their roles and how do you all keep the store in top shape?>
We enjoy physically being at the store. It is such a great insight into our customers and what is actually selling from each label. Because we are so passionate about the labels we stock and go to a lot of trouble to really understand their collections and the stories behind them, our customers shop with us as they get a little extra. Its not just a case putting a shirt through a register then into a bag its about providing a service for the customer that many stores in Sydney unfortunately lack.
Do you both do annual trips to see the international showrooms in terms of possibility bringing in new faces?
Of course – thats one of the best parts of the year!
What is your reflections upon this year’s Fashion Week? and I guess, how Australian Fashion as a whole has progressed until now? It was exciting to see new emerging designers and their labels. Did any collection in particular struck out quite well?>
Generally we don’t get too involved in Australian fashion Week due to the high content of International brands that we stock. However this year we did get out and see a few shows and designers. With out a doubt the best of week can be found in Melbourne label Arnsdorf and menswear label James Cameron (also from Melbourne). Both labels put on beautiful shows and big things can be expected from both here on in.
Do you both have long term plans for Our Spot? Or is focusing on today and what is happening to the store is much more important?
Both are equally as important as each other. Focusing on day to day right through to next season and beyond. Whilst looking to the future you can’t forget whats coming up. Next year is looking great and we are working on some exciting new projects for Our Spot and Sydney.
Interior space
The facade and architecture of the former gallery space as described by Claire as:
‘We wanted to create a space that reflected the architecture of the building in its original form.’
inerts natural light through the store’s interior large side room windows and cream white walls in keeping the original space’s purpose and meaning. Dion and Claire have endeavoured to put more emphasis and personal determination in offering something more special, something to cherish than buying your favourite design piece.
Please note that from February 2009, Our Spot will no longer have their physical store at their current address. They will be solely focused on their online store.
February 22, 2009
