12 minute read
Confessional and Padded Cell
"Where have we ended up here?" Many visitors are amazed by the cool interior of Stoffsüchtig in the Ham- burg HafenCity.
A Question of Passion
Maximilian Conc ept St ore / Bozen. The Maximilian Concept Store opened in Bozen last August is the Maximilian group's new flagship store. The Profanter entrepreneurs take on style and passion can be seen in the appealing mix of fashion, accessories, perfumes and books.
Text: Jeanette Fuchs. Photos: Maximilian
How exactly has fashion from all over the world ended up in South Tyrol? Plausible answers at the ready, Martina and Hannes Profanter are a successful duo who don't wish only to be thought of as ambassadors of international fashion trends since the new flagship store in the Tyrolean capital opened. Nine boutiques in Brixen, Bruneck and Sterzing paved the way for the Maximilian Concept Store to its international form. A presence that has been bringing fashion and passion to the east of South Tyrol for 20 years now.
Passion and Hard Work
Hannes Profanter considers the move into the state capital simply as a "logical consequence of the evolutionary process". "Bozen is the heart of South Tyrol, alpine meets Mediterranean here, Italian lifestyle meets Tyrolean industriousness", says the businessman. A harmony of contrasts that Martina and Hannes Profanter have also adopted in the new concept store: Newcomer labels and discoveries from small manufacturers are offered in the ambience of clear, modern architecture and alongside established fashion labels. Modern lifestyle has been implemented across the entire line through the use of books, room scents, perfumes and gadgets for iPhone and Co. "Our concept store has been designed as a lounge for men and women over four floors, something which hasn't yet been seen in this form far and wide", explains Martina Profanter.
365 Degree Fashion
Fashion and style undergo a holistic approach in the Maximilian Concept Store: "We don't offer fashion, more a positive passion and modern lifestyle", they both reply together. In the process, the focus is on interpersonal interaction. Customers should feel at ease and experience personal attention. This, in the meantime, demands hard work and commitment from the sales team: "Our staff act as styling consultants, individually dealing with our customers according to their wishes and personality", says Martina Profanter. An appealing concept, both for ladies of a certain age as well as fashion-conscious students. Gentleman or sporty trendsetter? The product range – from elegant made-to-measure suits to casual sportswear – makes this question superfluous. "Anything goes nowadays, what counts is the personality of the individual. This visual focus is something we want to introduce with fashion and styling", says Hannes Profanter. So, it is perfectly understandable the perfectly attuned duo consider presentation and visualisation of fashion, styling and lifestyle as one of their strengths, a strength particularly seen in the Bozen store. Because: People are more trend-focused in the state capital than in other cities.
Pole Position
The two players have been defending their pole position in the South Tyrolean fashion scene for two decades now. For Martina Profanter, the passion for fashion is key to continued success: "We deal with the latest global trends, visit fashion shows throughout Europe and buy from specialised trade fairs as well as from manufacturers direct. This is how we bring the best styling into our stores, offering a product range that is something truly special." After penetrating the urban regions. the Maximilian owners aren't averse to further development beyond the borders of South Tyrol: "We'll see what growth is possible in these challenging economic times."
They see themselves as ambassadors of international fashion trends in South Tyrol: Hannes Profanter and son Daniel, Martina Profanter and Store Manager Michael Wassermann.
Maximilian Concept-Store
Maximilian Concept Store, Lauben 16, 39100 Bozen/Italy, T 0039.0471.983487 www.maximilian.it. Opening: August 2012. Owner: Martina and Helmut Profanter. Staff: 15. Retail space: 800 sqm Women‘s labels: 1963, 7 for all Mankind, 8 PM, American Vintage, Annie P, Aquascutum, Belstaff, Better Rich, Blauer, Bruno Manetti, Catarinas, Carma, Cheap Monday, Circolo 1901, Daks, De Hart, Desigual, Dondup, Dr. Martens, Dr. Scholl, Duvetica, Elisabetta Franchi, Gamp, Gams, Gloverall, Gotha, Hegos Liverpool, Himons, Jacob Cohen, Jeffrey Campell, Jijil, Jucca, Karl Lagerfeld, La Foi, Lavand, Leather Crown, Liebeskind, Liu Jo, Maison Scotch, Museum, New York, Paolo Pecora, Peuterey, Pierre Balmain, Philippe Model, Postcard, Siviglia, Smiths American, Soho, Sun68, Sucre, Supertrash, Swiss Chriss, Szen, The Sartorialist, True NYC, Ugg, US Polo, U.S. Polo Assn., Vialis, Vince Camuto Men‘s labels: 6Ender, AI Riders on the Storm, Alessandrini, Alden, Aquascutum, Belstaff, Barba, Bark Boglioli, Blauer USA, Catarinas Circolo, Cheap Monday, Cochrane, C.P. Company, Date, Della Ciana, Dondup, Dr. Martens, Duvetica, Etro, Fifty Four, Futuro, GMS 75, Jakt, Jacob Cohen, Kangra, Lardini, L.B.M. 1911, Leather Crown, Moorer, New Balance, New York, Oh Deer, Paolo Pecora, Peuterey, Philippe Model, Pierre Balmain, Polo Ralph Lauren, Reign, Shaft Jeans, Siviglia, Smiths American, Tommy Hilfiger, Himons, Sun68, Swiss-Chriss, Tagliatore, The Royal Pine Club, True NYC, S.W.O.R.D. London Accessories: Altea Uomo, Aquascutum, Daks, Etro, Le Pandorine, Mancini, Orciani Donna & Uomo, Pomikaki, Sachet, Slang, Tyoulip Sisters, V73
Maximilian Concept Store in Bozen: The mix of fashion, accessories, books and fragrances celebrates style and passion.
New Double Act in Vienna
arnolds / vienna. Paa r-La den / vienna. Two stores, two concepts, one passageway. Thanks to Arnolds and its neighbour Paar-Laden, Siebensterngasse in Vienna's city centre finally has two good reasons why a trip from the now commercially-burdened Neubaugasse is worth it.
Text: Isabel Faiss. Photos: Paar-Laden, Arnolds Jakub Arnold speaks in sentences that leave journalists grinning with pleasure. Quotation number one, quotation number two – in the bag. What you immediately perceive is that he is driven by personal passion for what he is doing here. In June 2010, he first opened Arnolds on Siebensterngasse as an answer to the gaping hole in Vienna at the time as regards "New menswear modern classics," as he calls it. In this category, he includes such brands as Filson, Red Wing, Carhartt and newcomers like Naked & Famous, which were already acclaimed in stores like Burg & Schild in Berlin but not yet represented in Vienna. 95 percent of the product range in Arnolds is aimed at men, a maximum of five percent is allocated to the female target group. In accordance with this, the store design is made up of clear lines. "The store design is a concept by the Dotting Designer Duo with Sofia Podreka and Katrin Radanitsch. For us, it was about paying tribute to the history of this establishment, and not renovating it to death. At the turn of the century, there was already a large textile company inside its doors. We converted historical features like original signs, the old brickwork and original street lamps on Siebensterngasse, which were still powered by gas at the time, and we integrated them into the design," says Jakub Arnold.
Door to Door
Taking a few steps, you enter Paar-Laden, connected to Arnolds by a passageway, but still in a completely different world of its own. Two months after Arnolds was opened, Michael Paul moved in with a very select range of sneakers. It is, so to speak, a line extension of his main skate store, Stil-Laden on Lindengasse. Because he couldn't find any space there for the sports brands' lifestyle collections alongside the skate lines, the small boutique next door to Arnolds suited him just right. There, it's all about the types of sneaker that you can't find anywhere else in Vienna. The only Nike Quikstrike account in Austria, Puma's only Kollabo retailer in Austria, and the only place that sells all of the exclusive lines by New Balance, among others. As if that ode to the sports shoe weren't enough, the store design is also a "homage to the origin of skateboarding," so to speak,
Am, tecto molup- tatiume ni dolupta volorrum fuga. Illo min re, optas sequi dipid et har
as the shelves depict the crosssection of a ramp. Alongside the models of famous brands, there are also rows of brands for enthusiasts, such as Pointer, Clae or Toms. "They are clearly very sales-intensive products. That's the common denominator between our two stores, which both attract a homogenous and quite a diverse target group, whose common denominator is the search for something individual," says Jakub Arnold, who is also involved in Paar-Laden and that is how the name materialised. Because, just like with a pair of damn good kicks, the lads' success story seems to start by being too far ahead already.
Jakub Arnold (left) and Michael Paul have joined forces to form a conglomerate with their neighbouring store concepts.
While clear symmetry and clean chic reigns at Arnold's (picture on left), the PaarLaden (picture on right) is a self-contained world of sneakers. The common denominator of both stores is their clientèle.
Arnolds
Siebensterngasse 52 1070 Vienna/Austria T 0043.1.9231316, www.arnolds.at Owner: Jakub Arnold Opening: June 2010 Retail space: 150 sqm Labels: Alternative Apparel, BWGH, Carhartt, Dejan, Denim Demon, Donautracht, Dr. Bronners, Edwin Jeans, Filson, GRP, Happy Socks, Incase, Naked & Famous, Playbag, Red Wing Shoes, SUPER sunglasses, TOMS
Paar-Laden
Siebensterngasse 52 1070 Vienna/Austria T 0043.19.231316 www.paar-laden.at Owners: Michael Paul, Jakub Arnold Opening: August 2010 Retail space: 25 sqm Sneakers Labels: Adidas ObyO, CLAE, Jason Markk, KangaROOS, New Balance, Nike NSW, Pointer, Puma, Stüssy, TOMS
The Winter of Decisions!
I'm looking outside at half a metre of snow. I like it. I like winter. I love living in a place where there really are four seasons. For the clothing industry, this winter of 2013/14 points the way in many ways. It started in an unfriendly fashion. On average, with unsatisfactory turnovers for the specialised trade . With too little store traffic. With the realisation that the Christmas season has become unpredictable. After what has now been many years of bombardment by negative press, it's no wonder consumers are reluctant. Quite the opposite, I wasn't the only one surprised by how long people have managed to resist all the doomsday scenarios. And at least by how stable turnover in the fashion and clothing sectors has remained. As a whole, it's entirely justifiable to infer the significance of clothing overall is at a high level with increasing numbers of people nowadays and seen as an essential part of their personality, such things can be regarded as a wholly positive development. In view of the major challenges our industry has to face, it's a psychological injection of courage. Still! Take what you can get.
In the Winter of Decisions it's really more than a legitimate whistling in the dark. For example, in Berlin, it's a question of finishing a rather unnecessary discussion that has broken out about tradeshows in general and the location of Berlin in general. Please don't get me wrong. Discussions are always justified. But at least, in my humble opinion, it's the wrong issue being discussed. Actually it's more about whether fashion tradeshows are justifying the reality of the fashion industry in 2013 and beyond. Whether they are in a position to provide impetus, generate business and give the industry a framework and stage. If the majority of these questions are answered with a YES, and for the most part I do do that, then this ongoing debate about locations is twice as obsolete. Because THERE IS no better place than Berlin. Neutral statement.... but with conviction.
This season will be crucial in a market where there is too much of everything, also for many manufacturers. Because the retail trade will reduce its order volume after the second winterly slap in the face in a row. To be more specific: It will adapt in line with reality. And if this means that in future less merchandise will be squandered at the wrong time as a result of pressures of liquidity, then this even makes perfect sense. Those who don't have a good product to offer, have lost nowadays anyway. So, its more about the good, if possible perfect, overall package of product, service, deliverability and markup. And it is increasingly about mapping the changing rhythms. Those who can do all this will come through the Winter of Decisions well. Without getting pneumonia or even a red nose. For the retail trade or buyers, this "too much of everything" has two sides. Which is just how life is. On the one hand, this means a high level of selection such as has never been seen across all the product groups. On the other hand, it carries the risk of becoming bogged down. But that shouldn't happen, this season especially. The order of the day is to have a streamlined pre-order so that there is plenty of breathing space to continually renew and refresh the product range at a later stage at short order. This partially calls for new thinking and for (again) for many hopefully wise and also courageous decisions.
Last autumn, if you'll allow me a quick personal comment here, I made a decision that I found, emotionally-speaking, very difficult. Namely, not to continue the last really only artificial separation of themes between style in Progress and x-ray and, despite all my sentimentality, to do the right thing. Which is to say, to combine all the great content our international editorial team find, research and prepare for you together into one EVEN stronger, more exciting and more differentiated magazine. And the result has been more than successful. Says I... quite confidently.
Best wishes Stephan Huber
Publisher, editorial office, advertising department and owner UCM-Verlag B2B Media GmbH & Co KG Salzweg 17, 5081 Salzburg-Anif Austria T 0043.6246.89 79 99 F 0043.6246.89 79 89 office@ucm-verlag.at www.ucm-verlag.at
Management Stephan Huber Nicolaus Zott
Editors-in-chief Stephan Huber stephan.huber@ucm-verlag.at Martina Müllner martina.muellner@ucm-verlag.at
Managing editor Stefanie Spreitzer stefanie.spreitzer@ucm-verlag.at
Art direction/production Elisabeth Prock-Huber elisabeth@ucm-verlag.at
Contributing writers Elisabeth Bärnthaler Janine Dudenhöffer Petrina Engelke Isabel Faiss Jeanette Fuchs Jan Joswig Ina Köhler Jule Lauber Odessa Legemah Kay Alexander Plonka Sonja Ragaller Katja Weiland von Ruville Nicoletta Schaper Dörte Welti
Photographers /Illustrators Heiko Dreher Esther Gebauer Dörte Haupt Julian Hentzler Andrea Krizmanich Felix Krüger Sakis Lallas Uli Mattes Ingo Robin Federica Roncaldier Peter Schaffrath Matthias Wolf
Image editor Anouk Schönemann anouk.schoenemann@ucm-verlag.at
Advertising director Stephan Huber stephan.huber@ucm-verlag.at
Publisher’s assistant, distribution Sigrid Staber sigrid.staber@ucm-verlag.at Christina Hörbiger christina.hoerbiger@ucm-verlag.at
English translations Petrina Engelke, transmit-Deutschland
Printing Laber Druck, Salzburg Printing coordinator Manfred Reitenbach
Account info Volksbank Salzburg 105 627 BLZ 45010
Next issue 28 January 2013
