The New York Times reports Rei Kawakubo is looking to open a DSM New York as the designer recently came to Manhattan to scope out a few different locations. With the multibrand Comme-owned stores already calling London and the Ginza district of Tokyo home, opening a space in New York is something a lot of folks have been anticipating. The New York DSM will be in an area where there are no other fashion stores in hopes of revamping the identity and culture of the area.
This might be considered retail suicide to some but Ms. Kawakubo has had success in the past. She opened the Comme store in SoHo in ’83 when it was all art galleries and grungy lofts. In 1999, the store shifted to Chelsea where it was housed in a former industrial factory and is now a premier shopping destination.
A shop can be anywhere because what is most important is the space where the clothes are. And the design space is based on the same values and same creation as the clothes themselves. – Rei Kawakubo
