Acne

 

I've liked the brand Acne for a while, but I had never been into a shop before. I wasn't surprised by the layout of the shop, it represented the brand very well, who I think have a fairly clean looking aesthetic, they matched this with all white walls across all the floors. I didn't really enjoy shopping in there because it was so maze-like, I felt a bit like I didn't want to accidentally walk in on someone getting changed or going into some kind of staff only zone. The staff were very nice to me, they happily chatted away and I was ordered to explore the whole of the shop despite having been up one floor already, and I did as I was told. It was very much like an exhibition space, particularly in the shoe department, which is similar to Dover Street Market's interior.

The shop had no music, which I tend to find quite offputting in a shop, because it makes me feel pressured into buying something or getting out, which I suppose could very well be the whole point of it, particularly in small shops where the clothing is expensive and maybe not a lot of people who go in there can afford the products. Matches had a very similar effect, and again Dover Street.

Acne is its own brand, and therefore doesn't have to compete with the high end shops which stock different designers, where as Bluebird probably has to stock different Comme Des Garcons than what is on offer at Dover Street Market, this could also mean that as well as the same consumer there could be a different one, one that is buying solely into the brands stocked and doesn't want the new Junya Watanabe take on the army coat.