Boateng Savile Row store

[PocketCircle]

It's one of the worst stores that I have ever seen. Strange technicolour lightning makes identifying the real colors of the garments impossible. Then you are served by pushy salespeople who sport huge earlobe enlargers.

 

[SoCal2NYC]

Originally Posted by PocketCircle

It's one of the worst stores that I have ever seen. Strange technicolour lightning makes identifying the real colors of the garments impossible. Then you are served by pushy salespeople who sport huge earlobe enlargers.

That sounds cool.

 

[m_wave]

Haven't experienced the pushy sales staff, but the lighting is terrible and frankly I expected much more from the store, which left me severely underwhelmed.

 

[sammy]

Boateng is a joke.

 

[m_wave]

Originally Posted by sammy

Boateng is a joke.

I agree, and certainly doesn't deserve to be on the row.

 

[Sebastian]

Doesn't he also do classic bespoke?
How is the quality there?

Or am I mixing up something with his RTW "Bespoke couture" line?

 

[SoCal2NYC]

Originally Posted by m_wave

I agree, and certainly doesn't deserve to be on the row.

Would you prefer Ozwald or Abercrombie & Fitch?

 

[GBR]

Costumiers tend to be have style over substance.

If you want a suit go to a decent tailor,if you want fancy dress or 'fashion forward' which is the polite term then Boateng.

However prepared to throw Boateng's garments away because they are not good quality and after six months will look hideous as that sector of the market changes its spots yet again.

 

[Smahatma]

Originally Posted by SoCal2NYC

Would you prefer Ozwald or Abercrombie & Fitch?
How about any number of the true bespoke tailors that were forced off the row due to increasingly absurd rent rates?

 

[Fuuma]

Originally Posted by GBR

Costumiers tend to be have style over substance.

If you want a suit go to a decent tailor,if you want fancy dress or 'fashion forward' which is the polite term then Boateng.

However prepared to throw Boateng's garments away because they are not good quality and after six months will look hideous as that sector of the market changes its spots yet again.

That's good because style is what people buy when getting clothes. Boateng looks good in his clothes and it's highly likely that a bunch of people also do.

 

[rach2jlc]

I find a lot of the flagship or main boutiques of brands are underwhelming and most are there for "image" value. I was in one of the Tokyo Balenciaga stores last summer and it had basically four garments in it, 3 handbags, and about 2000 square feet of these weird polymorphic cubish looking shapes all over the place. Very lame and nearly impossible to do anything but go, "huh?"

My guess is that with this crappy economy, some brands will start to reconsider "conceptual" artist-like boutiques and actually encourage people to purchase something from their stores.

Historically, nearly every boutique in the big cities never breaks even (IIRC); some of them (like Prada's $40mil "epicenters&quot sieve money.

 

[Fuuma]

Originally Posted by rach2jlc

I find a lot of the flagship or main boutiques of brands are underwhelming and most are there for "image" value. I was in one of the Tokyo Balenciaga stores last summer and it had basically four garments in it, 3 handbags, and about 2000 square feet of these weird polymorphic cubish looking shapes all over the place. Very lame and nearly impossible to do anything but go, "huh?"

My guess is that with this crappy economy, some brands will start to reconsider "conceptual" artist-like boutiques and actually encourage people to purchase something from their stores.

Historically, nearly every boutique in the big cities never breaks even (IIRC).

Yohji has like 15 items tops in most of his shops but I find visiting them quite enjoyable.

 

[rach2jlc]

Originally Posted by Fuuma

Yohji has like 15 items tops in most of his shops but I find visiting them quite enjoyable.

Yohji is always the anomaly/outlier in any fashion discussion (haha). He somehow makes his 'thing' work no matter what where others cannot.

 

[SoCal2NYC]

Originally Posted by Smahatma

How about any number of the true bespoke tailors that were forced off the row due to increasingly absurd rent rates?

Do you shop on SR?

 

[RJman]

Originally Posted by Smahatma

How about any number of the true bespoke tailors that were forced off the row due to increasingly absurd rent rates?
Not Boateng's fault. That began about 20 years ago with a series of zoning changes which allowed higher rents to be charged. SR was originally designated a "light industrial" zone. That changed and landlords were able to raise their rates. Some have redeveloped their buildings in order to attract other, better-paying tenants so that the tailors could no longer afford to be there. The area is close enough to Bond Street and in a luxury shopping area so that luxury stores began to filter in. Rather than blame Boateng (although I am not a fran), deeper-pocketed enterprises opening up loss-leader flagships a la Jil Sander's Burlington Gardens emporium (RIP) or the Abercrombie store are the new face of retail in that area and are the threat competing with the tailors.