When the European chain of stories called & Other Stories opened a U.S. location, it immediately developed a fervent buzz as a cheap-chic destination. You guys know I am always skeptical of any over-hyped store, so I visited the Soho location this week to form my own opinion.
& Other Stories is owned by H&M, but the former prides itself on having a completely separate design team. (It actually calls its design studios an “atelier,” which may be the most flagrant example of self-aggrandizing I’ve seen from a fast-fashion retailer.) The concept reminds me of the ill-fated diffusion line D by DKNY, which was a more expensive, artsy-er version of its parent line.
Overall, I was impressed with the clothes, although I thought the prices were a little high. Leather skirts were nearly $200, acrylic sweaters were upwards of $75, many shoes were roughly $120 and some necklaces came in around $120. (I just can’t mentally divorce the image of these expensive clothes getting churned out of the same factories as the H&M stuff.) The sales racks, however? Now that’s golden.
Most of the clothing racks are decorated with postcard-sized images of models wearing the clothes — almost like the store itself is a living catalog. I also suppose the photos are necessary, since most of the items have less obvious hanger appeal. (Not necessarily a bad thing.)
Let’s take a look:
I actually saw this green leather skirt in the store, and I LOVED it on the mannequin. It’s a beautiful cartoony-alligator green, and the skirt is decorated with a perforated pattern of Moroccan geometric shapes.
But the skirt transforms into a wrinkled, misshapen mass once it is photographed. And unless my eyes deceive me, the skirt completely transparent toward the bottom. Little tip: If leather is transparent, it’s been pounded so thin, its inherent value ceases to exist. Don’t you dare pay the full $195 price.
This type of photo always makes me wary. I can appreciate the prettiness, I can appreciate the attempt toward artistry, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves — this is just advertising a boring white button-up. Don’t fall for the filters — you can buy this anywhere.
I’ve noticed that inexpensive clothes tend to have muddier, blurrier and more muted patterns. This disaster is no exception — and from far away, it looks like the terrazzo flooring in a hotel bathroom.
Never, ever trust a black & white photograph in a catalog. It is a technique used to mask cheap clothing’s inherent flaws. (A cheaper fabric that glimmers strangely will look matte and dramatic instead.) Be cautious.
But it wasn’t all meh.
I really loved this image of two generations in the same outfit. This is a pretty powerful image that we’ve been seeing more often (i.e. Joan Didion for Celine). Hurrah for advanced style!
What do you think of this new European take on fast fashion? If you’ve bought anything online, let me know what you think!