A concept store in Montreal… does it exist? Enter QUAI 417. In the Old Port, an area known for its cobbled streets, canals and industrial buildings, you can find on an unexplored street corner this space that was inspired by nearby loading docks. The trio behind the shop, Marie-Claude Gravel, Jean-François Bourque and famed québécois designer Philippe Dubuc wanted to give their clients a different shopping experience, access to international brands such as Jean Colonna, MiharaYasuhiro and A.F. Vandevorst. Also, the boutique’s mission is to host temporary art exhibitions, be it a screening of a short film, vernissage or photography expo.
For its official opening, the boutique teamed up belgian design duo A.F. Vandevorst and their latest artistic endeavor: The Smallest Travelling Store in the World or TSTSITW. The couple, brought together by their mutual appreciation for the Red Cross circa World War II - now that’s love! – medical artifacts and utilitarian shapes have been the foundation of the brand’s philosophy, trickling all the way down to their logo, which is a simple, embroidered red cross. TSTSITW, this pop-up art installation, stationed at QUAI 417 throughout the month of May, refers – rather explicitly to this recurring theme. The set-up consists of a glass cabinet, divider, mirror, retro dentist lamp (does this scare you as much as it scares me?), a pint-sized television and a wartime hospital bed, salvaged by the designers at – you guessed it – their local Red Cross. Items are then handpicked from their latest S/S 2012 collection and are showcased on the bed and dividers, while accessories are stored in the dresser. An interesting experience to say the least, enabling the consumer better grasp the creative process behind the designs. Who ever said fashion was superficial?
Next stop for TSTSITW? Moscow! So come down to QUAI 417 before they hit the road again! xxxx
Alternative: Mexico T-17 days.
