To the folks who have made a habit of bitching and moaning about the dearth of interesting designer labels, here’s a little reminder for you: Good things come to those who wait. Thanks to the people behind Paul Smith, that dapper menswear label that has most straight men crying for pinstripes and all things British, a new boutique recently opened its doors to the public, carrying labels from Europe and the US.
Dubbed dotdotdot (a play on the ellipses, we’re guessing), the retailer is providing consumers access to much-vaunted brands like Eley Kishimoto. Diffusion lines are aplenty. See by Chloe makes a front-and-center appearance, with the label’s sweet organza dresses, ‘70s wide-leg denim, sporty knit tunics dotted with pockets, logo-emblazoned tees and comfy sweaters covering the front part of the boutique. McQ, the younger label of Alexander McQueen, is steeped in ‘60s references for its fall/winter 2007 collection.
Industrial interiors create a spare loft-like space that direct the eye from collection to stylish collection. “It’s because we ran out of money,” jokes owner Juan Miguel Ongsiako. That can’t be true because the store is stocked with the likes of Karine Arabian and Opening Ceremony (also: the huge Paul Smith space right across dotdotdot kind of tipped us off that the company wasn’t quite in the red).
Opening Ceremony recently drew buzz due to its partnership with indie fashion queen Chloe Sevigny, who designed a line just for the store. Dotdotdot stocks men’s and ladies’ footwear, including, for women, quaint pumps with shoe clips. The eponymous label Karine Arabian, created by the former head of the accessories department of Chanel, is a mélange of accessories, shoes, bags and accessories, all inspired by her grandfather’s (who was a bootmaker) and father’s (who was a custom tailor) inherent taste for the classics.
Aside from the aforementioned labels, dotdotdot also boasts menswear label Gaspard Yurkievich, by French and Argentine designer of the same name who worked under Theirry Mugler and Jean Paul Gaultier; and the no-fuss, spare style of Whyred, helmed by the team of Rolan Hjort (progeny of artist Sven X:et Erixon, who served as inspiration for the label’s name), Lena Patriksson and Jonas Clason.
Tadi de Leon, who serves as the buyer for the shop and Paul Smith, claims that despite the lofty labels they stock, their merchandise straddles the worlds of high-end and affordable. “We have men’s shoes by Swear London that cost about P3,000 and up,” he explains. Finally, cool fashion that’s no longer out of our reach.
* * *
Dotdotdot is located at Greenbelt 5.
* * *
E-mail me at oohbea@gmail.com.