Camper shows art and sole in new shop
Ashiny red shoe knob on the door of thepop-art red store front signals you are in for something special. Camper, the Spanish shoe chain, has quietly opened on Ste. Catherine St. W. in a gem of a shop designed by Gaetano Pesce. The Italian-born architect and designer, famous for his red La Mamma chair, has infused the shop with his colourful vision: light fixtures, banquettes, chairs and those door knobs come in the shape of shoes and soles in primary brights.
Camper, founded in Majorca in 1975 by Lorenzo Fluxà, remains a family owned business that operates more than 300 stores in 50 countries, with many more points of sale. The Montreal store is the first company-owned shop in Canada, with the Pesce design the prototype for moreshopstocome.
Manager Darren Henwood says loyal customers of the brand have been beating a path to the shop, which is a trim 1,500 square feet including the back storage area. He points out that the company offers a two-year guarantee on its shoes, which tend to be funky, colourful and rubber-soled. On the racks, styles for men, women and children were in bright yellows, red and blue, with a smattering of beige and black. Camper’s full range is perhaps 400 styles per season; the Montreal store offers about 65 styles for women, 55 for men. Prices range from $120 to $325. Camper is at 904 Ste. Catherine St. W., just east of Mansfield St.