GIFT SHOPS GO FASHION GLORIOUS
FOR ITS NEW capsule collection, Warehouse has teamed up not with a designer, but the Barbican – London’s arts and culture venue. Mididresses and suiting feature striking prints inspired by the iconic Brutalist building and will be available not just on the high street, but (selected pieces) will be in the Barbican’s own shop. A fashion collection in a gift shop, isn’t that a little odd? On the contrary.
An under-the-radar go-to for unexpectedly stylish pieces, not since the days of school trips have museum gift shops held so much promise. Forget magnets, branded pencils and fudge, though – in a season where the art/fashion collab reigns (see Calvin Klein, Coach, Versace) right now we’re clamouring for Somerset House’s handcrafted modernist jewellery (created by one of Somerset House Studio’s designers), the Victoria & Albert Museum and National Gallery’s printed scarves, the Design Museum’s slogan totes and, all the way from New York’s Museum of Modern Art, a clutch shaped like one of Yayoi Kusama’s (majorly Instagrammable) printed pumpkins. Forget exiting through the gift shop – it just became the main destination.