Style File: A.P.C. Branches Out In London But Its Credo Stays The Same: No Celeb Freebies

Style File A.P.C. Branches Out In London But Its Credo Stays The Same: No Celeb Freebies 20 May 2011, 3:23 pm “It was time to go east,” said Jean Touitou, founder of cult label A.P.C, at his store launch last night in the heart of London’s East End. The shop is Touitou’s second in London. The first, in Mayfair, caters to a more, let’s say, polished crowd. “Shoreditch—it’s a different clientele and totally unique vibe, not just from the West End, but from anywhere in the world,” Touitou explained. “The timing seemed perfect to open up here as the brand has a lot of cool East End kids as fans.” Judging by the huge crowd that spilled out on the street, his assessment seems to be spot on. Local fans no longer have to hightail it to Bond Street for their fix, and the retailer is only the latest addition to the Shoreditch scene; the boutique is located next to the Sunspel shop and ground zero of East End dining, Les Trois Garçons. This particular branch isn’t shop as much is it closet, a bijou space that is perfectly in keeping with the brand ethos of less-is-more. The small size had the faithful spilling out in the street, including designers Peter Pilotto, Thomas Tait, J.W. Anderson, and Husam El Odeh, as well as plenty of East End kids ready to spend their milk money. (Incidentally, everyone has to shell out at A.P.C.—even celebrity fans like Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Sofia Coppola, and Alexa Chung. “I don’t give celebrities any free items—it’s very democratic process; they come to the shops and buy the clothes like anyone else,” Touitou insisted. “I think as a business you are doing something right when you have famous people actually buy something, when they are normally used to getting stuff for free. Must mean something, non?”) And where’s the next stop for A.P.C.’s world-domination mission? Maybe Touitou’s beloved India, the inspiration behind the Madras line he makes in collaboration with Jessica Ogden? “No, the timing for India is definitely not right. Indians are very focused on bling right now—they just don’t get this pared-down aesthetic.” —Afsun Qureshi Photos: Courtesy of A.P.C. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.