here & now » stores

MOTTO MELBOURNE

sr — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:21:56 +0000

Motto is coming to Melbourne as a temporary bookstore in collaboration with Neon Parc (and mono.kultur will be there in the mix!).

8 – 25th February 2012
12 – 7pm daily
6 Duckett Street
Brunswick
Melbourne VIC 3056
Australia

STORE OF THE MONTH: FAMILY / LOS ANGELES

kvr — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 12:05:32 +0000

Since we have that arch-American of all genres – comics, as exemplified by Chris Ware – on our cover these days, we thought we should introduce one of our first and most loyal stores in the US this month, with the nice name of Family, which is the place to go to if you’re after high-quality art books or low-quality zines, which, of course, are very much part of the LA skate and punk culture. Family bridge the gap between high and low with that Californian insouciance, translating into a relaxed, ‘Who cares? As long as it’s good…’ And really, why should one worry too much about these things when the sun is shining and the beach is nearby? Sigh.

Family
436 N. Fairfax Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90036
USA

PS. No, the image above is not the actual Family we are talking about – since we couldn’t find a proper interior shot, and this was one of the first images to come up when looking for ‘Family Los Angeles’, we thought, ‘Who cares? As long as it’s nice…’

STORE OF THE MONTH: BANANAFISH BOOKS / DALIAN

kvr — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 15:24:29 +0000

Anyone who has ever been to China will have experienced how difficult it is to get foreign magazines there, let alone any magazines that are worth the paper they are printed on. This is mainly due to the fact that the distribution of printed matter is still overseen by the Ministry for Communication, and importing foreign titles is not an easy task, involving plenty of paperwork.

And so we are so pleased that our friends at Bananafish Books have expanded their online store to an actual physical location in the northeastern port town of Dalian, stocking an immaculate range of independent titles, including some of the finest that Europe, Asia and the Americas have to offer. It’s the first venture of its kind in China, and we can’t wait to see more of similar places pop up over the country.

Bananafish Books, in the meantime, have also started their own suitably named publishing imprint called A Perfect Book, and are even offering the services of their Riso printer for artists and designers to produce their own titles. Just like home – except it isn’t.

Bananafish Books
53-1, Wenhua Street
Zhongshan District
Dalian City
Liaoning Province
China

THE VOICE KNITTING COLLECTION

tw — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 10:22:57 +0000

No Christmas presents yet?
Translate your favorite song or personal audio message into knitting patterns (orders until tomorrow will arrive in time for Christmas). The perfect scarf, cardigan, pullover, skirt, or blanket for music-lovers.

Trikoton, created in Berlin, is more than just a fashion label: as an interdisciplinary team, trikoton explores new ways of generative design and interactive production processes. Trikoton transfers voices into clothes, giving them a poetic touch.

Trikoton’s limited editions are available in selected shops in Berlin (other stores here):
Trikoton Showroom, Manteuffelstrasse 48, 10999 Berlin
Temporary Showroom, Kastanienallee 36a, 10435 Berlin
Zehnle von Langsdorff, Oderbergerstrasse 51, 10435 Berlin

MAGCULTURE SHOP

kvr — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 10:28:32 +0000

A nice new idea from magCulture, who we like, as you might have noticed. They’ve just opened their new online store, which is actually more like a personal recommendation: A selection of 8 independent titles only, handpicked by founder Jeremy Leslie. The deal is that each title will be available in limited stock only and replaced by a different title as soon as it is sold out, meaning that the selection will constantly rotate. Simple and sweet. Sweeter still: mono.kultur #29 with Chris Taylor is on offer right now, so get your copy now before it’s gone.

IT CHOOSES YOU STORE

sr — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 00:17:45 +0000

A store based on the book by the fabulous Miranda July.

It Chooses You Resale Shop
Partners & Spade
40 Great Jones
NYC 10012
Open until December 11, 2011.

STORE OF THE MONTH: VOO / BERLIN

kvr — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 03:27:28 +0000

It was only a matter of time that Berlin’s Kreuzberg district would get its own proper fashion store. Lucky for us, it happened to be Voo, which has its own particular style of fashion, magazines, decent coffee and understatement that blends in perfectly with our favourite area. A great selection of designers including Henrik Vibskov, Damir Doma and Stine Goya, a great range of magazine including, erm, mono.kultur, and a great and relaxed atmosphere, it’s a store run on passion just as much as immaculate taste. They also host events and launches on what feels like a daily basis in their beautiful courtyard space – most recently celebrating their first anniversary. So happy birthday Voo, and thanks for making such a great addition to Kreuzberg.

Voo
Oranienstrasse 24
10999 Berlin

HAPPY TWELFTH BIRTHDAY PRO QM!

sr — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 01:55:38 +0000

Happy 12th birthday Pro qm! Pro qm was opened twelve years ago, in July 1999. To celebrate this milestone, they have asked twelve designers and artists to design twelve different cloth bags. Starting now, in November, a new bag will appear each month, exclusively available in the bookshop, for as long as supplies last. Åbäke have designed the first bag (pictured above). With their bag design, the London design collective references Abbie Hoffmann’s Steal This Book, a book (also pictured above) that was first printed in 1971 and offered advice on rebelling against government authority and corporations. Alongside the ironic title is the irony that the book developed into a bestseller.

The twelve designers for the bags include, Åbäke, Bernadette Corporation, Gui Bonsiepe and Matthias Görlich, Laurenz Brunner, Zak Kyes, Metahaven, Dexter Sinister, HIT with Egija Inzule and Tobias Kaspar, Judith Hopf, Project Projects, Manuel Raeder and Bless, Vier5. At the beginning of 2012, a special edition of all 12 Anniversary bags will be available.

Pro qm
Almstadtstraße 48-50
D-10119 Berlin

ZÜRICH VERSUS HONG KONG

kvr — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 14:33:56 +0000

mono.gramm has two new stores that we are very happy about: our first outpost in Zürich, the lovely Making Things, is a great little boutique for all the things we like: smart and casual womenswear and nifty little things to take home. On the other side of the globe, our Autumn/Winter collection is now available at the independent design chain Mino in Hong Kong, who have just opened their third store with some great young designers in stock.

Making Things
Grüngasse 20
8004 Zurich
Switzerland

Mino
5 Foo Ming Street
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong

Mino
142 Woosung Street
Jordan
Hong Kong

STORE OF THE MONTH: OMMU / ATHENS

kvr — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 15:46:58 +0000

With Greece getting little more attention than to its unprecedented budget deficit, it’s worth pointing out that in spite of the admittedly difficult times, life goes on, people go about whatever it is they do, and anyway, there is more to life than just money. Good books, for instance, and that is precisely what our friends at Ommu have dedicated their lives to: Distributing and supporting the finest in independent publishing, and spreading the word about alternatives in print in the fine country of Greece. And who would want to argue with that, budget crisis or not.

Ommu
Emmanouil Benaki 79
10681 Athens
Greece