SINGAPORE - Walk into the new multi-label boutique Dover Street Market (DSM) Singapore at Tanglin Village and one is immersed in a fashion gallery of textures, prints and architectural elements.
The sprawling 12,325 sq ft store, with its 10m-high ceiling, looks more like an exhibition space than a retail shop.
At Black Comme des Garcons, one of the many lines from Japanese fashion brand Comme des Garcons, clothes hang from tall cage-like black grilles. The scene changes entirely at American label Thom Browne, where clothes hang from minimalist racks in a white marble enclave. Next to it is Japanese streetwear brand Undercover's space with its rust-red enclosure and neon green lights.
Italian luxury label Gucci has its own corner, plastered with pink and green wallpaper in the brand's signature floral style, a theme that continues from the walls to the carpeted floor. Arching across the middle of the whole store is a house-like structure - a patchwork of metal and wood in black, mustard yellow, blue and green - it holds a cashier's station.
Each space stands unique, yet they all come together to form a cohesive, gallery-esque retail concept true to DSM's style.
The multi-label concept store - the fourth in the world after London, Tokyo and New York - opens on Saturday.
Conceived by Comme des Garcons' founder Rei Kawakubo and her husband Adrian Joffe, it is known for its exclusive collaborations and discerning curation of coveted luxury and streetwear brands.
The store opens here with over 25 brands including French labels Celine and Balenciaga, Japanese label Sacai and American label The Row. The store's merchandise, visual displays and interior design will change twice a year - once in January and again in July. Exclusive collaborations and limited-edition collections will also be a part of the store's evolving line-up.
On Saturday, it will launch with exclusive Dover Street Market Singapore T-Shirts ($115), a tie-up between the store and renowned Russian fashion designer and photographer Gosha Rubchinskiy. Peaceminusone, a streetwear label by K-pop superstar G-Dragon, has also collaborated with DSM Singapore on an exclusive collection of apparel and accessories including T-shirts ($650).
Fashion fans will also find black sneakers ($179) from the Anti Social Social Club x Vans x DSM collection, as well as a beige and dark pink large Cabas Phantom bag ($2,400) from Celine.
DSM Singapore is a part of lifestyle quarter Como Dempsey - a dining and retail complex by Como Lifestyle, a subsidiary of local fashion doyenne Christina Ong's Club 21.
Dover Street Market first opened in London in 2004. It expanded to Tokyo in 2006, then opened in Manhattan in New York in 2013.
Tenants in Tanglin Village are looking forward to the increased footfall that DSM is likely to bring to Dempsey.
Ms Christy Arriesgado, 31, manager of burger restaurant Roadhouse and bar The Green Door, says she hopes the store will bring more locals and tourists to Dempsey on the weekdays.
"It can be quiet here on the weekdays. I hope DSM will attract more people during the week. If they come, they will explore Dempsey and, hopefully after they shop, they will eat here too," she says.
Ms Erin Taylor, 34, gallery manager at Redsea Gallery, thinks DSM will help raise the profile of Dempsey. "I think it's great. As a gallery, we'd love to see more stores open here and have Dempsey become more of a destination for art, design and fashion. More of a lifestyle stop than just a place to come for dinner."
Fans of Tanglin Village say DSM is a welcomed addition to the area.
Counsellor Amanda Ang, 29, who likes the place for its food and relaxed atmosphere away from the city, says she is excited to visit the fashion haven.
"I've visited the DSMs in London and Ginza, and have been mind-blown. I can't wait to see what the Singapore branch has to offer."
The bachelorette says she would definitely consider buying from the store. "I like high-fashion meets streetwear, and that only a curated number of pieces are being brought in, which also means these wearable art pieces won't be readily available at every other mall in Singapore. That's a huge draw for me."
