Concept stores have evolved from representing a mix of less known brands to destinations that often present a mix of products and brands that are highly sought after and blend in a signature curated experience.
The finest examples of concept stores are not just places to shop; they are destinations where people come to be inspired and discover trends, styles and labels across product types that reflect a certain lifestyle. Here, Retail in Asia presents top picks of multi-label concepts with a focus on fashion and accessories, across the region for 2024.
SEE ALSO: Best of Retail in Asia 2024: The Best Shopping Malls in Asia
The Armoury
Hong Kong SAR
What it’s known for: Bespoke and tailored menswear from the finest brands and artisans around the world.
Conceived in 2010 by Alan See and Mark Cho, The Armoury originated in Hong Kong as a testament to its founders’ shared enthusiasm for well-made men’s goods. Sourcing wares from companies, factories, workshops, and artisans devoted to their craft, The Armoury has become an impeccably designed emporium in Hong Kong for menswear, grooming products and bespoke tailoring, from chinos, coats and jackets, knitwear, and trousers and various accessories such as watches, eyewear, belts and ties.
Its new flagship store was unveiled in 2023, a European arcade-style space in Central’s Pedder Building, in addition to a store at the upscale Landmark mall; The Armoury also has stores in New York’s Upper East Side and Tribeca neighbourhoods.
Noteworthy brands: Ascot Chang, Baudoin & Lange, D.S. & Durga, H. Moser & Cie, Rumisu, Savas, Paulin, Owen Barry, and more, plus its in-house The Armoury bespoke brand
Boon the Shop
Seoul, South Korea (multiple locations)
What it’s known for: Luxury brands from around the world stocked alongside emerging homegrown designers.
Created by Korean retailer Shinsegae Group, Boon the Shop, with six locations across Seoul, has become a beacon of high-end fashion since launching in 2004. Its futuristic flagship location in the fashionable Cheongdam-dong district, designed by American architect Peter Marino, houses a curated selection of traditional luxury designer brands alongside more avant-garde fashion labels in a futuristic and minimalist building. Notably, Boon the Shop also stocks products from emerging Korean designers as well as from its own in-house label.
Noteworthy brands: Celine, Dries van Noten, The Row, Courreges, Dion Lee, Sacai, Toteme, Victoria Beckham, Sophie Buhai, Elder Statesman, Erdem, Paravel (pop-up); local labels such as Kiok and Kye and in-house Boon the Shop label
b.space
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
What it’s known for: Elevating menswear in the Malaysian retail scene for Generation Z and Millennial consumers.
Established in 2017 by Bluebell Malaysia, b.space stands out as a multi-brand men’s store that offers a distinctive shopping experience. From cult labels to emerging brands, b.space caters to the diverse preferences of style-savvy and streetwear-inclined gentlemen, ensuring that every visit yields a new discovery. b.space has two boutiques in the Malaysian capital: first at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, and another opened in 2023 at Seibu, The Exchange TRX.
Noteworthy brands: Ambush, A-Cold-Wall, Acne Studios, Ader Error, Ami Paris, Doublet, Kenzo, Kolor Beacon, Maison Mihara Yasuhiro, Palm Angels, Song For The Mute, Stone Island, We11done, Wooyoungmi, Y-3
Club 21
Singapore
What it’s known for: Bringing European luxury fashion labels to Southeast Asia.
Established in Singapore in 1972 by business tycoons Beng Seng and Christina Ong, Club 21 has played a pivotal role in introducing European luxury fashion brands to Asia. Throughout the years it has become a prominent destination for fashion enthusiasts seeking a curated selection of high-end designer labels. From a small boutique in Singapore’s Tanglin Shopping Centre, Club 21 today operates almost 400 stores across the region, including monobrand franchise stores and flagship multi-brand boutiques in Singapore, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur.
Noteworthy brands: Bao Bao, Issey Miyake, Rag & Bone, Calvin Klein, Mulberry, Paul Smith, DKNY, Vetements
Club Designer
Taipei, Taiwan
What it’s known for: Taipei’s most extensive selection of contemporary and luxury brands.
Established by Lilian Kao in 1981, Club Designer has long been a bastion of fashion in Taipei. In 2014 Club Designer unveiled a five-storey flagship boutique in Taipei’s leafy, trendy Da’an district, where it continues to thrive today with its extensive selection of high-end fashion brands as well as a more recent addition of home and lifestyle labels. Across five distinctly styled floors, a wide range of high-end fashion and accessory brands span contemporary, luxury and haute couture cater to Taiwan’s luxury consumers, who have emerged as the highest per-capita spenders in East Asia.
Noteworthy brands: Giambattista Valli, The Row, Haider Ackermann, Aquazzura, Ellery, Mansur Gavriel, Olympia Le Tan, Greg Lauren, Johanna Ortiz, Jonathan Simkhai, Tabitha Simmons, Mansur Gavriel, and Pierre Hardy,
Dover Street Market Ginza
Tokyo, Japan
What it’s known for: Avant-garde luxury brands under one roof.
Conceived by Comme des Garcons’ Rei Kawakubo and Adrian Joffe, Dover Street Market Ginza Tokyo is the home of avant-garde fashion labels in Japan, with overseas locations in Singapore, Beijing, London, New York, and Los Angeles. Nestled in Tokyo’s upscale Ginza district, the Japan concept store elevates the notion of shopping to an art form.
Housed in a multi-storey building, each floor of Dover Street Market Ginza Tokyo showcases a selection of cutting-edge fashion, streetwear, and luxury brands, including a bibliotheca and an outpost of Rose Bakery across 1,300 square metres of retail space.
Noteworthy brands: Louis Vuitton, Unkruid, Comme des Garcons, Prada, Midorikawa, Toga, Bode, and The Row
ENG
Shanghai, China
What it’s known for: Luxury fashion and streetwear for mainland China’s young and fashionable.
ENG is an acronym for ‘Explore, Navigate, Generate,’ a philosophy that guides the store’s physical and digital shopping experience. Located in Shanghai, the cutting-edge, 500-square-metre concept store that first opened in 2019 presents products across fashion, lifestyle and streetwear within a futuristic, spaceship-inspired setting and primarily targets Generation Z shoppers, who account for more than 20 percent of ENG’s sales, as reported by Vogue Business.
Founded by Sherry Huang, ENG is also known for collaborating with emerging designers and artists.
Noteworthy brands: Coperni, Eckhaus Latta, Courreges, Diesel, Helmut Lang, Ader Error, Martine Rose
Kith
Tokyo, Japan
What it’s known for: A mecca for urban fashion and streetwear.
American streetwear brand Kith made its mark in Tokyo’s iconic Shibuya district with an 8,000-square-foot concept store, its first international outpost, in 2020. Blending urban fashion, art, and community, Kith Tokyo offers a reflection of Japan’s dynamic street culture whilst bringing its own American flavour.
The store’s sleek, modern design, adorned with vibrant murals and innovative displays, sets the stage for an immersive shopping experience. Beyond retail, the store acts as a hub for cultural events, fostering connections and celebrating the city’s creative scene.
Noteworthy brands: Kith’s in-house label offers men’s, women’s and childrenswear, as well as a dessert brand, Kith Treats, in addition to accessories and footwear from Balenciaga, Adidas, New Balance and more.
Parlour X
Sydney, Australia
What it’s known for: Pioneering the multi-brand store concept in Australia.
Parlour X is Sydney’s destination for luxury and premium women’s fashion and accessories, nestled in a heritage church in the charming suburb of Paddington. Founded by Eva Galambos in 2001, Parlour X was among the pioneers of the luxury multi-brand concept store in Australia. Today it continues to remain an independent retailer bringing in international high-end as well as contemporary luxury brands, in addition to up-and-coming Australian designers, becoming the go-to destination for Australia’s fashion-forward consumers.
Noteworthy brands: Alaïa, Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Courreges, Chloe, Comme Des Garçons, Dries Van Noten, Isabel Marant, Jacquemus, Junya Watanabe, Kenzo, Lanvin, Maison Margiela, Mugler, Viktor & Rolf
Runway
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (multiple locations)
What it’s known for: Offering the most extensive range of luxury fashion designers in Vietnam.
Spanning 7,535 square feet, Runway Vietnam’s duplex flagship boutique is housed within Diamond Plaza, a luxury shopping centre in Ho Chi Minh City that was newly renovated and expanded in 2023. Runway has three locations in Ho Chi Minh City, two stores in Hanoi and one in Hoi An. Since opening its first store in 2008, Runway has become a reliable go-to for international luxury brands as well as cutting-edge labels in Vietnam, where luxury consumption is poised to generate over EUR900 million in 2024.
Noteworthy brands: Jacquemus, Off-White, Comme des Garcons, Marine Serre, Noir by Kei Ninomiya, Rick Owens, Alexander McQueen, Marni, Self-Portrait
This list is part of a new series, “Best of Retail in Asia,” compiled by this publication’s editorial team together with retail experts across the region. Here, Retail in Asia celebrates the best of retail in the region, recognising the brands, businesses and concepts putting forward some of the finest, most creative and innovative consumer experiences across markets and sectors. The above is not an ordered or ranked list.