THE CORNER SHOP: SELFRIDGES & GOOD COMPANY

GOOD COMPANY = GOOD CONVERSATION

This month, we’re welcoming a new collaboration to The Corner Shop, a retail experiment between us and two fashionable friends: MACHINE-A and Smets. This is the first time we’ve invited two independent retailers to take over the space, as we celebrate the power of conversation and creativity.

Presenting a selection of pieces from their most innovative young designers, exclusive merchandise and rare vintage finds, it promises to be one of our most exciting collaborations from two pioneering tastemakers.

The tastemakers in question? Stavros Karelis and Pascaline Smets, the curatorial minds behind MACHINE-A and Smets. Stavros, a Greek native, first fell for London’s avant-garde fashion sensibility when he moved to the city as a university student. In 2009 he established his boutique, MACHINE-A, a creative melting pot beloved for its unique blend of fresh design talent and established industry names.

For Pascaline, Smets’s buying and creative director, the business is a family affair. Originally founded by her mother in 1986, Pascaline’s inventive and curious eye has made the retailer one of Europe’s most exciting artistic hubs. With boutiques in Belgium and Luxembourg, Smets stores are places where the worlds of fashion, art, beauty and lifestyle come together.

Alongside their love of new talent, both Stavros and Pascaline share a passion for vintage, as seen in the collections they’ve chosen for their Selfridges & Good Company collaboration. For Smets, this means 27 pieces of archival Alaïa, sourced from the designer’s final two collections (coming soon to online, but available to shop in store now). MACHINE-A is showcasing the second iteration of MACHINE-B, a collection created in partnership with contemporary vintage curator Byronesque. Titled “The collection the critics got wrong”, the selection includes pieces from various pioneering (and historically divisive) designers.

You’ll also find an edit of exclusive merchandise from both retailers, created with the likes of Arte Antwerp, Raf Simons, Matthew Williams, Martine Rose and Coperni.

To shop the full curation and experience this brand-new creative collaboration, visit The Selfridges Corner Shop before 1 October. Even better, stop by during London Fashion Week for an extra dose of inspiration.