Rawan Bin Hussain Tours MATCHESFASHION.COM’s new London retail space at 5 Carlos Place
The Kuwaiti influencer discovers the online retailer’s new shopping haven, merging fashion, art and interior design
An elegant 19th century townhouse in London’s fashionable Mayfair district, defined by its iconic red brick Queen Anne-inspired façade, stands tall and proud. It’s a building that has weathered the storms of the last century, recent decades and is coming to life again as the shopping residence and creative spirit of leading online retailer MATCHESFASHION.COM. A physical expression of MATCHESFASHION.COM’s forward-thinking ethos, a quick step inside 5 Carlos Place and all will understand why this edifice, housing the best in fashion, art and design, goes beyond just retail – it is the next phase of luxury shopping and one that marries various creative genres into an innovative and mesmerising experience for all visitors. When one leaves, they won’t have just purchased new outfit but walked away with a host of new ideas, concepts and inspirations.
Rawan Bin Hussain wearing Dolce & Gabbana Dress, Jimmy Choo Bag and Jimmy Choo Shoes, all at MATCHESFASHION.COM in 5 Carlos Place
Once forming part of a row of private houses constructed in the new Queen Anne style belonging to the Grosvenor Estate, 5 Carlos Place comes alive again and returns to its original spirit of a residence to become the epitome of collaboration. Architectural details such as its charming red brick-faced building elevations and dormer roofs endow the edifice with character and timelessness, inside designers P Joseph, a London-based architecture studio, founded in 2015 by twin brothers Peter and Philip Joseph. Known for their innovative approach to design, with projects such as Erdem’s first London store under their belt, P Joseph set to work on 5 Carlos Place in a way that saw the space conserve its unique heritage while also highlighting MATCHESFASHION.COM’s spirit of collaboration. “Our intention is to conserve and enhance the historic fabric of the house while bringing a new order through careful intervention and reorganization,” said the architects.
The colourful floral installation of designer Mary Katrantzou at
5 Carlos Place
We are in the era of the digital. So how can a luxury e-tail site be given physicality? MATCHESFASHION.COM have proven how. While other online e-tailers have also taken physical incarnation – there’s Moda Operandi’s townhouse in London, luxury consignment online start-up’s RealReal flagships in New York and the FarFetch-owned chain Browns’ first international venture the Nomad 2.0 store in Los Angeles, which also opened in September – MATCHESFASHION.COM goes a step further into the realm of artistic collaboration. Within the five-story, 7,000-square-foot offering is a curation of the company’s online edit, highlighting new and emerging talent and collaborations. On the ground floor and first floor – drawn from weekly digital content and calendarised merchandising – is a rotating edit of exclusive collections and intimate events from fashion’s elite; Prada, Richard Quinn and more. Characterised by intimate and sumptuously designed spaces colour-coded in plush shades of earthy rusts and greens, the second and third floors offer private shopping experiences. These two floors of private shopping suites offer top clients the possibility of scheduling bespoke appointments. Each room is decorated as if it were one’s home, replete with lacquered walls, plush carpeting, soft lighting, Wasilly lounge chairs and By Walid cushions. Accentuating the space are bespoke design pieces commissioned by MATCHESFASHION.COM and scented with the company’s signature candle. Intricately framed artworks align the wall curated by House of Voltaire while specially commissioned sculptures by British artist Nick Hornby dot the many floors with their poignant abstract forms.
A personal shopping suite dressed in a calming teal palette, bespoke furniture and artwork curated
House of Voltaire
PRIVATE SHOPPING WITH RAWAN BIN HUSSAIN
“I enjoy shopping online, though as I have a very typically Arab hourglass shape, I tend to find it challenging to find pieces that flatter my body,” says Kuwaiti influencer of 3 million followers Rawan Bin Hussain, a regular MATCHESFASHION.COM shopper. “So recently, I have started shopping in store with my personal stylist. The launch of 5 Carlos Place makes it so easy to shop online using the barcodes and you can actually see the pieces in person – so it actually is the best of both worlds.” A style leader and tastemaker, living in London, Rawan shops online almost every week and MATCHESFASHION.COM’s 90-minute delivery tempts her to indulge even more. Women in the Middle East, says Rawan, are turning more and more towards shopping online.
In terms of her go-to designers available on MATCHESFASHION.COM, these would be “Burberry for their coats, Gianvito Rossi for their heels and Bottega Veneta for their stunning collection of pinks, nudes and eternal classic style.” The calm and inviting ambiance at 5 Carlos Place makes shopping easier and in Rawan’s words “more fun.” And it’s about discovery, the influencer loves to experiment – something 5 Carlos Place offers. “I definitely prefer working with stylists from the personal shopping team,” she says. And in terms of a favourite place in this newly inaugurated collaborative place, Rawan selects the garden area. “It feels like home!” That it does. A home away from our digital home.
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