Lobby (Barcelona, Spain)

One of the things I've quickly discovered about Barcelona, is that the El Born district is the place to be when it comes to shopping in smaller boutiques or cool stores. Like most such areas, it wasn't always hip and trendy, but this once run-down location is now much loved by tourists and locals alike. The smaller pathways are great for strolling along but somehow one afternoon the hubby and I ended up on a bigger road in the same quarter. It was deserted, grey and I was convinced we had gotten lost.

Left: gifts, toys & accessories. Right: overview of the store.

Passing random windows, I soon noticed that many of the buildings housed smaller shops, showrooms and studios. Then I sighted a much bigger building. A building that looked like it contained a really big shop. Once inside I realized that I had in fact found a concept store in the middle of a deserted street. And unlike the ongoing construction work and resulting debris that could be found outside, the interior was calm, quiet, very new and - like most boutiques with an industrial setting - a good mix of shiny parquet floors and exposed brick walls.

Left: Diesel Jeans section. Right: Chocolates and beauty products.

The reason I guessed this was a concept store was because the first things I could see besides the mannequins dressed in what resembled cool avant-garde clothes, were tables and shelves filled with items ranging from books to useless gadgets no one really needs but everyone wants to have. A small section featured baby items and toys from a brand called Papalote, while a nearby corner had shelves stacked with beauty products I had never seen before (by labels Hierbas de Ibiza and MySkin), as well as a very tempting foodie counter which displayed exotic chocolates by Xavier Mor Chocolatier. To top it off, there was also a small selection of homeware that included items such as lamps, cushions and clocks.

Left: Books are laid out in the center. Right: Diesel Black Gold section.

Clothing could be found towards the back of the store, but the only label that was prominently featured here was Diesel's more upscale Black Gold range. I was slightly disappointed at first - after all, this isn't a brand that's hard to find - until I realized the store also had a basement.

From right: Diesel Black Gold, Pleats Please, Crea Concept, Annette Görtz

Shoes by Bertrand Landro

The lower level was slightly more bare, with it's concrete floors and brick archways which gave the feeling you were in a wine cellar. But this is where the real goods were. I've already forgotten half the designers featured here... again many I had not heard of before, such as Jaume Roca and an up-and-coming Catalan designer who's brand is simply named 'Who'. Some names were more familiar such as Crea Concept and Rundholz, mainly because they're slightly more well-known in Europe. And then there were a few more bizarre pieces, such as the very crazy footwear by Bertrand Landro - four pairs of his prototype shoes were presented here first.

Left: Overview of the lower level. Right:Fancy a bike with your dress?

I was also pleased to see that there were a few Japanese labels among the selection, such as Issey Miyake's Pleats Please and Garde Collective. All the clothes in this area fulfilled the slouchy, cool and unique tailoring criteria. But all of them were also highly wearable and comfortable. The same applied to the menswear which ranged from sporty to edgy, but was never boring or conventional. And to prove that this was in fact a concept store, bikes (which were for sale) were placed as centerpieces in different spaces, while a nearby bar featured a menu of salads, sandwiches and drinks, just in case you needed to energize yourself after (or perhaps before?) spending lots of money.

Right: More bikes in the menswear section.

The store was completely empty when we took a browse and judging by the fact that there was only one SA on each floor, it probably doesn't get all that busy here. Nevertheless, while writing up this post I found out that it's actually prominently featured on various websites while some locals claim this store to be something of an institution in Barcelona and a cool place to be, so maybe it gets busier during the weekends or at night. In any case, it's definitely worth a browse just to catch a glimpse of some pieces by lesser-known brands. And as with most concept stores, the gadgets and gifts are always quite fun to look at as well.

From left: d-cln, Garde Collective, Sarah Pacini, Who

Address: Ribera 5, 08003 Barcelona
Opening Hrs: Mon-Fri: 11:00-14:00, 16:00-20:30 Sat: 12:00-20:30
Lobby Homepage