Edmonton-based footwear and fashion retailer gravitypope (spelled lowercase) has opened a new Calgary flagship. Under the same roof is an apothecary, music retailer Blackbyrd Myoozik (the second location for the popular Edmonton record store) and Edmonton-based chocolatier Sweet Lollapalooza Confections -- also opening its second location. We spoke with gravitypope founder and owner Louise Dirks for details.
Located at 1126 17 Avenue S.W., The new 9,000 square foot Calgary gravitypope occupies an impressive building designed by noted Calgary Architect, Harold Hanen, who was most known for his development of the city's Plus 15 walkway system. The store's design reflects his love for Frank Lloyd Wright architecture and features staircases surrounded with glass in an all open concept.
The store's brutalist-inspired interior was designed and built by Peter and Wendy Turner (The Artworks-Edmonton), combining 1970’s furniture and design elements including brass, smoked mirror, glass and colour with contemporary fixtures and furnishings. The store's central atrium is filled with Bocci blue glass bubble lights, massive Jason Miller Modo chandeliers adorning the footwear gallery, silver veneer space age display cases imported from Paris, a 1970’s brass and green glass mirror from Southern France, recycled stained glass from the Trippen headquarters (previous Bulgarian Embassy) in Berlin, and a custom art installation by Russian Canadian visual artist Kristi Malakoff.
Blackbyrd Myoozik's 600 square foot space is located on the lower-level of the new gravitypope. Sweet Lollapalooza's roughly 500 square foot shop-in-store will soon sell wine and champaign by the glass, according to gravitypope owner Louise Dirks. Sweet Lollapalooza will also serve coffee and is already internationally known for its chocolates, having won multiple awards.
Ms. Dirks said that she has no immediate plans for any more locations, though down the road she may look at new markets and replacement locations.
Founded in 1990 as a single shoe store on Edmonton's trendy Whyte Avenue, gravitypope soon expanded its offerings to include designer ready-to-wear. Its first Calgary store opened in the year 2000 and in 2004, a Vancouver location opened on West 4th Avenue in the Kitsilano area. In 2007, two ready-to-wear clothing boutiques, called gravitypope Tailored Goods, opened in Edmonton and Vancouver. In late 2012, gravitypope opened a large location on Toronto's hip West Queen West, featuring footwear, fashion, and an apothecary.
The Calgary store features more than 100 brands, including:
Footwear: Acne Studios, Adidas, Aigle, Alexander Wang, Alice & Whittles, Ami, Arche, Asics Onitsuka Tiger, Audley, Birkenstock, Bosabo, Camper, Chausser, Chie Mihara, Church's, Clae, Clarks, Coclico, Comme des Garçons, Common Projects, Converse, Cydwoq, Diemme, Dr. Martens, Fiorentini & Baker, Jil Sander Navy, John Fluevog, Kodiak, Fly London, Frye, Gidigio, gravitypope, Grenson, H by Hudson, Keen, Manitobah Mukluks, Marcel, Marni, Megumi Ochi, Melissa, Merrell, Michael Kors, Moma, Native, New Balance, Objects in Mirror, Officine Creative, Paul Smith, Rachel Comey, Rag & Bone, Rosa Mosa, Red Wing, Repetto, Saucony, See by Chloe, Sorel, Superga, Swims, T & F Slack, TN-29, Toms, Trippen, Ugg, Veronique Branqhino, Vic Matie, Vans, Wolverine 1000 Mile, Zinda and more.
Clothing: A.B. Punto, Acne Studios, Alex Mill, Alexander Wang, Ami Paris, APC, Antipast, Barena, Canada Goose Black, Carhartt WIP, Comme des Garçons, Engineered Garments, Filippa K, Forte Forte, Fortnight Lingerie, Isabel Marant, Ivan Grundahl, Jil Sander Navy, Maison Kitsune, Margaret Howell, Marni, Naked and Famous, Pomandere, Rag & Bone, Sophie D’Hoore, Stephan Schneider, Yoshi Kondo and more.
Accessories: Arielle De Pinto, Pearls Before Swine, Ming Yu Wang, Rada, Marni and Milena Zu, and Jill Platner jewelry; Antipast, Falke, Happy Socks, Marcoliani, Paul Smith, Hansel From Basel socks and hosiery; and APC, Alexander Wang, Comme des Garçons, Il Busetto, Marni, Officine Creative, Repetto, Want Essentiels, Paul Smith handbags and wallets.
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