There are very few Department stores that can claim to be, really, world renowned, in fact this store is the only store to be named the Best Department Store in the World three times and if that wasn’t enough, even fewer stores have a heritage and founder so interesting that a hugely successful TV drama could be made on their story.
Selfridges, opened its doors on 15th March 1909, by Harry Gordon Selfridge, who arrived in London from Chicago with his heart set on opening his dream store.With his revolutionary understanding of publicity and the theatre of retail, Selfridges flourished under the direction of its charismatic Visionary.
Selfridge, literally, revolutionised not only, the way we shop but transformed it into one of the nation’s favourite pastimes. He put huge emphasise on creating a welcoming environment for his customer, he positioned merchandise on display so customers could examine it and was the first on place the highly profitable perfume counter at the front-and-centre on the ground floor. Selfridges brought Louis Blériot’s cross channel monoplane on display after its pioneering maiden flight and John Logie Baird made the first public demonstration of some contraption called the television in the store.
Today, the expanded portfolio of the Selfridges group, which boasts stores in Manchester and Birmingham, is owned by W. Galen Weston and his family and has continued to be as ingenious and creative in creating a shopping experience as its originator. They have dreamt up such ideas as creating an emerald green boating lake, complete with a waterfall, a boat-up cocktail bar and a forest of Stevia plants or the Big Rooftop Tea and Golf Party which featured “the highest afternoon tea on Oxford Street” and a nine-hole golf course with “the seven wonders of London” realised in cake as obstacles.
Now the enviable task of overseeing the selection of the vast array of aspirational apparel, gadgets and accessories falls under the remit of this very lucky man, Bosse Myhr, (above)is the Director of Menswear for the Selfridges’ Stores.
“We are delighted to be launching Italian based leather goods brand Estemporanea exclusively at Selfridges this season. The brand, founded by Riccardo Ugolini (formerly at Giuseppe Zanotti) and Luca Vicini, prides itself on its minimal design and uncompromising fabrications. This smooth leather backpack is a perfect example of this exciting young brand’s unique vision.”
“This cotton-twill shirt is an iconic part of Thom Browne’s brand and is an essential. After opening a Thom Browne shop-in-shop in Oxford Street earlier this year, we have decided to launch the brand in our Manchester Trafford store this season.”
“In honour of the much-loved 1991 design, this reworked version of the legendary Gazelle trainer from Adidas is one of the brand’s most iconic styles. A must have for any vintage trainer fan.
“Its been almost a year since we introduced Gucci to our menswear edit and the brand has gone from strength to strength. Under the guidance of creative director Alessandro Michele, Gucci has fast become one of our most popular brands. This embroidered sweater is a great addition to any wardrobe this season.”
“It’s really important to us at Selfridges to support young British talent, and Craig Green is without doubt one of the finest menswear talents to come out of London in recent years. This hooded shirt is a perfect example of the direction of Craig’s AW16 collection, great for layering or just as a stand out piece. We are also thrilled to be exclusively launching Craig’s collaboration with Bjorn Borg later this year.”
“Since the appointment of Jonathan Anderson to the Spanish house, Loewe has had an revival of epic proportions. Famous for their gorgeous leather goods, this embossed card holder is the epitome of luxury.”
“Founded by Pharrell Williams and BAPE founder Nigo in 2005, Billionaire Boys Club has since established a strong cult following. In a contemporary flat peak silhouette, this cap is perfect to add to a collection or as an introduction to the brand. ”
” Vetements really is the brand of the moment right now, and we are so excited to be stocking menswear for the first time this season. This long sleeve t-shirt in the brand’s iconic oversized style is one of our favourite pieces from AW16.”