The Forever Shop at the Selfridges Concept Store

From 12th July to 15th August 2010, Selfridges (or ‘Selfishes’ as my friends and I lovingly refer to it) presents the Forever Shop in the Wonder Room Concept Store.

This is hoped to be a celebration of the savoir-faire and wisdom that come with age. and offers an alternative to the hunger for fast fashion and the ongoing hunt for the emerging or undiscovered. The concept will consider the enduring appeal of the style and design constants that shape the way we shop today.

Forever Shop curatorial duties are shared by Selfridges Creative Director, Alannah Weston, Elle Decoration Editor-In-Chief, Michelle Ogundehin and legendary British Designer, Sir Paul Smith. Each has made a selection of timeless items, future heirlooms and collectables to be presented side by side in the Concept Store for the first time.

Alannah Weston brings together the essentials that define and transcend fashion eras: Doctor Martin’s classic black 8 hole boot, Converse All Stars white plimsoll, Hermes silk scarf, the irrisistable Hermes Kelly, Rick Owens leather jacket, Burberry classic trench, Chanel 2.55 handbag, Christian Louboutin simple pump, Levis 501, Sonia Rykiel breton top, Repetto black ballet shoe, Ray Ban Wayfarer, Filofax, Alexander McQueen black silk skull scarf, Cartier Love Cuff, Tag Monaco sports watch, Rolex stainless steel watch, BIC lighter, Fiat 500, Vespa

Michelle Ogundehin from Elle Deco makes an expert edit of modern design icons including Henning Koppel’s silver jug for Georg Jensen, Tom Dixon Mirror Ball lights, Kivi Votive holders by Heikki Orvola, 1988 for Iittala, Penhaligon’s traditional Gardenia Eau de Toilette, Baskerville & Sanders handmade silver-plated rosewood picture frame, Mont Blanc Meisterstück Classique fountain pen, Muji Tableware and Trouée classic white French restaurant candles to name a few.

Ever the iconoclastic literary Brit, Sir Paul Smith shares his top ten books to read and love which include: Lady Chatterley’s Lover (D. H. Lawrence), Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (J.K Rowling), Buddha of Suburbia (Hanif Kureishi), The wonderful world of Albert Kahn (David Okuefuna), The World in 1900: A Colour Portrait (Marc Walter and Sabine Arqua) and Bauhaus – World of Art (Frank Whitford Saul Steinberg)

To complement the Forever Shop’s themes of style and age, New Yorker Ari Seth Cohen, of cult style blog Advanced Style, will bring his inimitable appreciation of creatively dressed older folk to Selfridges. He will be photographing shoppers in store and subjects on the streets of London for the first time. His London portraits will be displayed as his first photographic exhibition in the Forever Shop.

Find the Forever Shop in The Wonder Room Concept Store and at Selfridges.com. July 12th– August 15th, 2010

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{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }

RedlegsinSoho July 15, 2010 at 10:26 am: I don’t like Selfridges for clothing, the womens fashion layout is confusing and incoherent. For me it is the Beauty,Food and basement Home furnishings departments that are the main draw. This is because the cosmetic range is comprehensive (they used to stock Besame)and the chocolates are hard to resist.