March '03
From battle lines to goal lines, Hint pays attention to retail
It's been a tug of war for control of Jil Sander, but the once conceptual label marches to a decidedly commercial but no less stylish beat for spring. At the Milan show, designer Milan Vukmirovic unleashed a sandal-shod army of urban warriors cloaked in loosely-draped satin tops, relaxed wrap skirts, light anoraks and enough zippers to stop a tank in its tracks. Though not marked by intellectual inquiry, the collection is still modern to the corps, a victory to guerilla girls everywhere. Jil Sander, 11 E. 57th St., 212-838-6100. - Doris-Alina Sangeorzan

Surfing the web has never been so swell. We almost fell off our motherboards when we came across Aloharag.com, an off & online shop in tropical Honolulu selling Junya Watanabe, Martin Margiela, Marc Jacobs and Katayone Adeli, among others, for those times when Hawaiian prints just won't cut it. Launched last year, the site is laid out simply for easy filling of the ol' shopping cart; we've already scooped up a pair of leather Converse-style Junya Watanabe sneakers. As you might expect, Aloharag is big in neighboring Japan, so the site is available in both English and Japanese. It's island s-hopping done right.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
 
The fashion faithful are making the pilgrimage to Williamsburg to get their hands on NUN, a new line designed by French native Alice Ritter that's anything but monastic. Informed by a litany of references—18th Century Marquis dressing, English poetry, Japanese form, French couture—the self-trained designer handcrafts taut corsets and waistcoats with tulle bustles, among other period pieces, injecting each of her one-of-a-kind works of art with real spirit. Isa, 88 North 6th Street, Brooklyn, 718-387-3464. -Sarah Kuhn

Take a bow: New York label Rubin Chapelle joins the cast of the city's avant-garde retail stage, setting up shop in the thriving Meatpacking District. Architect Annabell Selldorf designed the spare interior, playing organic elements off artificial innovations, like space-age tubular plastic screens. Selldorf has created a theatrical shopping experience by including elevated modular platforms that require visitors to step up in order to browse. The dramatic store is also an exhibition space, with plans to host independent film screenings and photo presentations by a group of emerging artists. 410 W. 14th Street, 212-647-8636.
Chanel has the perfect solution for modern Georgie Girls who are always window shopping but never stopping to buy. The label's new casual canvas tote is screen-printed with a likeness of Chanel's rue Cambon façade—a voyeuristic and covetable view of fashion's most venerable digs. Chanel, 15 East 57th Street, 212-355-5050.
Compiled by Sameer Reddy page 1 2



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