OPENING CEREMONY

Like some kind of couture cultural exchange program, every year owners Carol Lim and Humberto Leon – expats from the corporate fashion world – go to a different country and hand pick a group of designers to bring back to their store and face off against local labels. Past projects have included Germany, Brazil and the UK, always showcasing a handful of smaller names, selected items from local markets, vintage finds and one stand-out major player that defines the culture (England’s was Topshop). Like a fashion magazine editorial, the shop space is packed with cutting edge style with tough to pronounce names – the duds are just infinitely more wearable than what’s shown in most spreads.