Extreme Shopping! Part 2

WELCOME BACK TO MARK&DAVEGOSHOPPING, the adventures of our intrepid shoppers continued in this way….. and in case you were not paying attention here is a quick recap:

To see if Dave is really up for the challeng, Mark plans to go EXTREME SHOPPING for a really cool ipad cover, so this is how it all bloody well got started... honestly, just like this...

Dave: I need a really cool i pad cover

Mark: Dave, you're not that cool, you just want a bog standard I pad cover

Dave: No, I want something that’s really cool, bog standard Dave is moving on

Mark: How needy is your need?

Dave: Pretty damn up there with the mother of all needs

Mark: Price? and how far will you travel to find it?

Dave: Ummmmmmmm, what did you have in mind?

Mark: Ok, I have a brilliant plan, so how about we attempt EXTREME shopping. I feel the need to check out the 3 of the coolest concept stores on the planet

Dave: What, the hell is a concept store?

Mark; It’s where you get a collection of brands that really showcase their ideology, their belief in the brand and expose everything that they love including their hearts. And I know of three of them.

Dave: OMG, the poet is back in my midst, so they are just shops then?

Mark; No, more than shops, their an ideal, the very best of retail space that invites you in and tugs at you heartstrings. So our challenge for extreme shopping is, Dover Street Market London, Colette Paris and Tad Rome in one day.

Dave: London, Paris, Rome, London...that’s not doable, just, for a nano second, I thought you meant the new Dover Street Market on the Ginza, Tokyo! 

Mark: How do you know about Dover Street Market, your not even cool?

Dave: So you’re organizing it all right?

Mark: Yep leave it to me

Dave: God, now I’m scared

Mark: oh ye of little faith..bring passport, credit card, get load of euros, and your 'all stars'  fitted with wings, and nuthin else, cos we need to travel light!

Dave: All I wanted was to go to the local Apple store and look at I pad covers.

Marks travel plans to get to all 3 shops within opening times are possible if you have a private jet or you can persuade Dover Street Market, London to stay open late. Clearly, if this was an episode of Top Gear, that would be possible. However, in the real world of mark&dave, to keep within the one day challenge, you need to shop Thursday night (open to 7.p.m.), to have a motorbike ready at the airport and someone like Addison Lee to arrange Super Bike (bring your own helmet) pickups from International Airports, which you will need. Mark drives a BMW so could do the last leg, but they leave from H'Row and will arrive Gatwick. Dave is already scared, but relieved that he doesn't have to ride pillion on Marks’ bike, and feels happier leaving it up to the professionals. He is talking about extra travel insurance, and is looking pale... 

It's too late Dave, Mark has already arranged the travel like this:

Mark on the phone to Dave: “Thursday; fly London Heathrow on Air France to Paris CDG, leave 07.10 arrive 09.25, Bikes pick up us up in arrivals and we whizz through the Paris traffic to Colette."

Colette, 213, RUE SAINT-HONORE 75001 PARIS.

If, like my ex gf with benefits, you are a fashionista deep down and like me, have a love for all things design, then the only place Paris has that is a must visit shopping experience is 'Colette'. This three level concept store is unique, and one of the most fashion forward places in France. The inspirational, light, open shop is dedicated to good design across lots of genres, selling things from music, books, high-tech gadgets, beauty products, magazines and of course fashion. It scores well from being very male friendly in terms of merchandise. 

Colette first opened its doors on the Right Bank in 1997 and it really did shock, whilst introducing a new way of shopping. It’s a great mix of boutique, art gallery and a very cool bar downstairs. Shop here for the latest trends, hang out for the coolest parties and openings for new designers.

"We shop for an hour, then Bikes get us back to CDG and we pick up a flight to Rome at 12.35 arriving Rome 14.40. 2 Ducatti’s pick us up and get us to Tad."

TAD Via del Babuino, 155 00187 Rome, Italy

Rome’s unique and unexpected hidden gem amongst all the ancient ruins is TAD (short for 'Tendenze e Antiche Debolezze'). Tad is the city’s first and only concept store, walk down the Spanish Steps and turn right, walk for 5 mins and it's on your left. Unlike department stores, TAD has divided its 1000 sqm floor space into separate rooms, creating a space that resembles a private home.

There are all the fashion fave's, but the inspirational space here is really the home-ware and furniture area – all the products here are designed and produced just for TAD. The room next door sells amazing fabrics (again, exclusive to TAD) so you can customize furniture, lamps and cushions if that's your thing. For art lovers there’s a ‘Living Gallery’ which exhibits and showcases new talent – and you can buy the art straight off the wall. If your AmEx needs to get over the shock of being in and out of card machines so much, you can recover in TAD’s own café (check the winter garden) where you can chill sipping aperitifs. This shop is great for inspirational ideas, boyz gadgets and people watching. Popular with fashionistas and tourists, lots of snapping pics and posing next to flower displays.

"Courier bike gets us back to Rome Fiumicino to get the Easy Jet flight at 16.05 arriving GATWICK 17.40."

Dover Street Market, Dover Street London W1S 4LT

Comme Des Garçons designer Rei Kawakubo's off the wall, yet ground-breaking six storey space lets the edgy energy of London's indoor markets meet the west end. Engage with tills housed in corrugated-iron shacks, Portaloo dressing rooms which let the rarified fashion labels have sustained 'stand out' on the sanded concrete floors. All 14 of the Comme collections are here, alongside exclusive lines such as Lanvin, Givenchy and Azzedine Alaïa. GF with benefits wore Comme des Garcons 2 perfume, and shopped for Chloe fashion here. So as I look round I realized that I should have bought her at least a C.D.G candle, no wonder she disappeared into the night... well afternoon actually!

Dover Street's biannual 'Tachiagari' event means that the store closes while designers make changes to their concessions, ensuring the space is constantly evolving. So from the outside it can look like it's closed down, but don't be fooled. The Chalayan area has exclusive pieces and an area devoted to Celine, McQueen and Rick Owens amongst others. Edgy jewellery designer Noguchi, as well as Azature, Waris and Repossi, are sold on the ground floor. If all the animal skulls start to get to you, or you have the feeling that you are wandering around a Doctor Who set, have a sit-down in the Rose Bakery on the top floor. 

Dave bought his Comme des Garcons MANGA i pad cover in Dover Street Market for £169. 

Dave; Hint, Don't bring your mum here, she probably won't get it!

What we spent...

£550 between us on airfares, €250 on Super Bike transfers, and £169 on the i pad case. I bought books in Colette, and we both bought VERY small pieces of artwork in Tad. For us, Colette was the most inspirational, as the mix of goods for sale was eclectic and uber exciting, plus it wasn't just about fashion. Tad is stunning, but strangely familiar. Imagine a mix of Liberty individuality with Harvey Nichols Style and Harrods opulence. Dover Street is bonkers, but full of great stuff, and more fashion-centric. But the mix of concrete and use of Avant Garde furnishings make it a really worthwhile place to visit.

In EXTREME shopping terms, this was fun, exhausting and expensive, we could have bought it all on line. But you cant put a price on being piloted through the manic streets of Italy on the back of a Ducatti... and shoving with sharp elbows through passport control in Paris was hilarious.

Oh, and if you find My Ex GF with benefits, let me know where she is... feeling pretty up for it after all those thrill rides on the Ducatti!

 If you enjoyed shopping with the boyz, then follow markanddavegoshopping, and watch out for more adventures, mad shopping trips with their bonkers family and friends, and keep an eye out for Mysterious Girl who may pop in now and again.