Shop of the Week: DDC Lab
It's Judy Jetson meets Mother Earth at the new DDC Lab on Mercer Street in SoHo. The fashion label (officially named Design Development Concepts Lab) recently opened a third national store, and it features their high performance clothing and shoe designs in a planetarium inspired retail setting made almost entirely of repurposed materials. The shop's unique design is a reflection of the brand's commitment to alternative manufacturing, whether it's innovating fabric technologies or recycling old building materials as part of their visual displays.
The main retail space of the store has tons of tops, bottoms, outerwear and accessories for men and women. Styles run the gamut from understated silk separates in earthy tones to in-your-face leather pieces made with laser infused lycra; the metallic bronze leather dress is super-hot (but beware, at $1100, the price may burn a little, too). Also of mention is their sportswear made of high tech reflective fibers. This cheeky new Paparazzi No collection creates a blinding glare when a camera flashes – thus rendering the 'razzi shot useless.
Beyond their own branded clothing assortment, DDC Lab offers Dita sunglasses, Nooka watches, PF Flyer shoes and – most notably – a premium assortment of New Balance sneakers. DDC Lab designers Savania Davies Keiller and Roberto Crivello have been named creative directors of the global athletic products company. You can browse their cutting edge NB collections in the front of the store, where sneakers are suspended in glass cubes, dangling from a jungle gym, or perched along one of the space's reused wooden ceiling beams.
Looking out for the environment and our precious celebrities?? DDC Lab is a high/low concept and their cool new store deserves a visit.
DDC Lab
7 Mercer Street
New York, NY 10013
November 2008
Paper Magazine