As COS make their stateside debut, a host of NY and LA based creatives have been called upon for a creative co-opt. With a list that includes the likes of Tom Sachs, Jeffrey Deitch, Andre Saraiva, Ana Kras, Aaron Young and Glenn O’Brien, the COS creatives have created two unique short films exploring the differences between these two excessively diverse and vibrant cities – Los Angeles and New York.

Whilst we dream of LA’s sun-soaked shores and New York’s city lights–  each director tells a different, just as beautiful, story. The directors of each film, Aaron Rose and and Petra Collins straddle both cities presenting a unique take on these dream destinations.

Aaron Rose creates a moody, artistic and meaningful piece – complete with poetry – exploring what it means to create in New York in The Bubble. The cinematography is compelling,  following several characters with enchanting narration it pulls you into an enlightened sense of complementation; but is it art?

Meanwhile, The Drive is Collins’ interpretation of artistic LA. Following the lives of female creatives in the city, Collins uses LA’s natural asset – the sun – to create a stunning visual tale of Los Angeles living. It’s laid-back, effortless and beautiful to watch even as day time fades away. Narration from the female artists highlights the free-spirited nature of their city, bidding you to follow your own path. Celebrating being a strong independent woman – it’s less Beyonce, more Joan Jett to a soundtrack of Cherry Glazzer.

Each featuring key pieces of the iconic core COS collection –  that are now available in LA, NY and online – these pieces merge seamlessly with the art scenes of these grand cities. Who’s up for a roadtrip?

Words: Elli Weir

The post Petra & Aaron for COS USA appeared first on Wonderland.

COS has never shied away from highbrow hook-ups, previously sponsoring the Frame section of the Frieze Art Fair and supporting the Wapping Project Bookshop, but it’s taking intellectual fun to a whole new level this summer. It’s partnered up with the Serpentine Gallery to launch the Park Nights series, which will see the Serpentine Summer Pavilion play host to performances, film screenings and talks on selected Friday evenings over the next few months.

“As a brand inspired by the arts, The Serpentine particularly appealed to us, as not only is it an establishment at the forefront of creativity, but it is also a charitable trust with a strong background in arts education,” explained COS’ Head of Womenswear Design, Karin Gustafsson.

This year, the Pavilion installation was designed the Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto, who took inspiration from the concept of a primitive future, “purposefulness, combining instinctive and imaginative forms of creation”.

To mark the happy marriage, COS hosted a cocktail party that drew Jack Guiness, Jasmine Guiness, Patrick Grant, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Lou Hayter as well as luminaries from the art and design world – as well as Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, who was on DJ duties. You can check out the party atmosphere explore the Pavilion space courtesy of this COS-commissioned film, below.

The post COS’ arty party at the Serpentine Summer Pavilion appeared first on Wonderland.

If the Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan is the established queen of home furnishing salons, then this year, the COS installation is the definitive pearl in its crown. French duo Remy Clemente and Morgan Mazzari’s witty, ingenious construct perfectly underlines the pared-down sensibility and mixed array of fabrics that are typical of the Swedish clothing brand — it’s no wonder that this is their second appearance on the Milanese Salone floor. COS’ creative intent is to “push the visitor’s curiosity and surprise them with something that is playful but still minimal.” Playful indeed — the result for this collaborative dreamscape reminds us of a jungle gym for adults. Not only does the assembly framework function as a pop up store for showing off the hand-selected pieces from the COS spring/summer 2013 collection, but is in itself a delightfully clear, confident expression of contemporary design. Bravo.

The COS Showcase at the Salone Internazionale de Mobile in the Ventura Lambrate runs until the 14th of April. 

By Christine Jun (@christinecocoj)

The post COS At Milan Design Week appeared first on Wonderland.

Here at Wonderland, we go to a lot of store openings. Here’s what usually happens: people mill around, necking champagne and feigning a socially acceptable measure of interest in the clothes.

Not so at the & Other Stories launch party last week. We’ve never seen so many people in line for the changing room. Earlier that day, its e-store otherstories.com crashed from the sudden spike in traffic. “I finally got online and said, ‘I want that, that, that and that,” we heard  woman said to her friend, plucking another impeccable silk blouse from the rack.

& Other Stories is a concept store for the girl who wants Acne and Isabel Marant at Topshop prices. It doesn’t do trends (at least, not consciously) – as the name implies, it’s in the market for stories. Walk into its two-storey flagship on Regent Street and you can find everything from foundation and nail polish to heels and hats for you to complete your personal style odyssey. You’ll find everything from APC-style boatnecks to the & Other Stories take on the 3.1 Philip Lim neoprene clutch to nudge you on your way. Think a younger version of Cos and you’re halfway there.

& Other Stories has the commercial clout and vision of a commercial high-street retailer – it has owner Hennes & Mauritz to thank cheap auto repair for that – but with the thoughtfulness of a much more exclusive boutique. They’re not just throwing clothes out there and hoping something sticks – each garment is classed into one of four mini-collections (sporty and sculptural, preppy and classic, etc). Hero pieces? The holographic clutch sold out pretty much within a few days, and we spotted our fashion editor Julia Sarr-Jamois in the Nike Free 5.0 V4 trainers.

The Regent Street launch is the first part of an ambitious Europe-wide roll out, with store openings planned in Copenhagen, Stockholm, Paris, Milan, Barcelona, and Berlin. It’s the newest addition to the high street, and trust us: we think it won’t be too long till it’s a wardrobe staple.

Words: Zing Tsjeng

The post & Other Stories Store Opening and Review appeared first on Wonderland.