LIVE LAB STUDIOS — A new definition of Luxury

LIVE LAB STUDIOS —
A new definition of Luxury

A conversation with Stephanie Hahn

Photography Stefan Dotter Interview Oliver Schleith
Flower Styling Victor Breuer

In the heart of the Loretto quarter, Düsseldorf, LIVE LAB STUDIOS has created a place of new and personal luxury. Objects, stories and people from design, fashion, art, culture and cosmetics are presented here, emerging from a new value.

Like-minded and interested people can experience and discover new things on around 180 minimalistic and artistically designed square meters. The historic building with a picturesque backyard as well as palm and rose gardens once served as a warehouse for wine and spirits. Almost 120 years later, a special place is now blooming here, which enables lively and approachable experiences in the fields of fashion, art and beauty; a refuge where innovation, tradition and craftsmanship meet and new alternatives offer a communicative platform.

Oliver Schleith: Entering that space feels like taking a step into a hidden gallery — every single piece inside your salon is delicately curated. Everything is timeless, sometimes surprising and always of high craftsmanship. It’s a place of dialogue, where new luxury interacts with the visitor. What are your intentions with LIVE LAB STUDIOS?

Stephanie Hahn: I wanted to create a place which offers space for the values and the creational processes behind every single item through fine curation and presentation. Our space is dedicated to the principle “reduce to maximize” — with an exclusive and limited selection of objects and designers — the new visionaries of our times.

My brand 22/4_HOMMES_FEMMES (which is also displayed at the store) was part of the official Paris FHCM fashion show schedule — besides brands like YSL or Balenciaga. At this time we created one new collection every 3 months. After almost 13 years, at a certain point, it felt like the original focus of my work has shifted. Out of that perception formed a desire to create a place where the values of products, brands, human beings and environment were given a space to co-exist — a refuge for outstanding quality, timelessness and stories: a new definition of luxury.

OS: You just named it — every object inside the store tells a story. Tales of courage, creativity, individuality, origin, sustainability and of course, craftsmanship. Would you mind telling us some of these stories and the masterminds behind them?

SH: All the designers and manufactures of our curation pursue new avenues within their field in order to raise standards for authentic sustainability. They’re true modern pioneers — designers of the next generation — breaking new ground and moving forward.

One of them is Dutch designer Dirk Vander Kooij who works with recycled plastic, giving proof that the material has a use value. His products like the “Melting Pot Tables” or his iconic “Chubby Chairs” stand for Zero Waste and are of incredible aesthetics. Vander Kooij uses decommissioned refrigerators and compact discs in order to create his objects in a 3D printing process. One of his most unique tables at our store is entirely made of computer keyboards.

For Paris-based designer Calla Haynes, circular economies of design play the most important role. She upcycles vintage Moroccan carpets in order to use the fabrics for “Babouches” — typical Moroccan leather slippers. She also works with left-over fabrics from Paris Fashion Week’s luxury brands in order to create new “Boucherouite” rugs.

Besides furniture, interior or cosmetic brands our portfolio shows fashion of course. Our offering includes collector’s items from Japanese upcycling streetwear brand Children of the Discordance — Hideaki Shikama is a “Collecto-holic”, collecting sneaker and other vintage pieces for over decades. He curates and creates small collections of unisex pieces made out of for example vintage bandanas, trench coats or army bomber jackets. We’re also the only store in Germany to exclusively showcase new editions of 22/4_HOMMES_FEMMES.

OS: How do you curate your brands?

SH: When selecting a brand or a product we always make sure that there’s no competition within our curation. Each piece has its unique characteristics and story. The green line is the premise of a sustainable production and the ‘a-ha’ moment when discovering a new product. We do our research in both analogue and digital spheres — going to galleries and the museum to talk to like-minded people, also using Instagram for inspiration.

As LIVE LAB STUDIOS is an ambassador for brands, the mission and maxim of each brand is essential for our selection. It’s about trust and mutual appreciation. For each new presentation we always modify our space accordingly to the vision and needs of the respective brand. Not having a fixed store setting is an essential component of our concept — perspective is crucial for perception. We want our visitors to discover our selection of products each time from a new viewpoint.

OS: Discovering all the details of the store and your offerings is quite an experience — which indeed is tremendously important for the future of retail at times where the market is wildly in flux. Why is a memorable sensory experience so important nowadays? How do you imagine the future of retail?

SH: Even in modern times of digitalisation and automation, humans remain creatures perceiving and exploring their environment primarily through their senses. The physical experience of a product and the activation of our senses is the crucial advantage of stationary retail. In my opinion that tactile shopping experience can be a consolation in a technology-saturated world. The pandemic is proof: a real-world purchase is also a social factor. We meet and communicate, something that can’t be compensated for by any digital exchange. Now we have an accrued lust for going out, shopping and cultural events. Retail concepts should always stimulate the interaction between the vendor, the customer and the sensorial experience.

OS: Besides retail, LIVE LAB STUDIOS is a place of encounters. You’re hosting dinners and events and you’re running collaborations with local artists like Cristiana Cott or Rebekka Benzenberg (both “Meisterschülerinnen” and “Absolventinnen” of Kunstakademie Düsseldorf).

SH: From the very beginning I wanted LIVE LAB STUDIOS to become more than just another store in the retail landscape. Our aim is to chart a holistic approach. Stationary retail should be a place of encounters and exchange, as you just mentioned. We want to inspire our customers and visitors not only with high-end products, but also with diverse, comprehensive experiences and events such as dinners hosted by nutritionists, panel talks, readings or film nights.

Therefore LIVE LAB STUDIOS works as a space for everyone who reflects a new philosophy for living in the future as well as luxury. Rebekka Benzenberg and Cristiana Cott displayed selected works during the DC Open in September 2021. Artistic mission statements have been significant for us in order when showing works in the store — conversely, it’s also very important for artists that LIVE LAB STUDIOS is no “regular” store; rather, a stage for culture. That’s part of our approach — being a stage for the like-minded and strengthening the local art, music and cultural scene.

OS: For me Düsseldorf is a vibrant city, underrated — a counterpart to cities like Berlin or Paris. What role does The Dorf play for you?

SH: Düsseldorf is my hometown. It’s really underrated in my opinion — although The Dorf has a multilayered history — regardless of wether it comes to art, culture, music, fashion or even large scale industry. Düsseldorf is the birthplace of Kraftwerk and playground of artist Joseph Beuys. Kunstakademie Düsseldorf is one of the most renowned universities in Germany and there are plenty of major museums like the Langen Foundation, built by Japanese architect Tadao Ando.

The domestic and especially the Japanese restaurants are outstanding. I like to describe Düsseldorf as “the smallest metropolis of Germany” — on a very concentrated surface it has everything that defines a vibrant city: international brands like Chanel, Dior or Tiffany’s are represented with the flagship stores. But at the same time The Dorf is literally a village you can discover by foot. That’s why its communities are tight-knit. Everybody knows everybody somehow because everybody is crossing paths all the time. That’s the beauty of Düsseldorf: it’s a big city without the anonymity of a big city.

OS: I feel the same about it. How did the Japanese community shape the city? Do Japanese culture and aesthetics inspire you?

SH: The first Japanese companies opened their offices in Düsseldorf in the 1950s. With the arrival of these business interests, the first Japanese restaurants and supermarkets popped up. There’s a large variety of Japanese stores you would hardly find in cities like London, New York or Paris. At Japantag (Day of Japan) almost one million visitors are in town in order to discover and to celebrate Japanese culture.

As a fashion designer I am inspired by the work of Rei Kawakubo, Jun Takahashi of Undercover, Junya Watanabe, Chitose Abe of Sacai or Kunihiko Morinaga of Anrealage (a designer, who in Paris had the same agency like me). I am also impressed by Yohji Yamamoto — especially his collections from the 1980s and 1990s — and the idea and vision of Hideaki Shikama and his brand Children of the Discordance. You can observe these influences on the streets of Düsseldorf — which makes me pretty happy.

Also visiting the Langen Foundation and exploring the architecture of Tadao Ando is always a highlight. The building itself always imparts such a beautiful sense of wonder that brings me to myself every time.

OS: What does patience mean to you?

SH: Patience is a skill we learn with given time during our lives. No matter if it’s patience with yourself, others, a situation or a condition. Patience means endurance and persistence; very important when it comes to achieve long-ranging goals. Patience is also the ability to wait — a skill that might have gotten lost or forgotten along the way in these times of break-neck pace. It can be very satisfying to wait for something and cherish the value of the reward for having done so.