As fashion is always developing and trends are changing. Our generation will have seen the streetwear culture grow and occupy an important place in our closets. At IE University you can feel how this passion is shared by a large number of students. Simply by looking at how people aim at differentiating themselves with their streetwear styles. When I first moved to Madrid, I wasn’t aware of the nice spots to wander off and buy these types of clothes. After a few years spent in the capital. I found out that Madrid is a great city in terms of fashion sense, and has a lot of different stores with creative designs and unique pieces.
I also hear about the passing away of Virgil Abloh, former Men’s Artistic Director for Louis Vuitton and founder of Off-White. Beginning his career as an architect, Virgil Abloh went on to work in the field of fashion and art. Always pushing for more innovative and creative designs and collaborations. Additionally, he was interested in music. As he designed album covers for Kanye West, A$AP Rocky, Pop Smoke, as well as being a DJ and performing in Tomorrowland for instance.
More than simply achieving great things, he was an inspiration. Because of how he apprehended things with such consciousness and open-mindedness. Who else would have had the idea to collaborate with Swedish Ikea, Japanese Takashi Murakami, and underground Parisian rappers like PNL or Freeze Corleone under one single brand: Off-White?
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On a fashion side, Off-White will go down as the top streetwear brand of this decade, establishing itself quickly since its founding (2013) . Competing with the likes of established luxury brands like Gucci and streetwear brands like Supreme or Palace. When LVMH announced their Off-White acquisition and his new position for Louis Vuitton, it was proof that Virgil Abloh had contributed to the shift in luxury brands aiming at learning and sharing more with streetwear.
IE Stork and myself are devastated to hear about the passing away of a worldwide cultural icon, and show our full support to his family. The decision to keep on working while hiding from the public his battle with cancer is another proof of the devotion he put into his art.
I had originally planned to write about different types of fashion shops. However these past days have made me think and led me to change my topic towards something that Virgil Abloh has contributed to and reinvented: streetwear. Let me present to you some of the nicest streetwear shops in Madrid.
Lab Lamarca
Calle de Fernando VI, 10
Located right next to Roots Lamarca, there are chances you probably passed by this very design shop in Chueca. Mainly specialized in Women’s clothes. You can also expect a selection of a few brands for men with very different price ranges. While there is a large amount of Golden Goose sneakers. Popular among IE students, and some sustainable brands such as EcoHalf or Patagonia. Finally, Lab Lamarca offers beauty & health products too, and accessories that can be good ideas for Christmas gifts!
Archive SNKRS Madrid
Calle de las Infantas, 40 / Barceló, 13 / Lagasca, 54
This shop offers a wide range of some of the trendiest sneakers on the market. From Jordans to Nike collabs with Atmos, Parra, and Off-White. Expect to see some of the rarest and most sought after sneakers. Although the majority of them are expensive, there is a section for more classic sneakers with fair pricing. Archive SNKRS also gives you the possibility to sell your shoes throughout their store, as long as they are near perfect condition. As you can see, there are three different stores in Madrid that are very diverse from one other. The shop located in Calle de las Infantas. It has more options than the one in Calle Barceló, which specializes more in very exclusive sneakers.
SUUS
Calle de Argensola 4
Suus focuses on Haute Couture clothes from known designer brands. Such as Rick Owens and others that are really less known such as THE VIRIDI-ANNE or Isaac Sellam. This shop is extremely specific in its style. By selling clothes that are either black or grey, with a refined touch. Although it is very pricey, I still recommend you to go take a look as SUUS has a very unique vibe and quality leather products.
Polemo
Corredorra Alta de San Pablo, 2
Situated in Malasaña, in this little store you will be able to find a wide range of skateboarding brands. Like Huf, Stussy, Obey, and less known ones like Pasdemer or HUman Society. The shop also occasionally covers some releases of Supreme and Palace drops. I highly recommend Polemo if you are looking for caps or bucket hats! And jump at the chance to check out other stores near Malasaña, as it is filled with very nice fashion shops.
Amen
Calle de San Andrés, 3
When visiting this shop after you have visited Polemo. As the two shops are very close to each other in the neighborhood of Malasaña. I personally find this one to have the nicest design in all of Madrid. With a lot of space and a nice contrast between the white walls and the colorful clothes. Amen is more than a simple fashion shop. In fact they sell a wide range of accessories like mini sneakers, jewelry, but also magazines and books to read, and even decorations for your apartment. Regarding their clothes, expect a lot of different designs with a wide range of prices.
Lace It Store
Calle de Campoamor, 3
To wrap up with our list of streetwear shops in Madrid, Lace It Store is one of the hypest stores in town. They have an incredible number of collabs, added up to the classic hypebeast brands. Such as Palace, Off-White, Palm Angels, and more luxurious/designer brands like Alexander Mcqueen that can be overall a bit more pricey than usual. Lace It Store also provides different sneakers. That go from regular prices to higher ones if the shoe is special and rare.
Lace It Store concludes our compilation of some of the nicest streetwear shops in Madrid. It shows how much streetwear has evolved ever since its appearance in the 90s, popular among skaters. This style now has different widely accepted sub-styles, not necessarily related to skateboarding anymore. Revolutionary fashion designers like Virgil Abloh were able to extend the streetwear culture and diversify it through collaborations. With streetwear clothing highly questioned due to its environmental impact. Companies producing them will now face the challenge of reinventing themselves and rethinking their production techniques.
What is your favourite outfit to pull off in the streets of Madrid? Let us know via @ieustork. Stay tuned for other articles of our series Autumn in Madrid!
