Antwerp, Belgium – A new store by Antwerp Academy graduates Anna Kushnerova and Romain Brau combines art, fashion, music, food and shopping at Kloosterstraat 13 in Antwerp. RA 13 features a huge, concrete-floored, white-walled, gallery-like space that showcases fashion designers such as Charles Anastase, Hannah Marshall and Louise Goldin. There is also a miniature cottage by designer Mathieu Lehanneur, with ghostlike sculptures by artist Dashenka Dagmar Prochazka lurking in the garden.
Designed to function as a community hub rather than simply as a shop, RA 13 is an example of the kind of experiential space which is becoming popular alongside the rise of Brandtocracies – brands which are forming relationships with consumers that extend beyond the transactional.