EYTYS' FIRST STORE
After operating out of various skate shops and high-end luxury stores worldwide such as colette, Dover Street Market, and Opening Ceremony for the past year, the Swedish unisex sneaker brand Eytys (pronounced “Eighties”) has opened its very first stand-alone store in its hometown of Stockholm. The new space embodies the confident, fuss-free æsthetic with which the brand has rapidly become synonymous on the strength of its sharp, sleek sneaker silhouettes. “Having a store has been a dream, and the creative process started to take shape in my mind years ago,” says co-owner Max Schiller. “I guess you can compare the obsession with the way teenage girls fantasize about their wedding day.”
The freshly unveiled store—aptly named Eytys Stockholm City—is indeed something special, inspired by post-modernist masters Shiro Kuramata and Ettore Sottsass. The color palette of white mixed with pastels such as pale peppermint green and powdery pink is influenced by the work of minimalist painter Agnes Martin. Designed in collaboration with cabinet-maker Axel Wannberg, the space reflects Eytys‘ philosophy of celebrating multidisciplinary creativity and interacting with talented individuals from around the world. “Eytys is built around the idea of Generation Y being the first multidisciplinary generation,” explains Schiller. “First MTV and, later, the Internet have given us access to popular culture in a way that previous generations didn’t have, breaking the boundaries between different creative fields.”
In addition to the complete Eytys sneaker collection, the store comprises an eclectic curated mix: books from Swedish bookstore Konst-ig, pottery by Philadelphia-based ceramist Jessica Hans, collectible Swatch watches from the Eighties, ready-to-wear and home accessories by Tokyo-based indigo masters Blue Blue Japan, and even merchandise by rapper Yung Lean and his Sad Boys crew. “It’s the quality of work that matters, not the product category or person behind it,” Schiller insists.
The stand-alone store can be found on Luntmakargatan 15, charmingly tucked in between two competing Bangladeshi restaurants, an Afro hair salon, a Korean grocery store, and a basement mosque. “It’s located on a forgotten block in the very center of town, not known for much else than the tragic 1986 assassination of Swedish prime minister Olof Palme,” says Schiller. “We love this street because it’s less polished and more multicultural and feels more eclectic than Stockholm in general.” In other words, a street remarkably suited to a brand that describes itself as “more gritty pavement than polished runway.”
Even before the brand’s official launch in October 2013, women and men alike were seeking out its début style Mother: a minimal lace-up with a plum ribbon pull tab, cork insoles, and a thick, white vulcanized rubber sole (soon to be launched in black as well.) “We don’t see why so many things, especially sneakers, need to be gender-specific. It’s not modern and it only excludes people. Everything Eytys does will always be unisex, including all the products in the new store,” says Schiller.
For the upcoming Fall season, Eytys is launching its second sneaker style, a high-top called Odyssey. “It comes with the same signature sole as Mother, but is equipped with a higher shaft and tongue that is padded, making it more suitable for colder days,” explains Schiller. Just like their original style, this design will surely hit the Swede spot for many.
Eytys Stockholm City is now open at Luntmarkagatan 15, Stockholm. For more information, please visit Eytys.com.
Sunniva McLees is a fashion and culture writer whose work has appeared in Acne Paper, among others. Based in Oslo, she received an MA in fashion journalism from Central Saint Martins.
