In conversation with Kate Coffey, director of Dover Street Market Paris

“DSMP is not just a shop. DSMP is a building in which to build” says your website. How does DSMP specifically contribute to the evolution of fashion and culture in Paris?

In a myriad of different ways. Dover Street Market has been acting as a space for fashion, culture and creative innovation, for 20 years all over the world. We aim to highlight brands who are showing something innovative and allow them to express their universe through their collections, installations, and events. Fashion and culture are deeply intertwined and DSM has always tried to foster this spirit and provide a platform for genuine and authentic creativity - whether it be art, photography, film, performance, sound. We try to support many different extensions that can branch off a brand’s world.


What was the original vision behind bringing DSM in Paris and how has that vision evolved since?

The vision behind Dover Street Market Paris has always stemmed from the same ethos that’s been guiding it for over 20 years, which is the idea of Beautiful Chaos, although DSMP migh have been a new sort of chaos. As Adrian Joffe, co-founder of DSM, says himself, there’s no strategy: just an ongoing desire to reimagine what a retail space can be. Dover Street Market was created as an ever-evolving, unpredictable environment that challenges conventional ideas of retail. Rei Kawakubo and Adrian Joffe were waiting for the right moment and the right space, and when they found the building five years ago it felt like an opportunity to cultivate something new in Paris. While the launch of DSMP was delayed by Covid, 3537 emerged first and welcomed all types of artistic expression, pop-ups, exhibitions, bookstores, cafés, performances, music and more. It became a borderless cultural home for a wide community, both local and international. That spirit lives on today reflects the same ethos that define DSM globally: offering a space where fashion, art, and culture can collide in unexpected and meaningful ways.


In what ways is the Paris location of DSM unique compared those in London, Singapore or Los Angeles?

The spirit and DNA of DSMP and our core values stem from all the other DSMs, yet some differences make this space one-of-a-kind. The physical spaces themselves are always unique, shaped by the local environment and architecture of the city. In our case, we are in a Hotel Particulier from the 17th Century. The building is not solely a store but consists of many different spaces: we have dedicated cultural venues (B1 and B2), a Rose Bakery café overlooking the Jardin des Rosiers, offices for both retail and brand development. In Paris, the retail area doesn't have designated brand spaces. Rei Kawakubo designed the space to be egalitarian and fluid, fostering discovery over destination. The space creates a conversation between the experience of getting lost and the experience of finding something unexpected. Both are likely to happen and one will lead to another. Compared to a traditional retail environment, more action is required from clients and more power is granted to the products. Curation-wise, DSMP continues to be a blend of men’s and womenswear, luxury and street, accessible and rare. But in Paris, there’s a broader focus on creative, independent voices - brands that push boundaries and bring something new to the conversation.

«Dover Street Market was created as an ever-evolving, unpredictable environment — a place that constantly reimagines what a retail space can be, challenging conventional ideas and embracing the spirit of Beautiful Chaos. With no fixed strategy, it is guided instead by a desire to cultivate something new and meaningful»

How does the city of Paris, and more specifically the Marais district, influence the way you build experiences within DSMP?

Paris is a city that can feel like a neighbourhood, and that sense of community has built a genuine feeling of connection at DSMP and in the Marais. Surrounded by galleries, museums and creative spaces, this proximity allows us to connect with the local scene while offering a distinct experience, it’s about fostering a broader cultural dialogue.


What’s your process for selecting brands and designers? How do you discover emerging talent?

We look for brands that place creativity and innovation at the heart of their mission, whether they’re heritage houses or emerging designers. Dover Street Market has always been a space where independent voices and visionary projects can flourish, those that challenge conventions and reimagine the cultural landscape. Our goal is to build on this legacy, continually evolving while staying deeply attuned to the contemporary scene. We seek to connect with brands that are offering the best product in terms of quality or design to the unexpected, the explorative, the unique.


What role does the local Parisian creative scene play within the DSMP universe?

We regularly collaborate with artists and designers based in Paris or from across France - names like Fane, Indépendantes de Coeur, Ines Bressand, Thibault Hazelzet, Pauline Dujancourt, or All-In, with whom we celebrated the launch of their publication Uptown Girl at Rose Bakery. Our opening featured a special capsule collection with Jah-Jah in partnership with Comme des Garçons Shirt, along with exclusive DSMP T-Shirts. Phileo, which is part of our Brand Development, is a consistent collaborator and has brought many of the artistic installations to DSMP including the “Avalanche” of chairs which took over our courtyard last September, realised by Japanese artist Tadashi Kawamata. We have also partnered with institutions and galleries, like Musée Picasso, The Community or Hauser & Wirth. We support a wide spectrum of creatives, from exhibiting artists like Mark Leschelier and Alberto Vitelio to showcasing student work from Parsons Paris and maintaining a close connection with École Duperré One of our pillars since finding the building has been our long-standing partnership with Librarie 1909 which we are proud to have a permanent space in the store. We also continue to host unique events, from welcome western line dancing classes from Thunder Club to Diane Pernet’s ASVOFF Film Festival.

«The space at DSMP invites you into a dialogue between the experience of getting lost and the joy of discovering the unexpected. One inevitably leads to the other, creating a fluid and egalitarian environment where discovery replaces destination, and surprise becomes part of the design»

How do you envision the future of experiential retail in an increasingly digitalised world?

Experiential retail will always be important. As retail becomes more digitalised there will still exist the human’s innate desire for connection. Of course, the digital realm offers incredible opportunities and different benefits but it cannot replace the feeling of discovery, of touch, of interaction, of senses, of spontaneity, of surprise, of communication with people and products - that is only possible in a physical world. It is a powerful and irreplaceable experience.


What are the next exciting projects or developments we can expect from DSM Paris?

The beauty of working at DSMP is that we are always planning something exciting and unexpected. We really aim to surprise, to have people walk in the store one day, experience an installation or new launch of an exciting product and then the next day bump into a new exhibition opening, a book signing, a line-dancing class, a poetry reading. I hope we can continue to take it further and keep offering something that stimulates, inspires, excites, brings joy and thrill and wonder.


How does DSMP see the future of Paris, and what role does it hope to play in shaping it?

Paris has always been a cultural capital. There has been a lot of amazing energy around Paris in recent years and we hope that the city will keep going in that direction. DSMP has been open for just one year and we can already see how the fact of being at the centre of dialogue between all its different interlocutors and partners allows us to continuously welcome new inputs and consider new ways of operating. Nothing is static and DSMP will evolve, but our goal will remain to be a space where you can find the best that fashion has to offer - products you can’t find anywhere else - learn about designers from near and far, but beyond that, an environment where the creativity of the global community converges with the vibrant energy of Paris, creating connections and fostering creative dialogue.

Photographer Eseniya Araslanova
Interview Antoinette Georis