It’s that time again, as the fashion world arrives in Berlin, and those of you who are in town for the different fairs should not hesitate to approach us if you need info on getting around town, the best parties, and the places to see and be seen. We also thought this would be a good opportunity for Andreas Becker, one of the managing partners of The Circus, to pen some thoughts on his favourite shopping experiences in the city. So without further ado, here is Becker’s Best of the Berlin Shops:
Soto (picture above)
With even more space, Soto is the first stop for smart casual urban wear for men within walking distance of the Circus. With excellent shoes from Mark Mc Nairy, the New Yorkish Street styles from Band of Outsiders and European sophisticated design through Norse Projects or Our Legacy, you will be sure to find that special piece that will live with you for a long time.
Torstraße 72, www.sotostore.com
Murkudis
This remains my favourite shop in Berlin. Located in the former printing hall of Berlin’s Tagesspiegel newspaper, this is the home of good taste in the city. The white yet warm sales room in a quiet backyard has something of a gallery quality to it, and although it is not cheap there are loads of things to feed your sense of amazement. Murkudis is the brother of the internationally acclaimed fashion designer Kostas Murkudis, and has produced a few collaborations with porcelain icons Nymphenburg that are exclusive to this store. He was also the first one to bring Martin Margiela or Dries van NOten to Berlin. Classy, a feast for the eyes, and a great trip to a neighbourhood you otherwise might not get to see.
Potsdamer Str. 81, www.andreasmurkudis.com
Chelsea Farmers Club
Here is where you can learn to dress in traditional British clothing without looking snobby and stuffy, for this is tradition with a tongue in cheek attitude as a few youngish Berliners celebrate British lifestyle with Harris Tweed suits, socks from rural Wales, and those funky fishing bags that you last saw on a 1950s television show.
Schlüterstr. 50, www.chelseafarmersclub.de
14 oz Berlin-West
The cathedral of classy urban wear with a touch of the rugged has opened a spectacular new flagship store in the City West, and now rubs shoulders with neighbours such as Armani, Gucci and the rest. The huge and tasteful space combines a Parisian, turn-of-the-century interior with one of the best selections of Japanese denim in the city, as well as countless other items that share some common traits; crafted, handmade and iconic.
Kurfürstendamm 193-194, www.14oz-berlin.com
Parfüm Harry Lehmann
This is a great journey back in time. A shop that has hardly changed in generations and offers different essences that allow you to create your own scent. This feels like an experience from another era, as you discuss your tastes with the extremely knowledgeable owner… and if you are fed up with the industrialized mass-produce scents of the local shopping centre, then this is the place for you.
Kantstr. 106, www.parfum-individual.de
Bücherbogen am Savignyplatz
For decades this has been the go-to place for anything related to arts, photography, architecture and design. A paradise for lovers of the so-called “coffee table book”, and it is incredibly easy to find yourself having spent a whole afternoon in this place just browsing the different books. Loads to discover, and a very friendly and multilingual staff.
Stadtbahnbogen 593
Schropp
The first choice in Berlin for everyone who loves to travel. They specialize on maps and have developed the travel topic with the widest selection of multilingual travel guides and everything related. Even the most remote places are covered, and the wide selection of military maps of the former Soviet Union for example is astonishing.
Hardenbergstr. 9a, www.schropp.de
J-Store
Some people might find this the weirdest shopping experience in Berlin, whilst for others it is the fulfillment of a – perhaps unusual – dream. The J-Store has Berlin’s widest selection of everything Japanese Manga related, including some slightly dodgy stuff as well as art books that are simply astonishing works of genius. The fashion department, in which you can dress up like a favourite Manga hero will make for some fantastic facebook photos. Unique, I promise!
Kanststr. 125, www.j-store-berlin.de
Deko Behrendt
So, if the J-Store got you in the spirit, then you should also check out this place. If you are looking to create the look of a Jedi Knight, a Tokugawa shogun, or an early 20th Century clown, then this is your place. If you regularly celebrate costume parties back come in Wisconsin or Withington, here you will find the stuff that is so crazy your local dealer would never order it.
Hauptstr. 18, www.dekobehrendt-berlin.de
Stickabush
Recommended before, and still the first choice for rare and limited edition sneakers, just a few hundred meters from the Circus. Additionally they also carry classy sport-inspired casuals that you can’t find anywhere else. If you’re here anyway then walk up the street itself, which has a lovely collection of small craft shops, for example a leather shop hundred meters up from Stickabush, that produces on location and has mouthwatering shoes and bags.
Gipsstr. 23, www.stickabush.com
Indigo Pearl
This is as “Not Berlin” as it is possible to be. Indigo Pearl collects and sells the glamorous stuff, the outfit for the red carpet of the Berlin Film Festival or the Proms… in the world capital of hoodies, worn out trainers and Carhartt pants, this is the alternative where you can answer the urgent question of what to wear at the next Captain’s Dinner. If you are in the mood for something that will get you noticed on the Champs Élysees and cannot find what you are looking for, then walk on down the street to the next choice…
Auguststr. 83, www.indigo-pearl.eu
Wunderkind Vintage
High end Creations from Germany´s finest Wolfgang Joop, and this is his only shop left, selling the creations of recent years for a fraction of what the top thousand paid when they ordered them straight from the runways of Paris. Still not super cheap, this is a wonderful low key place to get in touch with the best Haute Couture has to offer. Amazing materials, colors and cuts.
Tucholskystr. 36, www.wunderkind.de
Herr von Eden
Berlin’s firm favorite for hipsters and the in-crowd when it comes to suits and classic styles that are everything but formal. They manage in an inspiring way to take the formal wardrobe of central Europe from the first half of the 2oth century and transport them into tomorrow with cuts that make you smile, color combinations that make you look twice and a totally loveable approach, full of humor and class.
Alte Schönhauser Str. 14, www.herrvoneden.com
If you need any help with directions to any of these choices then please let us know…
Last week I went to my first Christmas Market, and great fun it was too as we spent most of our time walking from one food stall to the next, sampling different delights including various forms of fried dough, meat from the grill, fish smoked above festive burning logs, and all washed down with a mug of warming glühwein. So far so good, but after ten years in Berlin I have reached saturation point when it comes to buying Chrimbo presents for the folks back home from those oh-so-photogenic wooden cabins.
The morning after…well, it was an absolutely wonderful slow day yesterday, with tours, books, cake, beer, films and talks, and I just wanted to use the opportunity to say a great big thank you from the Circus to everyone that came by, joined in the fun, and of course those who brought their energy and creativity as part of the Slow Travel Day:
I first discovered 
