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• November 13, 2007
• Just Opened

Country Code

Four new stores worth hopping the Atlantic. By Valery Joseph

Paris—Heimstone

Je ne sais quoi—a French girl's effortless, indescribable, yet somehow perfect sense of everyday style—has long been a worldwide inspiration. And yet the young designers behind Heimstone, a nascent two-year-old label, have managed to capture the finest points of classic French dressing and make them young and new once again. Their collection of rock-meets-military frocks are the types of pieces that could make any trouser-loving woman want to bare her legs. Now with their first freestanding shop, the line's designers, Alix Petit and Delphine Delafon, are bringing their talents to a wider audience with a 750-square-foot store in Paris's chic Saint-Germain-Des-Prés neighborhood. "When we started looking for a boutique," Petit says, "the rental agency sent us a picture of our space, and we immediately had a crush on it. We didn't even look at any other places." While before pieces of the collection were strewn about the world in various select boutiques, the entire line will be on view here to reveal the designers' bigger vision of Heimstone. Naturally, the welcoming boutique mirrors the collection's mysterious Parisian charisma. Says Delafon, "The shop reflects our line perfectly."

Heimstone, 23 rue du Cherche-Midi, Paris; +33 (0) 1 4549 1173

Berlin—Penkov

Bernadette Penkov's sharp tailoring and menswear-inspired looks have found a worthy home in the center of Berlin's Mitte district, with her first ever stand-alone boutique. The shop's minimal presentation matches Penkov's style just right, and extends the ideal home for her quietly modern aesthetic. Having recently had the distinction of being the only German label shown during London Fashion Week, there's no doubt the shop will come to be a regular meeting place for Berlin's burgeoning style scene.

Penkov, Brunnenstrasse 65A 13355, Berlin; +49 (0) 30 4630 9047

Berlin—Pulver

The inventive collective behind Pulver finally has a place to call home. In addition to carrying the label's signature minimalist pieces, their Mitte shop (the first of its kind) also showcases the work of their fellow German up-and-comers—all showcased in appropriately sleek, pared-down surroundings. For the holiday season, the shop will offer one-off exclusives from indie labels including the Munich-based jeweler Saskia Diez and fellow Berlin label Ayzit Bostan.

Pulver, Torstrasse 199 10115 Berlin; +49 (0) 30 6792 6496

London—John Rocha

Home isn't easily claimed for this Hong Kong-born, Irish-based designer of Chinese-Portuguese descent. But with his new London flagship—housed in a former pub on Dover street—Rocha will add the UK to his list of loyalties. Featuring his award-winning women's line as well as men's, children's, and housewares, the shop is a perfect reflection of the many obsessions of this most international designer.

John Rocha, 15a Dover Street, Westminster, London, W1S 4LR; +44 (0) 20 7495 2233

Four new stores worth hopping the Atlantic.