CAPSULE [Barquillo 41, Madrid]

Capsule is one of those small&smart stores, which is one of my favorite retail concepts. It is specialized in sneakers and men's fashion, always showing some limited editions and brands' exclusive collections. Its very discreet window and its small space is perfect for the exclusivity they want to inspire.

I am absolutely obsessed with the joinery work, from the hangers, shelves and mostly the counter-display table. It is beautifully made and it matches perfectly all the brands spirit.

I find the three-level hangers particularly smart. They allow a very strategic display game, showing the main clothes at eye level and combining them with some accessories on the top shelves and some special items at the bottom. 

The store recently changed it's location, and that was a wise choice. Barquillo Street is becoming an important reference area for men's fashion in Madrid and I highly recommend it to anyone visiting the city who is interested in doing some shopping. 

Despite having a wide men's collection, don't worry girls! There are also some things for us at Capsule, so do not hesitate in paying them a visit!

<< Thanks Al for playing the "I'm Palo`s assistant role" when we visited this cool place! >>

SISTER JANE [59A Portobello Road, London]

I just found these pictures that have literally been hidden in my computer for a year, and I totally forgot about them. Sozzz Sister Jane!

Since I now have no time to explore, what a great opportunity bringing them out is to make this sadly abandoned blog shine for a little bit.I totally remembered how surprised I was to find this store right at the beginning of Portobello Road, where the actual market hasn't yet started and all you see are tons of tourists wandering around hoping to find William Thacker's blue door house. So I must say that the surprise effect and the end-of-the-stairs entrance captivated me from the start. 

The inside is elegant, clean and very white (I absolutely adore the white wooden floor!). And I thing it's quite interesting seeing the old neighborhood architecture through this pure space windows.The store's spatial organization is very simple, just rails around the perimeter and a very smartly located mannequin, nothing else gets your attention away from the clothes.  

I have shown some other times on this blog pipe rails, which have been a huge trend for a while now, but there is something different about them in Sister Jane. The way they emerge from the floor and walls, makes them totally seem to be actual working pipes; and even if they are not I like to think about this design approach, using what is already there on a way that serves the space needs.

I remember how nice it was being able to have this quite and calm shopping experience before getting into the madness of Portobello Rd. Market!

SUMMER FAVORITES

So, yes... I was too lazy to do a July and August favorites, so let's just make a Summer post instead!

I know that Summer is all about going outdoors, suntanning and so on... But since I have been spending mine studying for a really important test, most of the things I have been enjoying during it are nerdy - internet related stuff...

#1 After spending around 8 hours a day reading super boring notes, I am not really into novels lately, so I am reading a lot of comedy - easy going books. My two favorites so far are, no doubt, Jeffery Self's Straight People and Mindy Kaling's Is everyone hanging out without me?. 

The first one, as its cover reckons, is "a Spotter's Guide to the Fascinating World of Heterosexuals" and it is simply HILARIOUS! It is full of some of my favorite stereotypes about my own specie, and definitely worth reading if you wanna have a good laugh!

I loved Mindy's book on the other hand because I relate to her on way too many things! I love all her first world problems, and I don't get one night stands either... (You could totally get murdered!!).

#2 Something that has totally made my Summer has been Tyler's Oakley's Special Auguest. I think I've already mentioned him like a thousand times on this blog, but he deserves it for being my favorite youtuber ever! This August he decided to do a collab video every week day and it was just the best thing to watch after a long study day. I am more than grateful to him for that. (The last one is simply to die for, go watch it!!)

Let's continue with YouTube on #3! Andrew Jenks, an award-winning american film maker, has made an amazing web series called It's About A Girl. I love it, not only for being NY-based, it's photography, the music, the characters... everything is just perfect! And let's also mention the fact that he is not only talented but also kind of cute... 

#4 has kept me company during my end-of-the-day walks! As I mentioned on June's Favorite, I have recently discovered Podcasts, and it has completely change my life. You may know Jake&Amir from College Humor (yep... another YouTube channel) but their Podcast, If I Were You, is my favorite work from them. It is an advice show, where people email them their life dilemmas and they try to give them advice, always with humor, irony and some personal stories and experiences. They may make some fun of you, but you know... it's for everyone else's good and entertainment, so that just makes it ok! I just love the way this two very different good mates interact! 

On #5 to get away from internet stuff, briefly, I want to talk about something remarkable that happened over the Summer: Ashton Kutcher's acceptance speech, when he won the Ultimate Choice Award at the Teen Choice Awards. The whole thing was just perfect and he gave the best advice ever, saying things like:

 "The sexiest thing in the entire world is being really smart, and being thoughtful, and being generous. Everything else is crap, I promise you."

Do not hesitate in listening to the full speech here! So worth it!

Back on my beloved internet world, I want to finish on #6 with Jack and Finn Harries' (a.k.a. Jack's Gap) new website. They are not only very talented YouTubers, they are also cute, adorable, stylish, funny, british, twins,... And I guess I should stop since I'm like ten years older than them, and this is starting to get a bit weird ;)I really love their web since it's a summary of what's been going on on the internet lately! And in case you haven't realized yet, I am all about the internet. They bring us cool stuff related to many different topics, from youtube itself, to music, travel, tech... If you want to know what's going on, but you are lazy or just don't like spending hours online checking things out (...seriously, what is wrong with you?), this is the perfect site for you! You may also be lucky and spot the twins themselves every now and then (Upss... I said I was gonna stop!)So this post turned out to be way "geeker" that I would have wished, but I guess that only means I had a pretty geek Summer! I must also clarify that I did not only enjoy my Mac Book's company... There were also some friends around, beer, sun, and of course, study.                                                      See you on the next favorites!