Showing posts with label shopping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shopping. Show all posts

Christmas Market In Gamla Stan

I have already written about this year's various Christmas Markets around Stockholm... but I made a stop yesterday at Gamla Stan (old town) and I thought I would post some information and pictures to get you inspired! I call it the "main market" as it is the one that is the most well-known, open daily (11am to 6pm) and is very centrally located on the picturesque square Stortorget in the old town.
Being surrounded by the beautiful architecture of the medieval buildings that surround the square adds to the ambiance... with extra holiday atmosphere when it snows! Strolling around between the stalls, you will find ornaments, decorations, candies, toys, knitwear as well as food like herring, sausages, gingerbread, jams & jellies. You can also buy a cup of glögg (spiced hot mulled wine) and some candied almonds to snack on.
This market is open daily until December 23rd. It can get quite crowded in the late afternoons on the weekdays as well as during the weekends. I was there on a Monday early afternoon and there were no crowds! The easiest way to get there from the Hotel Rival is either to walk (15-20 minutes) or take the subway to Gamla Stan (two stops on the red line).
Ornaments...
...herring...
...candy...
...wreaths and...
...much more!

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Stureplan District

Stureplan square with the famous "svampen".
Aaaah... Stureplan. It is a name that has almost taken on a mythical status in Sweden, sometimes with a positive connotation (exclusive fashion) and other times negative (partying kids at nightclubs). In truth, Stureplan is just a small square where the streets Biblioteksgatan, Kungsgatan, Sturegatan and Birger Jarlsgatan all coverge. There is nothing really special about the square itself either, though the architecture of some of the buildings is beautiful. However, just about everyone in Sweden, young and old, have heard of Stureplan. Why? It is basically because of its location and the businesses found on the square and in the surrounding area.
Stureplan is located just in-between the downtown commercial district (Norrmalm) and the fashionable, old-money neighborhood of Östermalm. For Stockholmers, this is quite central and Stureplan has become a place where we often meet up with each other. Especially the flat mushroom shaped structure in the middle of the square called "Svampen" in local slang (it literally means the mushroom), so you often hear locals say "meet you under the mushroom".
During the daytime, Stureplan is a high-end shopping and business district. It is mostly (though not only) upscale shops that are found here, including several of the international fashion houses. You also have the smaller shopping center Sturegallerian right on Stureplan as well as the fashion district of Bibliotekstan with concentrated shopping opportunities. And just 2-3 blocks from Stureplan, you will find the department store NK and the Mood Stockholm shopping center. If shopping tires you out, you can always stop at the exclusive Sturebadet spa inside Sturegalleriet to pamper yourself.
Shopping street Biblioteksgatan
As day turns into evening, Stureplan takes on another form as the center of Stockholm nightlife. The square and surrounding streets are filled with restaurants, bars, movie theaters and (later in the evening) nightclubs. Here you will find favorite restaurants like Sturehof, Riche, East, Taverna Brillo, Eataly, Nosh & Chow and many more. But it is the nightclubs that are synonymous with Stureplan for many Swedes. Around 75% of Stockholm's nightclubs are located around Stureplan. Places like Spy Bar, Sturecompagniet, Berns, Rose and Hell's Kitchen are located in the neighborhood.
Berns
Photo from MyNewsdesk
Most of these places are under the same umbrella organization, Stureplansgruppen (the Stureplan Group) along with several restaurants. Swedish tabloids are always filled with stories of celebrities and royals behaving badly in Stureplan nightclubs which has given the name a slightly negative association with some Swedes. But they are generally all good nightclubs of the high-end variety and worth a visit if you are in the mood for some nightlife! It is also nice to have them all located in the same vicinity, keeping travel time down if you want to visit several.
Star club at Berns
Photo from MyNewsdesk
Stureplan is easy to get to from the Hotel Rival... whether you are going for shopping, dinner or clubbing. You can either take the subway (red line) four stations to Östermalmstorg (exit Stureplan) or else it is a 7-8 minute taxi/Uber ride.

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J. Lindeberg Concept Store

J. Lindeberg is one of Sweden's best known fashion labels and one of my personal favorites. They brilliantly combine fashion and sportswear along with Swedish sensibilities and design. The label contains (besides sportswear separates) shoes, outerwear, jeans, suits, accessories and more. I have always liked their clean lines, high quality, sporty design and great colors.
There are a few J.Lindeberg boutiques in Stockholm, including the flagship store in the fashion district of Bibliotekstan and in the department stores NK and Åhlens City. However, if you are staying at the Hotel Rival, you don't have to go far to shop for J. Lindeberg fashion. We have a J. Lindeberg Concept Store just around the corner from the hotel. Located just next to the pedestrian street Götgatan, it takes about 7-8 minutes to walk there. On Götgatan you also have quite a few stores, so you can easily spend the afternoon doing a round of shopping.
Recently renovated, the store has a beautiful, clean design which shows off the clothes wonderfully. I had a nice chat with Rebin, the boutique manager, who explained how the store focuses on world class service with many modern finesses. Retail meets the future! The store also hosts private and public events. If you see a Swede walking around looking effortlessly fashionable, chances are they are wearing J. Lindeberg. Stop by the Concept Store and soak up some Swedish fashion.

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Swedish Interior Design At Svenskt Tenn

One of my very first blog posts back in 2010 (I can't believe I have been writing this blog for 9 years now!) was about the Swedish interior design store Svenskt Tenn. As I stopped by the store the other day to pick up some Easter decorations, I got inspired to write an updated article.
Scandinavian design is world famous and I often get asked by hotel guests about the best Swedish/Scandinavian interior design stores in Stockholm. I would say the top of the list would surely be Svenskt Tenn. It is definitely the most well-known. Ironically, the designs at Svenskt Tenn don't follow the stereotypical Swedish design aesthetics (muted colors and minimalistic style). Instead you will often find many bold and beautiful patterns & colors at Svenskt Tenn.
Svenskt Tenn was founded way back in 1924 and success came quickly. Within just a few years, they were awarded a royal warrant and had their designs shown at a world fair in Paris and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Svenkst Tenn has been located at the same address on the beautiful Strandvägen boulevard since 1927. The store entered a new chapter in the 1930's when they started collaborating with the architect and designer Josef Frank. To this day, his beautiful textile designs are one of the staple products at Svenskt Tenn.
You can find just about anything you need for your home at Svenskt Tenn... from furniture to wallpaper to cutlery to lamps. They have even expanded into fashion design and have bags, jewelry and scarves. While this is definitely a store on the higher end of the price scale, it is still affordable. It is also a great store to just browse in and get inspired. If the shopping or browsing gets you hungry, they have a tea room on the second floor where they serve lunch and afternoon tea daily.
In 1975, the owner, Estrid Ericson, sold the company to the Kjell and Märta Beijer Foundation. The foundation still runs Svenskt Tenn today and any surplus generated by the company is used to support Swedish scientific research, providing research grants in the fields of ecology, medicine and the preservation of Swedish interior design traditions. Hopefully, this will make any shopping splurges at the store feel more justified when the credit card bill arrives. The easiest way to get to Svenskt Tenn from the Hotel Rival is by subway... just four stops away on the red line (Östermalmstorg station). Otherwise, it is about a 6-7 minute taxi ride.




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Bali - New Bvlgari Bali Watch

Bvlgari has introduced a new limited edition watch dedicated to the Bulgari Hotels and Resorts in Bali.

Conceived as a “must-have” for Bali and timepiece aficionados, the Bvlgari Diagono Aluminum Limited Edition “Bali" watch combines the core values of unique Italian design with top Swiss watch-making expertise.

The extremely elaborated 44 mm case of this chronograph is enhanced by the bold combination of carbon fiber. To match the design requirements and the highest quality standards, the timepiece features an internal steel structure that has been coated with a carbon fiber layer. The watch is available in two versions –automatic movement and date with and without chronograph.
The limited edition numbers are engraved on the back case and ‘BALI’ on the dial.

The watch is on display at the Bulgari Boutique. Extremely collectable and available on a first-come-first serve basis. It is retailed exclusively at the Bulgari Hotels and Resort Bali.

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Bali - Fake Products

The Directorate General of Intellectual Property Rights (DGIPR) has reported that the circulation of many counterfeit products is widespread in Bali.

Many of the fakes were watches carrying “Swiss” branding or vehicle spare parts sporting Honda or Toyota logos. The worst violations were fake Swiss watches. There are dozens of spots along Jl. Kartika Plaza, Kuta, where fakes of famous-brand watches are sold quite openly. Fake watches are sold for around Rp 6 million, whereas the real items would have a price of around Rp 60 million. The buyers seem quite happy with them, even though they are counterfeit. But of course almost everything in Bali is fake, clothes, shoes, bags, sunglasses, cd's and dvd's. Name it and you find something fake. Even in one of the biggest supermarkets in Bali you find fake underwear from Calvin Klein, Armani and Louis Vuitton for just 2 euro.

DGIPR has enlisted the help of a Swiss watch expert, who can tell them which watches are fakes and which genuine. The sale of fakes makes huge profits for the vendors but is detrimental to customers. Producers of the genuine items also complain bitterly that these sales can damage their reputation. DGIPR received 82 complaints about counterfeiting, of which 50 had been followed up, with at least two being taken to court so far. Action against vendors of counterfeit products is still continuing.

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Funny Balinese T-Shirts

In the last years, Balinese youth have created their own fashion statements, donning creative pop-art T-shirts emblazoned with witty words and colorful graphic prints.

Instead of putting words in the Indonesian or English languages, these unique tees bear amusing Balinese phrases. While it is unclear who started the fashion trend, the products created by U-Rock could be declared one of the fashion pioneers for these youngsters. The distro (local boutique selling fashion merchandise for young customers), located on Jl. Imam Bonjol, looks outstanding with its creative decoration in the pop art style.

Owned and operated by famous local musician, popularly known as Nanoe Biroe, U-Rock sells a huge collection of T-shirts of various sizes and design concepts, alongside other merchandise. One T-shirt bears the quote: Sing Mabuk Sing Muleh (which literarily means, We Don’t Come Home If We Are Not Drunk Yet). Other T-shirts bear the words: Lacur Sugih Patuh Gen Yen Meju Mengkep (Be Poor Or Rich, You Still Hide To Defecate).
The price for a T-shirt is around Rp 100,000. U-Rock also sells various accessories, like necklaces, stickers and fashion items.

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