Exactly a year ago, fraternal entrepreneurs Jean-Philippe, François-Xavier and Guillaume Robert took the operations of their brand Quartz Co. to the next level by opening a flagship store at home base Montreal – mind you, we’ve talked about the retail space in a previous post – but that proved to be a minor exercise, because last summer, the company acquired leather goods brand WANT Les Essentiels. As a logical next step, the latter has now also entered the realm of retail, opening up shop on the premises of the former textile factory where Quartz Co. also has settled. The interior design is a renewed collaboration with local architecture practice Rainville Sangaré, and although similarly understated as next door, the chosen aesthetic is a tad more polished.
The setting features a variety of furnishings in shimmering stainless steel which take cues from the precise construction of classic commercial aircraft, including a sculptural shelving unit which is inspired by airport baggage carousels. A repurposed wood stool offers a contrasting element to the store’s sleek metallic interiors while it also signals the brand’s commitment to sustainability through its use of organic, natural, and recycled materials. The new WANT Les Essentiels store carries the brand’s full range of men’s and women’s bags, accessories, shoes and apparel items, in addition to a curated range of lifestyle items from other brands, such as Byredo, Grown Alchemist, and All Blues. The store also serves as a gallery space and community hub, hosting shows by local and international artists.
WANT Les Essentiels
5445 avenue de Gaspé (Mile End)
Montreal QC H2T 3B2
Telephone: +1 514 5047500
Mon-Wed 10am-6pm
Thu-Fri 10am-9pm
Sat 10am-5pm
Sun 11am-5pm
Publishers Note
Just to be clear – superfuture® is a design blog and not a political commentator. No surprise there. The scope of our content has always been global and borderless, however that can often mean covering projects in countries where we will not agree with the politics or actions of those countries. In a world that’s as screwed up as ever right now, the focus of our support is to those designers, architects and other creatives who aim to make the world a more liveable one – as opposed to people that try their hardest to destroy it. So if a project hits our desk and we like it based on its design credentials, we may choose to publish regardless of its location or creators nationality. superfuture® has always been inclusive and hopes for all current wars, aggression, violence, hate and extremism to end.
