06 Apr OMG Florence Opens Doors on: Coexist Concept Store
One of our missions is to create new synergies, open doors for people and inspire and connect people from all over the world to what is happening here. So we are always exploring Florence to know what is new, what is lasting, what is working, what is being redone. There is more than you might think in this little Renaissance city and we’ve been keeping an interested eye on this concept store, now a year old, tucked in between the Ponte alla Carraia and the Oltrarno neighborhood. Read all about it.
OhMyGodFlorence: Who is CoExist?
COEXIST: Coexist is a multi-faceted space where our brand is exclusively mixed with international designers, art, magazines. We are a team of creatives, with different personalities and professional skills in different fields (fashion design, management, art).
The team members are involved in all project activities, planning events, designing our in-house COEXIST collection, sourcing brands, running the shop. That’s how we get our creative juices flowing!
OhMyGodFlorence: Some of the first Facebook posts tagged Coexist as FASHION+MUSIC+ARTS+DESIGN #COEXIST #NEWTALENTSPACE
How has this evolved? How important is music to your space? How important are the clothes?
COEXIST: The core business is clothing (fashion). Our priorities are stocking exclusive brands (newtalentspace) and designing our in-house collection. Then MUSIC IS PART OF OUR CONCEPT FROM THE very BEGinning. COEXISTMUSIC is born thanks to collaborations with independent record labels and emerging artists. We’ve also dedicated a specific area in store with vinyls available to purchase and IPADs with digital tunes (music).
Design and art refer to the space itself: thanks to a special pulley system.
OhMyGodFlorence: A recurring hashtag is #supportlocal and #independentdesigners. Tell us about your local designers. How do you find them?
COEXIST: #supportlocal and #independentdesigners refer to the essence of COEXIST, which is a democratic space. First of all our in-house collection is designed by two young Italian designers. Then we collaborate with emerging local artisans for customizing projects.
Regarding our buying we always keep an eye on local brands, and we are planning to create a networking with design schools to present students’ collections.
OhMyGodFlorence: Who is your clientele?
COEXIST: Our clientele is heterogeneous: it’s a mix of curious tourists visiting Oltrarno, local people and fashionistas of all ages. The target is 25-60 years old.
OhMyGodFlorence: You are about to launch a website. How important is a website for your store?
COEXIST: We all know the importance of an online platform in the digital era. Lots of shops are doing their sellout through their websites. We are trying to reach the largest audience possible, and working with foreigners means building a relationship with them, and thanks to Internet this is possible! They have the chance to become returning customers.
OhMyGodFlorence: You are at the entrance to Oltrarno. How important is the store’s position for your identity and clientele?
COEXIST: Our position is crucial in terms of visibility and identity. San Frediano is the pulsing heart of the artistic neighborhood, and we are right at the entrance for people coming from the city centre. The area is unique, the are lots of bottegas, workshops and independent stores.