Machine-A Enlists Raf Simons, Martine Rose and MMW to Define What "A" Means to Them

Stavros Karelis‘ Machine-A is a London institution. From carrying all of the best Raf Simons collections earlier than most other retailers to stocking and introducing once-new names like Liam Hodges, Martine Rose, 1017 ALYX 9SM, A-COLD-WALL*, JW Anderson, Coperni and so many more, it’s safe to say that Machine-A has one of the strongest buying departments in the game. Now, it takes this unmatched energy to Shanghai, the next location that the imprint aims to dominate.

Coinciding with the launch of its new store, Machine-A has tapped its friends Raf Simons, Matthew M Williams, Martine Rose, Coperni, Ottolinger, Yueqi Qi and WINDOWSEN to each give their unique perspectives of what “A” means to them, or to tell a story of their career beginnings. This comes to life in a short film directed by the up-and-coming Chinese director AJ Duan, shot between Machine-A’s respective homes of London and Shanghai.

For Raf, “A” is the “Driving Force,” apt given the store’s always-ready approach to witnessing and stocking the next big change in fashion. Likewise, Williams notes that “A is A Place of Beginning,” while Ottolinger says “A is for Staying Curious” and Rose thinks that “A for Always Taking Risks,” again, all things attributed to Machine-A’s success.

Explore the film and photography above, and be sure to head to Machine-A’s new store in Shanghai, or its London flagship, for a taste of its curation.

In other news, Hypebeast is at London Fashion Week, and this was Fashion East’s SS23 presentation.