If you’re what the internet calls a “Nineties Kid”, then stepping into Friedrichshain clothing store Coexist, with its purple plastic blow-up chairs, rainbow shag rugs and a VCR recording of Clueless playing in the corner, will send you into full-blown reverie. Crocheted crop tops in candy-necklace pastel colours, shiny Gwen Stefani-inspired bras and skirts trimmed with faux fur, itty-bitty backpacks – they’re all here.
But Coexist is also a showcase for the designs of hip German owners Indira Töreki and Anna Heise, who met at the Schwerin Design School and combined their talents (and their names) to create the label Indyanna. After a few crucial years in London, they made their way to Berlin, opening Coexist in March. Each of their pieces is guaranteed hand-sewn, mostly made from upcycled materials; a craft that can often be witnessed live in Töreki and Heise’s back-room sewing studio. Their store also houses other independent designers, including LuLaLoop (which has clothed the likes of indie-pop princess Grimes).
Even if you’re not one to wax nostalgic over flashy print leotards (€65-70), bomber jackets hand sewn out of vintage scarves (€126) or punk-y denim vests with a political twist (€85), the shop is still worth a visit – and those of us of a certain age will find it hard to resist the infamous tattoo choker necklace (€2).
Originally published in issue #130, September 2014.
