Antwerp Retailer Sets Paris Unit

THEATRICAL FLAIR: Belgian concept store RA has arrived in Paris. The 1,500-square-foot space in the Marais district opened its doors on Wednesday after hosting its first event, a private presentation for designer Serkan Cura, earlier in the week. Located at 14 Rue de la Corderie, the theatrical space features women’s and men’s ready-to-wear by a mix of established and emerging designers, including Rodarte, Bernhard Willhelm and Iris Van Herpen, in addition to accessories, vintage clothing and art books. The founders, Russian Anna Kushnerova and Frenchman Romain Brau, personally designed features like a decorative screen, a patterned carpet and a monumental copper front door. Jewelry is displayed in a coffin, and flamboyantly dressed mannequins dot the space. “The inspiration is Twenties avant-garde and Russian cinema,” said store manager Laurent Kaus.