Cool Hunting

When Ana Strumpf moved her store Garimpo and Fuxique to Jardins, a cosmopolitan São Paulo shopping district just blocks away from the busier, pricier and more famous Rua Oscar Freire, she eyed the lot of empty stores around the corner from hers and had an idea. Bringing in designers to fill those spots had the potential to create a new commercial area. She got on the phone and spread the word to friends in fashion who eventually negotiated deals separately with the building's owner.

So goes the story behind Recanto do Alto Jardins, located at Alameda Franca and Rua Bela Cintra, a freshly reinvigorated area in which Brazil's most promising up-and-coming designers have been calling their new digs home since December. These include Marcelo Sommer's wonderful label Do Estilista, Fabia Bercsek's eponymous women's wear line, Le Sac's well-constructed bags and D'Arouche's and Ha Uma Santa's sophisticated collections. There's still one open spot still available and the new neighbors are hankering for something different, such as a cafe or floral shop, just to round things out.

Strumpf says there was no chance for deserving young designers to make their mark among shoppers on Rua Oscar Freire because of the high rents. But besides adding fresh blood into Jardins, the addition of these shops brings along something invaluable to the prestigious area: edge.

Recanto do Alto Jardins
Rua Bela Cintra and Alameda Franca
Jardins, São Paulo
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