The Thousands

Some shops are just a place where you go to buy things, the experience neither exciting nor ground breaking. There are, however, shops that charm you. They beguile with their pervading style, an almost palatable chi of good shopping energy. These shops are the ones you fall in love with and return to again and again.

S2 is such a shop. There’s an underlying sophistication to this store. Maybe it’s to do with the crisp white walls, bare but for local artist Jodee Knowles‘ subtle touch? Or the concrete floor of the Angove location (versus the dark floor boards of their new Glyde Street locale)? Or perhaps it’s to do with the architecturally inspired range of womenswear labels, with store namessake label S2 (Perth designer Chrissie Catling) leading the way, closely followed by Lui Hon, Alistair Trung, and Therese Rawsthorne. All spark with moments of unisex ingenuity. Their leather goods are worth a look too, as are the Phong Chi Lai handcrafted sandals.

Whatever it’s X-factor, S2 is edgy and terribly savvy, but in an effortless, understated way. Which is perfect for any modern shopper: after all, no-one wants to be seen as trying too hard.