Among the clutter of brand shops in Dubai is a unique boutique called Comptoir, French for “counter,” providing Dubai’s residents and visitors with a sense of European-style boutiques. The variety of products in this new shop has attracted many art and interior design lovers as well as unique accessories collectors.
French expats Alexandra de Montaudouin and Emmanuelle Sawko, who happen to be very passionate about unique pieces, art, accessories, fashion statement designs and decoration, founded the boutique. Arab News had the chance to interview them and talk about the concept of the store and how the idea materialized into reality.
“The shop was created by Emma and I to fill a void in the market, as we both experienced difficulties finding unique home furniture items and accessories for our houses. Initially we discussed the business potentials and we were happy to discover that our visions were aligned with regards to the brand, concept, shop-theme and atmosphere. For us, Comptoir is a full-time job, which we feel very passionate about.”
She adds, “We opened our doors in December 2012 but the cafe only began operating last month. It was important for us to open this type of shop, because unfortunately Dubai is lacking this type of shopping experience.”
Furthermore, on the items displayed in the shop, Emmanuelle explains, “The idea is to always have different designers, unique decoration pieces, new products and items in different categories such as fashion accessories and maybe clothing one day.”
Elaborating further on their vision for the boutique, she says, “We would like to be part of the unique art events that take place in the city, such as the preview of Art Dubai. We hosted an art exhibition of Patricia Millns’ work, a famous British artist who lived in Dubai for over 20 years. Millns is an internationally acclaimed artist who has created work that is inspired by the fusion and intermix of cultures.”
The shop is located in Jumeira district, which is one of the oldest and most prestigious areas in Dubai. The villa, in which Comptoir.102 showcases its products, has a cozy cafe atmosphere, offering gourmet French cuisine served by a French chef.
The menu options are all organic, which Emmanuelle describes as healthy and delicious, pointing out “New dishes are tested before presenting them on the menu, to make sure we are serving our customers an appealing and enjoyable meal.”
Emmanuelle moves on to explain that Comptoir offers a space to host different events not only for art galleries but also for all sorts of fashion and lifestyle occasions.
“We happen to know a famous French hairdresser who is based in Paris and just launched his organic hair products line. We extended an invitation to host him for three days, to display and introduce his items here at Comptoir.102. That is what Comptoir.102 is all about, using our own experience of products and connections to bring brands that we like as well as unique pieces that we personally discover. For example, if someone from the Middle East matches our concept and wants to showcase his/her work within Comptoir.102, we would be happy to do so. In fact, we have already done something similar with Khalid Shafar who has some great pieces that fit our boutique’s style and vision.”
Regarding their future plans, Alexandra and Emmanuelle have set no boundaries for their ambitions, including expanding into neighboring GCC countries such as Bahrain and Kuwait.
On this point Emmanuelle stresses, “We definitely have plans for developing Comptior.102. We are fully engaged in this project and are constantly searching for new and interesting items to showcase and present to our clients.”
She adds, “We would like our shop to carry the meaning of the word Comptoir, which not only means the counter on which you can enjoy your coffee and read your daily journal, but also means the road which leads to other cultures and heritages, akin to the Silk Road.”
Comptoir.102 boutique is located at 102 Beach Road, Jumeira 1, Dubai.
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