By now we’re pretty used to the concept store. The skate shop/gluten-free cafe. The luxury-retailer-meets-local-letterpress hotspot. But in 2005, before record stores were merging with coffee carts, veteran hair stylist Marcial Muñoz set up his chair in a 19th-century corner building in San Sebastián’s historic Old Town and christened it Noventa Grados, or Ninety Degrees.
Taking a page from O.G. concept shops like Milan’s Corso Como (opened in 1990) and Colette in Paris (opened in 1997 and closing this year), Noventa Grados isn’t just an upscale salon. Muñoz worked with prominent Spanish architecture firm Astigarraga y Lasarte to create an open space that incorporates two floors of clothing, accessories, apothecary goods, and objet d’art. Taking it a step further, the shop regularly hosts exhibits from national and global artists, including an annual collaboration with the city’s International Jazz Festival with artwork to echo the musical offerings around town. And on many summer evenings, the boutique plays host to a fiesta or art opening of sorts.
Muñoz’s goal was to create a space where “art, culture and commerce are mixed,” he says. “You can immerse yourself in fashion, enjoy an exhibition, travel through the scents of the perfumery, or be delighted by the stylists working at the hairdresser.”
The store carries a strong edit of goods for both men and women, artfully displayed to drive the gallery/retailer idea home. There are colorful bins of Comme des Garçons pouches and Marc Jacobs wallets, a handbag-adorned staircase, and jewel cases of scents from Odin NY and Mad et Len. The salon sinks overlook a tree of scarves and curio display of sunglasses from brands like Britain’s Cutler and Gross.
The clothing matches the minimalist, urban-chic style the Basque region is known for—think monochrome layers and rich textures from Rick Ownes, Nina Ricci, Cedric Charlier, and more.
Consider it your luxe haven between sunbathing and tapas crawling.
