Written by Nalden: Ah, Amsterdam – back home. I don’t know where to start when writing about one of my favorite boutiques, 290 Square Meters. I should probably start with this simple fact – it’s the best boutique in Europe. A bold and personal statement indeed – hahaha.

Last year the store moved from the KNSM islands in the North to the center of Amsterdam and went from 90sqm to 290sqm. They literally stayed low profile and underground. They’re located within a huge basement near Waterlooplein. So let’s say you find the store, walk down the stairs and see this huge space filled with clothes, gadgets, art, shoes, bikes, jewelry, perfume and who knows what more. Everything hand picked by the owner and his wife. You could say it’s their personal closet. The level of attention for their customers is also amazingly high. In the Netherlands we have a saying; “Klant is Koning” which basically means the customer is king. Well it looks like they invented that saying. We recommend visiting next time you’re in the area.

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Written by Nalden: During a quick business visit in Zurich I had the chance to see some of city center too. My friends showed me two of the nicest boutiques in this Swiss capitol of gold. Our first stop was Grandism. A fresh small boutique with all the usual street wear suspects – brands like Nike, Undercrwn, MHI by Maharishi, Adidas, Visvim, Idiom, etc. To be honest, I was expecting more Swiss brands. I was also amazed by the amount of sneakers Grandism carries. There was a wide variety of top caliber sneakers. Also, as a magazine junkie I was satisfied with the selection of publications. Too bad my German isn’t good enough to connect with the local print but the artwork was reason enough to function as eye candy. The store is located in a new area, kind of away from the touristic stuff, which is good for me. I always get panic attacks in those big malls. Grandism is a recommended visit while you’re in Zurich. Click Read More for additional information and photos.

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For this week’s Travel Chronicles we’re excited to present Matt W. Moore. Matt founded MWM Graphics, an art & design studio currently based in Portland, Maine. Working across several disciplines, Matt moves from colorful illustrations in his signature “Vectorfunk” style, to freeform watercolor paintings, and massive aerosol murals – all creating an exciting world of scrambled geometry and vibrant colors. MWM has recently worked with Nike, Citroen, Gravis, Microsoft, Blackberry, Ludwig, Tank Theory, and many more.

In 2008 Matt has shown his artwork at Concrete Hermit London, Sanctuary Portland, ROJO Barcelona, and Revolve LA. Today Matt provides us with an inspiring glimpse at his travels through conversation and photos. Click Read More to check out MWM’s Travel Chronicles 2008.

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