The battle of sourcing quality in a world filled to the brim with targeted ads and nonstop inbox-hitting deals is becoming increasingly more exhausting to navigate, especially when it comes to investing in your wardrobe. EQUIPMENT has established itself as a Minneapolis mainstay menswear destination that champions true substance over trend-forward style, offering a robust roster of stellar clothing, apothecary and home goods brands that are connoisseurs in exquisite design.
Photography by Erik Hamline | Art Direction by A1A Inner Peace | Interior Design & Branding by A1A Inner Peace
“Our brand partners we’ve selected represent the most forward facing in independent menswear design,” says creative director and owner Erik Hamline. “Enigmatic and behind-the-scenes brands — most with cult-like followings that focus on craft and interest. Inviting clients to experience the tactility and character of the pieces we’ve selected in a low-pressure environment designed for a considered experience is what really sets us apart.”
Hamline has intentionally crafted EQUIPMENT’s elevated ambiance to spotlight the level of technique each designer and production partner pours into the pieces found throughout the shop, celebrating the dynamic marriage between in-store experience and high-end discovery.
“Traveling to Paris and Milan twice a year to make our selection for each upcoming season allows us to connect directly with designers who focus on fit, material and production at the highest possible levels across the world — translating handmade fabrics, age-old production methods, natural dyeing processes, etc. into the pieces we carry. Showcasing a multi-brand experience in a thoughtfully designed space allows for our customers to have regular access here to what was once only available in cities like New York, Paris or Tokyo.”
EQUIPMENT’s current core brand list includes pieces from A Kind of Guise, Auralee, CAYL, Eckhaus Latta, Lady White Co., Man-tle, Margaret Howell, mfpen, Our Legacy, Nanamica, orSlow, ssstein, Still by Hand, Studio Nicholson, Tender, Universal Works and Yoko Sakamoto.
The storefront also acts as a neighbor to Harmony Coffee, an adjoined sensory oasis also created by Hamline, which offers top-notch coffee and tea from some of the industry’s most acclaimed international and national roasters.
“Personally, trusting my taste and following what I believe in as someone who has great admiration and reverence for design is how I’ve been able to hone our brand edit. We’re not trying to be for everyone — but we do want to focus on being the space for those who connect with us or for those whose interest is piqued in what we are building here.”
