Have a cool time at Party Shop, Toshoshop and others
For women, shopping is considered the best cure for depression. But there are shops that are bound to boost anyone’s spirits, both through their witty design and the sort of merchandise they sell. Just one look inside will put a smile on your face, but of course you can buy things there that will stay with you to lift your mood whenever you need it. There are not so many fun shops in Kyiv but these three shouldn’t be missed.
The first shop in the chain opened on Lvivska Ploscha, and I can’t say that I was a fan from the outset. The original store was in a metro “dead zone” and decidedly far from my common routes. However, with the opening of another Party Shop in Metrograd it became easier to enjoy all that it has to offer. The latter is smaller than the one on Lvivska, yet the basic assortment is the same.
As soon as you walk in, you’re met by a meter-and-a-half tall Oscar statue made of golden plastic, and once inside, you’ll find yourself surrounded by shelves loaded with carnival costumes, party equipment, and funny novelties. Or have you always wanted to test yourself in Harry Houdini’s craft? Then the time is ripe, just choose a deck of magic cards (Hr 25 to Hr 100), colorful handkerchiefs that are supposed to materialize from your sleeves, or an ultimate magician’s set.
The assortment of Halloween stuff will stun you even more: there is a feathered and beaded costume of a Native American complete with a decorated bow and an arrow set (around Hr 200 for the whole thing), devil’s horns for Hr 38, witch hats and wigs for Hr 100 and higher, skeletons, vampire teeth (Hr 3) and the real hit of Party Shop – a huge array of rubber masks (Hr 228 each). Masks are available portraying Elvis Presley, a skeleton, a vampire, Freddie Kruger, Lenin, Frankenstein and others. Amid these spooky images, colorful birthday caps, balloons and silly strings seem out of place.
There is also an assortment of practical joke items like a laughing sack, smoldering cigarette butts, “a hole in a windshield” stickers (Hr 15), a mirror that produces sounds (Hr 68), or a candle shaped like a voodoo doll.
But this is not all. The Party Shop as always shares space with the Wow Shop – a great gift shop, selling lighters with Bob Marley’s portrait, vodka glasses labeled “Love Slowly Kills,” an electric mouse in a wheel, watches and jewellery by Storm and finally, laces with the Rolling Stones emblem for Hr 47.
For more color and excitement drop by Toshoshop – a store that recently opened in the courtyard next to Kinopanorama movie theater. Follow the story’s mascot, Japanese robot character made of black cubes, through the arch take two lefts and you’ll be at the entrance.
“Toshoshop. Made in Russia.” reads the sign above the door. The main premise here is to emulate Japanese street styles presented by such manufacturers as BAPE, Baby Milo, Crazy Leopard, PQTT, PIGG, and Tokio Flash. T-shirts with funny (sometimes truly absurd) pictures and phrases are displayed on hangers for Hr 188 and Hr 238, embroidered and laced dresses designed in a country style for Hr 568, jeans, shorts, bags, sneakers, brightly colored socks packed in metal tea pots with Bart Simpson’s face (Hr 38) printed on them, vinyl toys, badges, and watches. Everything you’ll find at Toshoshop, even the minutest item, is guaranteed to be original in to the extreme. The staff claims that only one copy of each piece is delivered to their store.
Toshoshop is the only store of its kind in the city. You’ll all the prices end with the an eleven.Looking at the prices you will notice that all of them end with eleven and it isn’t a coincidence. Since all items are related to Japan and it’s Asian knack for numerology. For instance, the number eight turned on 45 degrees acquires is the meaning of infinity. Apparently Japanese style will spread infinitely too.
And to top off your day of fun shopping, try Punkt Sbyta Mecht (The Sell Point of Dreams), the store affiliated with the famous Artemiy Lebedev Studio, located on the first floor of Leonardo Business Center, across the street from the Opera House.
I had read and heard about it, and before reaching the place, I imagined it to be some sort of a special shop, but Punkt Sbyta Mecht turned out to be tiny and looked out of place in the in the wide marble hall of Leonardo. Yet the assortment still had a lot with which to surprise me.
The first pleasant surprise was a plastic ice tray labeled “Vechnost” (“Eternity”) – each ice cube will assume a different letter shape after being frozen. Coupled with a book that brought back lots of childhood memories, the fairy-tale “The Snow Queen” by Hans Christian Andersen, together cost only Hr 72. At the same round stand you’ll find drawing pens, postcards for everyday of the year, playing cards with suit descriptions instead of suits themselves (Hr 62), cook books and a box of four types of chocolate candies for Hr 41. The spot is edged by a hall tree with hanging T-Shirts decorated with funny inscriptions for Hr 188 each. In addition to their practical functions, all the items are great mood lifters and will help chase away your sorrows for a while.
Party Shop (Metrograd, area of Besarabska Ploscha);
Toshoshop (17 Rustaveli, 537-1113);
Punkt Sbyta Mecht (17/52 Khmelnytskoho, Leonardo Business Center).
