Shacked up @ Lu.Xu.Bu

In the last of a series of street wear shops this month, The Good Shop finds itself cornered, shacked-up and loving every minute of it at a little shop with a big cult following and an even bigger fashion statement.



The Good Shop gets right to it this week with Lu.Xu.Bu, mid-range contemporary adult street casuals with enough panache to make you want to jump right into a Justin Timberlake video. Yes, yes, throw some music into your feet, sprinkle some sexy dust onto your hips and get used to flashing light bulbs and neon signs because when you're dressed by Lu.Xu.Bu, you know every night is dance night and everyone knows you by your nickname. (e.g. DJ DungBlood or MC PhuongKy)



Honestly I don't think I did enough justice with the photography as while I was there, customers were just picking stuff off the rack like they just lost their luggage and I didn't want to get in the way. However, a sampling of their T-Shirt range and shoes should give you a pretty good idea how Lu.Xu.Bu has managed to set itself apart by focusing on a more adult theme.


















LU.XU.BU
320 Huynh Van Banh, Ward 11 Phu Nhuan Dist, HCMC

Picture a ranch in the mid west of Texas. Now try shrinking that ranch into a barnyard or a cobbler's booth in the old cowboy movies only with glass window cases that teases you with some very urban clothes. That's what greets you when you arrive at Lu.Xu.Bu. Lu...xu...what you say?? Yes, though the name sounds like a cross between luxury and a contagious flu, it is perhaps the exact reason why it sticks easily in your head the first time you hear it. And while I did not get to meet the owners, I understand the brand as a combination of three names. Just so I don't get MCS (Meta-carpel syndrom) just by typing they're names, let's just refer to them as LXB from here on.

For any claustrophobic shoppers out there, be warned - this shop is no larger than most mall changing rooms. But, what they've been able to display within theses confines are really impressive. Every corner has been well thought out to strategically capture your attention so that you never miss out any item they have.
Starting with the T-Shirts, these cotton chest statements show you LXB's interest in more contemporary art graphics rather than cliché t-shirt quotes and icons.

One of the strongest line at LXB is their canvas lace-ups. Brought in from Hong Kong, Thailand and S'pore, the shoes here are in a league of their own. Rainbow on your feet? Yup, LXB has a selection of colours or all colours in one pair for a show-stopping strut on the streets. With comfy rubber soles and various cloth tops, these shoes are made to compliment your pencil jeans, emo-band khakis or half-cut plaid shorts.

Plaids, polkas and deconstructive lines are the rule of the day here, breaking away from the countless horizontal line prints on offer around Vietnam. Made popular by big labels like Martinique, Calvin Klein and Tom Ford, the collection at LXB offers European summer styling at Asian bazaar prices (ok, perhaps a bit more).


The women's selection is understandibly thin in such a small location but offers just enough to make you want to come back for more. Two racks focus on day wear dresses with diamond cut fronts, spaghetti straps with ruffled skirts and free form T's. Again, the theme is graphic driven with polka's, plaids and subtle flower prints as their mainstay.

Where LXB lacks in numbers, it makes up with a strong selection of decorative handbags, bangles, ear-rings, wallets, belts and hats. From earth toned leather bags to primary coloured hip belts and the occasional shiny champaigne slippers, LXB let's you tune up the glamour or keep things understated with their wide accessories selection.

Note: Whoever took the time to paste all those book pages onto the walls deserve a standing ovation.
The soft-toy 'blow' doll on the shelf suggests customers and owners alike are pretty sexually active. (And why not? They're not frigid are they?)

The Good Shop Heads-up: Cute, teen chic? Try Sandwich. Angst skateboard attitude? Visit PJay. Contemporary, urban casuals? LXB. All covered here at the Good Shop. We'll be moving back to more adult fashion boutiques next week and with the holiday just around the corner, feel free to drop me a note on what other secrets Vietnam shopping is hiding.