24 December 2021

Vienna Insight by Fashion.at's Karin Sawetz: Clothing at Alexander, music at the EMI store,...

When walking these festive days through the 1st district of Vienna, legendary destinations like the EMI music store or the clothing store Alexander can be visited for the last time. Fashion.at's Karin Sawetz used a Christmas walk for a last chance to get a handmade classical tailored piece at the clothing store Alexander at the Rauhensteingasse, which will be closed due the retirement of its owner, and for a music tour through the 1931 founded EMI Music Store, which closes because of economic reasons. EMI is Vienna's most legendary music store over generations. The official news about the upcoming closure followed rumors from October. In November, the 'Wiener Zeitung' published an article with closer details and additional information about the history of the store and connections to the music business like the Abbey Road Studios or Universal Music. Last mentioned are the owners of the EMI store. The running of the store became uneconomical due the decline in physical sales of sound carriers caused by the competition of streaming services. EMI at Kärntner Strasse is located near the Vienna State Opera and was also for tourists a destination where music was selected from a wide range of styles from jazz to classic, pop and avantgarde with special recommendations of the store's specialists.

Images captured on 23 December 2021: Snapshot from the entry to the EMI music store and the shopping bag which was handed out the day of the visit with the writing of the EMI motto '(Er)lebe Kultur…' which is a word play meaning to experience and to live culture. The EMI music store closed at 13:00 on 24 December 2021.

On tour through the city, permanently or temporarily closed gastronomy locations show the effects the pandemic has on our lives. Not only are typical tourist restaurants closed, some popular gastro locations of Viennese citizens have also been closed since the beginning of this week and over the holidays. In the last days before Christmas, restaurants and bars are usually fully booked and there is no more space available for guests without a reservation.

Fashion.at is looking forward to a better year 2022!