The large metal door next to a peaceful courtyard at 6 Rue des Arquebusiers seems inconspicuous enough. In fact, its simple charm eases entrants into the shock of what lies inside, where Damir Doma’s innovative, dream-like menswear designs are now on exhibit at his first store.

Doma grew up in Germany, where he studied fashion in Munich and Berlin. He launched his own label in 2006 and, since his first Paris show in 2007, has cultivated a steadily growing reputation for creativity and originality. In describing his aesthetic approach, Doma says: “I believe it’s always about building up the right tension. The day is nothing without the night.”

The s/s ’09 collection, now available at the store, is like a physical manifestation of this creative conflict. Garments hang from the body like an additional layer of skin. There are hints of traditionalism in conservative blazers and dress shirts, but the complexity of the draped fabric hides this classicism, distorting its aesthetic to something far more modern. The clothing is out of a fantasy, within its own world, influenced by nothing but Doma himself.

What’s more, the palette is strictly black, white or grey, but never mixed. “If you look [closer] you’ll find a lot of different tones of white in a white outfit, so many different greys, so many different blacks,” he says. “I believe that each material has it’s own color.”

With such a distinctive style, it’s only appropriate that the new outlet also creates a distinguished environment. “The store is something very personal for us,” Doma explains. The space, like the dynamic, reactive clothing, is an organic entity. “At the moment, we are at the beginning of something new. It’s like a baby for us. It has to grow up now and we have to learn about it,” he explains happily.

Shop address: 6 Rue des Arwuebusiers 75003

—Michael Miller