Acne Studios, Tokyo
Bozarthfornell Architects
Perforated aluminium and blue granite meet plush wool carpets, bringing Acne’s low key Scandi aesthetic to their Japanese flagship, located in Tokyo’s Aoyama district. Juxtaposing textures and pastel colours create a calming yet divided space, the perfect backdrop for Acne’s off-beat collections.
Guerlain, Paris
Peter Marino Architect
Since opening its doors to Paris' elite in 1914, Guerlain has been known for elegant scents and timeless style. For its 100 year anniversary, king of luxury design, Peter Marino (whose design credits include projects for Chanel, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Fendi and Armani), was drafted in to renovate, expand and pay homage to the store’s celebrated history. Think signature motifs fused with modern elements.
Dior Homme, Taipei
Pure Creative
Mirrors, grids and azure accents make for a sleek backdrop to Dior's crisp menswear collections. This store is devoted to all things male – and minimalist. The founder of Pure Creative, Darryl W.Goveas says, “I like to create interiors where people feel and look good from the moment they walk in the door; where there is something new to discover everywhere they go.” It’s hard not to feel a sense of power from the moment you walk in this space.
REDValentino, London
India Mahdavi
Nothing says luxury like plush velvet and gold fittings, and that’s what REDValentino does better than most. Just on the right side of kitsch, designer India Mahdavi matches the first REDValentino in London to it's sister store in Rome. The beautiful scallop chairs have become a firm feature on Instagram and millennial mood boards.
Dover Street Market, New York
Rei Kawakubo
This is the third DSM store set up by the brand's founder, Rei Kawakubo, who was recently celebrated at the Costume Institute's spring exhibition at the Met. Speaking to Dezeen, Kawakubo explains her vision for the space: "I want to create a kind of market where various creators from various fields gather together and encounter each other in an ongoing atmosphere of beautiful chaos: the mixing up and coming together of different kindred souls who all share a strong personal vision.”
Sonos
Partner and Spade
At Sonos' first ever retail store, audio was at the heart of each design decision. The designers worked closely with Sonos' own sound experience leader, Giles Martin and audio engineering leader Dr. Hilmar Lehnert. The 4,200 square foot space features seven artist designed listening rooms, each configured for a different sound, and a 17-by-25 foot wall of speakers.
Totokaelo, Seattle
Jill Wegner
You’d be surprised to discover this effortlessly chic space used to be a parking garage. Sanded fir beams, alpaca wool rugs and chic garza chairs bring warmth to the white concrete interior. Jill Wenger’s vision for Totokaelo was to grow the brand into an inclusive specialty shop that spans women’s and men’s fashion, home and art—object.
Farfetch's Store of the Future, In Beta
Farfetch
This year, Farfetch unveiled their Store of the Future in a brick-walled basement in Hackney. A select group of journalists were given a sneak preview of the new features, which include a universal login that recognises you as you check into the store; a RFID-enabled clothing rack that detects which products your browsing and auto-populates a wishlist; a digital mirror that allows you to view your wishlist and ask for different sizes and colours; a mobile payment experience. All the data gathered links with the Farfetch platform – to streamline the online/offline experience.
The project is still in beta, but it’s set to launch this autumn. Simple, elegant and most importantly, designed with the customer in mind, we’re betting this luxury flagship concept will be pave the way for more to follow.
