Stores we love – October 2014

In-store digital installations stole the show in October’s store openings as both Diesel and Melissa unveiled exciting interactive examples. View our pick…

Woolrich – Tokyo

US outdoor clothing brand Woolrich John Rich & Bros. has opened its first Tokyo flagship in the fashionable Omotesando neighborhood. In a bold display of brand heritage, the store’s standout façade is painted with the iconic Woolrich buffalo check plaid on top of a replica of the brick wall found in the company’s original Pennsylvania mill. Inside the two-floor space, the authentic, all-American aesthetic continues with a beamed timber ceiling, chunky wooden workbenches and carefully selected vintage props.

Melissa – London

Melissa has opened its first store in London, the latest milestone in the Brazilian footwear brand’s international expansion. Located on King Street in Covent Garden, Galeria Melissa houses an independent art gallery showcasing young British artists, as well as a vast LED display that senses if shoppers are wearing particular model of Melissa shoe and launches an interactive digital response.

Diesel – Rome

Continuing its series of creative collaborations, Diesel enlisted Berlin-based artist Andreas Nicolas Fischer to install a high-tech interactive animation in its new 4,300sqft flagship on Piazza di Spagna, Rome. Dominating the store’s mirrored atrium space for the next three months, the installation will harness data from maps of the city and evolve in response to the use of #rome and #roma social media hashtags. The store will offer the full Diesel lines along with premium brand Diesel Black Gold.

Men at Work – Amsterdam

Following major re-structure of the company and brand strategy, Dutch retailer Men at Work is back on form with a new concept store in Amsterdam’s Magna Plaza mall. The spacious basement unit features modular configuration and incorporates many of the unit’s original utilitarian features. Against the pristine white interior, pops of colour come from mid-century style furniture and neon signage. The offer is centred on youth brands, with an emphasis on the category Men at Work was originally best known for: denim.