This month’s stores we love looks at the best new openings from around the globe, from sportswear megastore to luxe of beauty emporiums. Read more here.
This year sees luxury fashion brand Louis Vuitton turn increased attention towards the Hong Kong market. The pop-up in the IFC mall showcases the new SS17 menswear capsule collection that’s defined by its macabre African animal graphics designed by British visual artists the Chapman Brothers. There is also a new pop-up in the Landmark mall in honour of the brand’s new Parfums collection of seven luxury scents, designed by revered nose Jacques Cavallier-Belletrud.
What we love
The concept
Creating individual spaces for capsule collections enables the brand to totally immerse the customer in one particular product, theme or collection. It’s gives them the freedom to explore design outside of the usual retail space.
The seamlessness between the product and place
The contrast between the two pop-up stores
The tall, open and graphic-heavy menswear store exudes a bold, energetic vibe, while the enclosed, opaque perfume pop-up feels more intimate and personal. Furthermore, the original suitcase of perfumer Jacques Cavallier-Belletrud is displayed in one corner bringing an exclusive yet human touch to the space.
Charlotte Tilbury’s approach to beauty focuses on glamour and individual style in equal measure, and this ethos is perfectly reflected in the new Westfield’s White City retail space– the brand’s first mall store.
What we love
The use of technology
It’s interesting seeing another brand putting a spin on the virtual beauty trend we talked about here. Our friends at Holition have created a virtual ‘magic mirror’ that allows the customer to try Tilbury’s 10 famous looks, then help her decide which look and products are best suited to her. We like that this feature is about supporting the customer journey and not simply dictating what they should wear. This ties into the brand’s empowering mantra ‘give a woman the right makeup and she can conquer the world’.
The synergy between the product and place
Both exude the Art Deco, showgirl-inspired grandeur Tilbury has become renowned for and the slick gilded copper and silver-leaf materials in the shop reflect the makeup’s metallic packaging.
The playfulness
A ‘sweet shop’ zone, complete with cash desk prop, lends the shop a feel of intrigue and fun, with the mix of 1920s/30s typographies adding just the right amount of eclecticism. The label’s lips logo is imagined in a proactive 3-D feature above the lipsticks – a fun way of drawing attention to the brand’s most popular product.
Adidas’s Fifth Avenue store has been a long time in the making. It’s the sportswear giant’s global flagship and intends to shake up the way consumers engage with sports in store.
What we love
The concept
Crafted from the same raw concrete and unpolished metals found in high school stadiums, it has a grassroots vibe that sets it apart from the super-slick professional athlete-inspired spaces of its competitors. The store is designed with carefully zoned areas that create a sense of atmosphere – from the narrow tunnel entrance that leads the customer into the heart of the store, to the basketball-inspired area that features ceiling lights in the shape of a basketball court.
It understands its demographic
Adidas recognise that being in the centre of Manhattan makes the store a tourist hotspot and it offers a same-day hotel delivery service catering to this market. However, it also stocks a local offering with store-exclusive products to ensure it’s rooted in New York.
The focus on consumer engagement
A host of features from the guest kiosk, to the fresh juice café, test-wear track and turf area and live game viewing space ensure an engaging experience that’s service-orientated and interesting. Creating a space for locals and tourists to relax while catching that all-important game.
2017 sees heritage British brand Clarks undergo a total update with plans to roll out a strong new design concept to its stores. The new Russell Square showroom is a bold way of introducing this retail concept to the industry and press.
What we love
The concept
The showroom is a clever way to re-launch themselves to press and test out a new concept before introducing it to the high street. Gathering that important stamp of approval and column inches pre launch.
Its versatility
It’s a flexible space with floating mobile shelving systems that can be adjusted to suit a variety of events, whether that be showing capsule or full collections, staging press days or hosting industry dinners.
The aesthetic
The space feels more fashion-led with a clean-lined design boasting illuminated shelving and sleek lightboxes. Fashion photography has been used at the centre of the shelving systems, perfectly grounding the products and providing inspiration. However, the recognisable logo and iconic Clarks Originals shoes are on display, showing the brand is moving forward without abandoning its heritage.
