More stories

  • in

    Jacquemus creates surrealist interpretation of his own bathroom for Selfridges pop-up

    French fashion designer Simon Jacquemus has opened a series of surrealist pop-up installations at London department store Selfridges, including a luxury-bag vending machine and a swimming-pool changing room.

    Titled Le Bleu, the installation occupies a number of locations across the store, including its creative retail space The Corner Shop and the Old Selfridges Hotel, a former hotel space that is now being used as a pop-up venue.
    The pop-up installations are located in and around Selfridges on Oxford StreetThe Corner Shop, which functions as the installation’s main retail space, features pale blue tiles blanketed across its interior. In its window, a large transparent tube of toothpaste spills ribbons of red and white gel.
    An oversized bathtub, sponges, shower facilities and sinks were also installed in the space, where they function as display areas for a selection of exclusive Jacquemus products and pieces from the brand’s Spring Summer 2022 collection.
    An oversized glass with a fizzing tablet is among the designsThe pop-up spaces were designed as a “surrealist reimagining of Jacquemus founder Simon Jacquemus’ very own bathroom,” Selfridges said.

    “I wanted to create crazy and unrealistic installations, all related to water and bathroom imagery,” said Jacquemus, founder of the eponymous brand.
    The designer was inspired to create one of the installations, an oversized glass, after seeing a tablet fizzing in a glass of water.
    “I also love how the giant tablet glass would also be very ‘eye calming’, a kind of visual ASMR installation in the middle of the Corner Shop,” he said.
    A 24-hour vending titled 24/24 is located behind the storeOn Edwards Mews behind Selfridges, a life-sized vending machine stocked with exclusive editions of the brand’s Chiquito and Bambino bags can be accessed for shopping 24 hours a day.
    A large circular opening marks the entrance to the space, a square room lined with five-by-five rows of bags and accessories displayed in oversized, deep blue-hued vending machines.
    Le Bleu includes three installationsAt the Old Selfridges Hotel, the final pop-up – a sensory installation titled Le Vestiaire – references swimming-pool changing rooms.
    Visitors are greeted by the now-familiar blue tiles, which cover the walls, floor and furniture of the space.

    Balenciaga wraps London store in pink faux fur to celebrate its Le Cagole “it-bag”

    A curved welcome desk was positioned in front of a tile-clad wall that holds a collection of rolled-up towels.
    Blue lockers and changing cubicles line the walls at the rear of the space and include “3D experiences” that draw on the iconography of surrealist French filmmaker Jacques Tati.
    It follows a number of installations that have taken place across Europe’s fashion capitals”Each experience is very different and playful, but my favourite would be Le Vestiaire, as it’s the first time we have invested in a space like this, with 3D experiences and crazy installations with our Jacquemus products,” said Jacquemus.
    “I wanted to recreate an accumulation of lockers with different 3D experiences inside, inspired by Jacques Tati movies.”
    Smaller installations were incorporated within the interior of lockers and behind cubicle doorsThe three pop-up installations are open from 3 May until 4 June 2022.
    The installation is the latest edition of a series of Jacquemus’ vending machine pop-ups located across Europe’s fashion capitals, including Milan and Paris.
    It was inspired by Jacques Tati filmsIn 2019, Jacquemus designed a Parisian restaurant named Oursin that featured whitewashed walls, colourful ceramics and rattan furnishings in an effort to “perpetuate summer”.
    French fashion brand Balenciaga recently transformed its Mount Street store into a temporary faux fur lined pop-up dedicated to its Le Cagole line.
    Images are courtesy of Selfridges.

    Read more: More

  • in

    Ten outlandish shop interiors that reimagine the retail experience

    A pink furry fashion boutique, a cosmetics store styled like a 1970s office and a streetwear outlet adorned with a chandelier of Nike trainers feature in this roundup of weird and wonderful retail interiors.

    The past year has seen a growing trend for over-the-top shop interiors, from stores containing surreal sculptures and installations to those masquerading as something else entirely.
    Below are 10 unusual retail spaces recently covered on Dezeen:
    Photo courtesy of BalenciagaBalenciaga Mount Street, UK
    Designer fashion label Balenciaga has temporarily covered its Mount Street store in London with fluffy bright pink faux fur to celebrate its Le Cagole bag and launch a collection of accessories and shoes.

    The maximalist look is intended to match the Le Cagole identity, which takes its name from French slang for an “over-the-top attitude”.
    Find out more about Balenciaga’s Mount Street store ›
    Photo is by Anna MorgowiczBala SoHo, USA, by Ringo Studio
    Brooklyn-based Ringo Studio designed this retail space in New York City for fitness brand Bala as a pastel-coloured “playground” containing giant replicas of its products.
    These include a 12-foot version of the Bala Beam weight propped against a mirrored wall and an oversized ankle weight forming a squishy leather seat.
    Find out more about Bala’s SoHo store ›
    Photo is by Alex LysakowskiSuperette Toronto, Canada
    Marijuana store chain Superette bases its shops on nostalgic retail environments, and for this outlet in the Annex neighbourhood of Toronto its in-house design team took cues from a classic Italian deli.
    The cannabis dispensary’s lime-green walls, tomato-red stools and checkerboard floor were intended to create a “convivial spirit” in a bid to appeal to the area’s student population.
    Find out more about Suprette’s Toronto store ›
    Photo courtesy of HarmayHarmay Hangzhou, China, by AIM Architecture
    Shanghai studio AIM Architecture transformed the second floor of a business park in the Chinese city of Hangzhou into a cosmetics store resembling a 1970s office for Harmay.
    The brand’s perfumes and make-up products are displayed in rows of yellow desks, on phoney bookshelves and on boardroom tables hidden behind frosted-glass “meeting room” doors.
    Find out more about Harmay’s Hangzhou store ›
    Photo courtesy of FormoralFormoral Hangzhou, China, by Lialawlab
    This skincare store, also in Hangzhou, was designed for Formoral by interiors studio Lialawlab on a theme of retro-futurism – meaning the future as envisioned in the past.
    With its spherical gateway, limited palette and otherworldly lighting, the space was likened to a “desert planet” by Lialawlab’s chief designer, Liya Xing.
    Find out more about Formoral’s Hangzhou store ›
    Photo is by Ye Rin MokDreams, USA, by Adi Goodrich
    Spatial designer and artist Adi Goodrich filled the Dreams lifestyle store in Los Angeles’ Atwater Village with surrealist details such as a lobster phone that references a Salvador Dalí artwork.
    A large Klein-blue rock sculpture covered in non-reflective paint provides the focal point and adds to the interior’s dreamlike feel.
    Find about more about the Dreams store in Los Angeles ›
    Photo courtesy of KithKith Paris, France, by Snarkitecture
    New York-based design studio Snarkitecture created a flagship store for American streetwear brand Kith inside a 19th-century Parisian mansion.
    It added two ceiling installations made with casts of white Nike sneakers, one lining the barrel-vaulted ceiling at the shop’s entrance and the other arranged to replicate a teardrop chandelier.
    Find out more about Kith’s Paris store ›
    Photo is by InspaceToSummer Beijing, China, by F.O.G. Architecture
    With curved walls, mirrored surfaces and faux stone, this flagship store in Beijing for aromatherapy brand ToSummer was designed to be reminiscent of a cave.
    “We chose not to directly create the natural appearance of caves but, instead, present the characteristic elements of material textures to inspire the sensory experience,” explained Chinese studio F.O.G. Architecture, which created the space.
    Find out more about ToSummer’s Beijing store ›
    Photo courtesy of Forte ForteForte Forte, USA, by Forte Forte 
    Italian fashion label Forte Forte’s art director Robert Vattilana designed its Los Angeles boutique based on the “volumes and lines of Californian modernism”.
    The shop features light fixtures inspired by James Turrell artworks, a circular golden changing room and two giant stones taken from the Palm Springs desert balanced on top of one another in front of full-height muslin curtains.
    Find out more about Forte Forte’s Los Angeles store ›
    Photo courtesy of GlossierGlossier Seattle, USA
    Beauty brand Glossier is known for the playful, pastel-coloured interiors created by its in-house design team at its physical outlets.
    At the centre of this store in Seattle is a sculpture of a large boulder covered in moss and colourful mushrooms, surrounded by contrasting pale-pink furniture.
    Find out more about Glossier’s Seattle store ›

    Read more: More

  • in

    Bala's SoHo store by Ringo Studio features oversized fitness equipment

    Brooklyn-based Ringo Studio has created a pastel “playground” as the first retail space for fitness brand Bala in New York City, which includes scaled-up versions of its products.

    Founded by Natalie Holloway and Max Kislevitz, who appeared on reality TV show Shark Tank, Bala sells weights, bands and other fitness equipment in a range of candy colours.
    Bala’s New York City store includes giant versions of the brand’s fitness productsRingo Studio founder Madelynn Ringo, the former retail designer for cosmetics brand Glossier, cold-called the duo and asked them to keep her in mind when they opened their first physical retail space.
    So when the opportunity arose to take over a 1,300-square-foot (120-square-metre) space at 99 Spring Street in SoHo, Ringo was brought on to translate the brand’s aesthetic into interior design.
    A weighted ankle Bangle becomes a leather seat for customersThe products are typified by soft, rounded shapes, so these were replicated in features around the store.

    “The space invites visitors to work out amid scaled-up versions of Bala’s visually compelling products,” Ringo said. “These sculptural elements create nooks for testing, touching, and trying out in-person.”
    The entrance is via a black hoop that resembles Bala’s Power RingThe entrance to the store is under a black arch that resembles one of the brand’s signature products: The Power Ring.
    Beyond, a pale green counter displays a variety of weights in the same hue as its curved top. Further areas are also colour-matched with the items on show.
    Products are colour-coordinated with their display areas”Organised chromatically, distinct zones immerse visitors in the colour space of the band, heightening the sense of place and identification with the brand,” Ringo said.
    A giant 12-foot-tall version of the Bala Beam is propped up against a mirrored wall that is divided by vertical light strips.
    Mirrored walls allow customers to test out the products as if they were in a gymOn the opposite side, an oversized replica of a Bangle – used as ankle weight – swoops down from the ceiling to form a squishy leather seat.
    Through a pale blue arch is another space decorated entirely in pink, from the walls, ceiling and counter, to velvet fitting-room curtains and a furry carpet.

    Glossier Flagship in New York includes soft-pink plasterwork and a Boy Brow Room

    The space was fabricated by New York-based Konduit, which specialises in scenic design, curved surfaces and custom finishes.
    The team worked with Ringo Studio to match the distinct matte sheen and exact colours of the Bala products across the scaled-up design elements.
    At the back is an entirely pink room, hosting more products and fitting roomsOutside of retail hours, the store is also intended to host fitness programs that incorporate the various products.
    “It’s a Balacise playground to introduce customers to their innovative products and encourage them to test and experiment,” Ringo said.
    The back room is lined with a furry pink carpetPastels have been a popular choice of palette for stores and boutiques over the past few years, particularly in New York City.
    Brands like Everlane, The Arrivals, and of course, Glossier, all chose similarly soft shades for their shop interiors in the city.
    The photography is by Anna Morgowicz.

    Read more: More

  • in

    Balenciaga wraps London store in pink faux fur to celebrate its Le Cagole “it-bag”

    Fashion brand Balenciaga has transformed its Mount Street store in London, creating a maximalist look to launch its Le Cagole collection by blanketing the interior in bright pink faux fur.

    To celebrate its popular Le Cagole bag, which references Balenciaga’s maximalist It Bags of the past, and launch the line’s collection of accessories and shoes, the entire interior of the store has been covered in fur.
    Balenciaga’s Mount Street store was lined in faux furThe brand removed its accessories, ready-to-wear collections and permanent shelving from the store and installed temporary, metal fixtures – taken from the brand’s previous projects and installations – throughout.
    Balenciaga wrapped these temporary fixtures and displays in a fluffy, bright pink faux fur chosen for its maximalist look to tie with the Le Cagole bag identity.
    Pink faux fur was used across the walls, floors and surfaces”The line, which now includes multiple bags, wallet, and shoe styles, reinvents Balenciaga codes in the tradition of maximalist It Bags of another era,” said Balenciaga.

    “Le Cagole pop-ups are in keeping with this spirit, covered entirely with bright pink fake fur. Shelves, displays, floors, seating, and even racks in the open-plan kiosks are lined in pink.”
    Le Cagole bags were placed across the fur-lined temporary displaysThe Le Cagole, which Vogue has dubbed the “new it-bag”, was designed by Balenciaga’s creative director Demna, who reinvented one of the house’s most iconic bags – the Balenciaga Motorcycle bag.
    First released in 2001 by Nicholas Ghesquiere, who led a 15-year tenure as creative director at the house from 1997 to 2012, the Motorcycle bag quickly became a staple of the 2000s.

    Balenciaga dedicates Autumn Winter 2022 show to the climate crisis and the war in Ukraine

    Demna’s Le Cagole collection, which was first launched as a collection of handbags, has now extended into a number of different bags, shoes and purses. It takes its name from French slang that refers to an “over-the-top attitude”.
    The pieces employ the same detailing, hardware and rivets as Ghesquiere’s 2001 Motorcycle bag, which have been applied across a number of accessories including knee-high stiletto boots, mini-purses and oversized rhinestone-embellished handbags.
    The fur-lined Le Cagole pop-up is open at Balenciaga’s Mount Street store in London from April through until June 2022.
    The pop-up offers limited edition bagsBalenciaga told Dezeen that the metal fixtures and displays would be reused for future projects, and it is looking into ways in which the fur can be repurposed and reused in different contexts.
    “Each Le Cagole pop-up fixture base was made of reused metal from previous projects. After the faux fur is removed, the metal will be reused again for future projects,” it said.
    “We are currently researching the best way in which we can donate the faux fur so that it can be reused in manufacturing toys, for example.”
    The pop-up is open until JuneFor the fashion brand’s Autumn Winter 2022 collection, the house created a “snow globe” where models walked the runway in a blizzard as a comment on both the climate crisis and the Ukraine war.
    In late 2021, Balenciaga renovated its flagship store in London and debuted its “raw architecture” store aesthetic.
    Photos are courtesy of Balenciaga.

    Read more: More

  • in

    Meta to open first physical retail shop for virtual reality products

    Social media brand Meta, formerly the Facebook Company, is opening its first permanent Meta Store for customers to purchase its virtual reality products as a “gateway to the metaverse”.

    The 1,550-square-foot shop will open on 9 May in Burlingame, California, near the company’s Reality Labs campus – a research and development hub for virtual reality products.
    Meta Store is the social media company’s first physical storeHead of Meta Store Martin Gilliard said that the shop will demonstrate how the brand’s products are a “gateway” to the metaverse” – a parallel virtual world where people operate as avatars.
    “The Meta Store is going to help people make that connection to how our products can be the gateway to the metaverse in the future,” he said.
    It is located in California close to the company’s Reality Labs campusIn the shop, which will be open Monday to Friday, customers will be able to try out and play games on Oculus Quest 2, an updated version of the virtual reality headset Oculus Go, in a dedicated demo area.

    A large, floor-to-ceiling LED screen will project what is being seen in the headset.
    Meta’s video-calling device Portal will be displayed on backlit wooden shelves on the main shop floor. Customers will be able to try out Portal in another demo area, as well as place video calls to retail associates to see the gadget in action.
    Customers will be able to try virtual reality productsA separate cubicle with glass walls is reserved for Meta’s selection of Ray-Ban Stories, smart glasses that allow wearers to record videos via in-built 5MP cameras. Visitors will be able to try a range of style, colour and lens variations.
    Unlike the other products in Meta Store, the glasses will not be available to purchase in-store. Customers will have to order them directly from sunglass retailer Ray Ban’s website.

    Facebook to open pop-up cafes to give users privacy checkups

    Other accessories such as headphones, earphones and charging cables will also be on show and available to purchase in the store.
    “We’re not selling the metaverse in our store, but hopefully people will come in and walk out knowing a little bit more about how our products will help connect them to it,” explained Gilliard.
    “Once people experience the technology, they can gain a better appreciation for it.”
    The store will house virtual reality headsets, smart glasses and Meta’s video calling deviceMeta’s first physical store represents the company’s move further into what it calls a “social metaverse company” and away from its origins as a social media company. Last year the brand changed its name from Facebook to Meta.
    Gilliard also said that the Burlingame store marks Meta’s expansion further into the retail sphere.
    “Having the store here in Burlingame gives us more opportunity to experiment and keep the customer experience core to our development,” said Gilliard. “What we learn here will help define our future retail strategy.”
    The minimalist store displays products on wooden shelvingA number of brands are working on real-life and metaverse cross-over products, such as shoe brand Giuseppe Zanotti, which has released a digital edition of its Cobras trainers in the metaverse.
    Design studio Layer recently unveiled a pair of smart glasses for tech company Viture that lets the user play games or stream media via a virtual screen.
    Photos are courtesy of Meta.

    Read more: More

  • in

    Sibling creates pop-up creative hub in Melbourne's soon-to-be-demolished Hanover House

    Australian studio Sibling Architecture has used repurposed materials and mobile furniture to revamp Hanover House in Melbourne, allowing creatives to occupy the building before it is demolished.

    The studio created a variety of spaces within the seven-storey building, which is set to be torn down to make way for STH BNK by Beulah – a 356-metre tower that is set to become Australia’s tallest building.
    Three floors of Hanover House are being used for a creative programmeIn the two-year before demolition, developer Beulah initiated a creative programme called BETA by STH BNK and asked Melbourne-based Sibling to develop an interior design strategy to make this possible.
    Sibling’s approach was developed around the ambition of minimising waste. This meant reusing as much of the existing interior elements as possibvle and only introducing new materials if they could easily repurposed in the future.
    Reused glazing panels frame designer ateliers on the fourth floor”Over a third of waste in Australia goes to landfill, while nearly half of waste worldwide comes from construction and demolition,” explained Timothy Moore, one of Sibling’s four founding directors.

    “So we were really in this idea of a project where there was a lot of stuff to strip out,” he told Dezeen. “We saw it as an opportunity to explore the process of making in architecture.”
    Thanks to mirrored film, the ateliers are only visible when lights are on insideSibling’s project extends to three storeys of Hanover House – the ground, fourth and fifth floors. Here, the architecture studio stripped back all the materials available and sorted them.
    Old ceiling tiles were transformed into mobile benches, while the glazed panels of former office cubicles were rescued to divide the fourth floor into a series of designer ateliers.
    The ateliers are hosting a series of designers in residenceMirrored film was applied to the glass; when the lights are on you can see the ateliers inside, but when they’re off the space becomes private.
    Other recycled elements include office furniture, lighting, carpets and gypsum walls.

    Revival Projects’ Zero Footprint Repurposing hub saves construction waste from landfill

    Moore said the approach is similar to that of the Zero Footprint Repurposing hub that launched at the recent Melbourne Design Week, an event that the architect is the curator of.
    “We stripped back everything and kept it on site, then reused as much as we could,” he said.
    Sibling created mobile furniture using prefabricated steelTo support BETA by STH BNK’s varied programme, Sibling also designed a series of mobile furniture elements that could be made from sheets of pre-fabricated steel.
    These pieces, known as Taxonomy of Furniture, include a bar, tables, seats, planters and storage elements.
    Mounted on castors, they can be easily moved around the building for different events and uses. They just as easily wheeled into the lifts and moved out ahead of the building’s demolition.
    “The design intent of the taxonomy was to provide a family of joinery that allow for a variety of uses, including unforeseen uses,” said Moore.
    The ground floor features retail concepts, including The Future From Waste LabIn its new form, Hanover House is hosting a series of creative individuals and organisations.
    The ground floor has been reimagined as a platform for innovative retail concepts. Highlights include The Future From Waste Lab, curated by designer Kit Willow, which is testing a more sustainable approach to fashion production.
    The fifth floor previously hosted a restaurant pop-up called Higher OrderThe fourth-floor ateliers are hosting designers in residence, including algae expert Jessie French, Ella Saddington of craft studio Cordon Salon, and DNJ Paper, which makes clothing from traditional Japanese paper.
    The fifth floor is being used for a range of events. The first was a restaurant pop-up called Higher Order, hosted by chef Scott Pickett. Upcoming events include a holistic health experience called The Future of Wellness.
    The Taxonomy of Furniture includes flexible seats and tablesBeulah executive director Adelene Teh said the aim was to “go beyond the expected and give new meaning to the future of retail”.
    “The dynamic BETA By STH BNK hub of innovation and experimentation promises to ignite Melbourne, and indeed Australia’s, curiosity and imagination of what has become possible,” she said.
    Before the building is demolished, these elements can be easily wheeled outSibling Architecture is led by Moore along with Amelia Borg, Nicholas Braun and Qianyi Lim.
    Previous projects include a collaboration with Adam Nathanial Furman at the NGV Triennial, Squint/Opera’s Melbourne office and the interior of Kloke’s Melbourne store.
    For Moore, BETA By STH BNK resonates strongly with his recent PHD thesis, which explores the topic of temporary use and “meanwhile strategies”.
    “I’m quite supportive of developers who are interested in interim use, because you can test out design moves,” he said.
    “There is a rhetoric that we have to be careful of,” he added, “but it can add value, creating affordable workspace and places for people to come together.”

    Read more: More

  • in

    Superette models playful cannabis dispensary on Italian deli

    Green and beige checkerboard flooring, deli props and tomato red hues feature in this marijuana dispensary in Toronto, designed by Superette’s in-house design team.

    Named The Annex after its location within the Annex neighbourhood of Toronto, the latest marijuana store by Superette is a 500-square-foot cannabis dispensary-cum-hangout space for local young adults.
    The exterior of The Annex cannabis dispensary has green and beige striped awningsIt sits a few blocks away from two college campuses, the University of Toronto’s St. George campus and George Brown College’s Casa Loma campus.
    For the new space, the company turned to the “convivial spirit” of the college canteen for inspiration, aiming to appeal to the student demographic walking through its doors.

    The same retro colour and pattern theme is continued inside”Taking design cues from the convivial spirit of the college canteen, The Annex offers a one of a kind experience where students aged 19 and above can conveniently purchase and consume cannabis, as well as work and socialize,” said the brand.
    “This highly nostalgic and immersive space is rooted in one of our favourite communities.”
    Marijuana paraphernalia and cool drinks are displayed on lime green shelvesFull of entertaining colours and quirky objects, The Annex’s floors are covered in green and white square tiles which match the awnings on the store’s exterior.
    Marijuana products are displayed on lime green walls and shelves while contrasting splashes of tomato red was used for the stools and hanging pendant lights.
    The designers drew on the nostalgic interiors of a classic Italian deliSuperette is French for mini supermarket and all of the brand’s shops take cues from retro-themed eateries like old school diners and bodegas.
    The Annex takes cues from an Italian deli.

    Superette cannabis dispensary in Toronto resembles a retro grocery store

    A deli counter at the back of the store contains an array of pre-rolled joints and different strains and strengths of cannabis, while stools designed to recall a canteen are positioned next to the windows.
    “All of our shops pay homage to similarly familiar and nostalgic retail environments from diners, bodegas, to flower shops, and subway newsstands,” said the brand.
    They hope that the jovial design attracts local studentsAlongside pre-rolled marijuana joints and cannabis, customers can purchase cannabis paraphernalia including bongs, ashtrays and lighters. They can also peruse a selection of other homeware items such as candles and mugs.
    A slew of dispensaries have cropped up in the city of Toronto following the legalisation of marijuana in Canada.
    Among these is a minimal store by architecture studio StudioAC that has sheets of industrial grating over the product displays and a dispensary with mirrored ceilings by Toronto-based designer Paolo Ferrari.
    The photography is courtesy of Superette.

    Read more: More

  • in

    Forte Forte's first US store features golden changing rooms and balancing stones

    Light fixtures inspired by James Turrell artworks, balancing stones, and a circular golden changing room feature in the interiors of fashion brand Forte Forte’s Los Angeles boutique.

    The Italian label’s art director Robert Vattilana designed the interiors of the store, which is located at 8424 Melrose Place in Los Angeles – the first Forte Forte branch in the US.
    Vattilana called the design “an ineffable balance of the geometric and the organic”.
    The store features a sage green enamelled metal facadeTwo rectilinear shop windows are framed by a sage-green enamelled metal facade with the boutique’s glowing logo. The recessed front door is crafted from enamelled wood.
    Inside, a bright white ceiling is lit at the edges casting light on the textured walls, which create a neutral backdrop for Vattilana’s minimal but eclectic designs.

    A mixture of pastel and brighter tones define the space”The Los Angeles boutique is meant as a concise and vibrant project where light becomes matter, in an ineffable balance of the geometric and the organic,” the interior designer told Dezeen.
    Both pastel hues and brighter pops of colour are seen in the store’s furniture, which ranges from chunky terrazzo planters and gold shelving to a powdery pink chaise longue.
    The changing rooms were placed in a rounded gold boothThe amount of garments on display is minimal, with single dresses suspended delicately from various squiggly formations of gold wire.
    Changing rooms exist within a rounded, bright gold pod that is separated into cubicles. These feature a mixture of plush sea-green textiles and an array of mirrors.

    Forte Forte fashion boutique in Madrid is filled with shapely details

    Another standout element is two giant stones placed in front of ethereal, full-height muslin curtains, one of which balances on top of the other in a dramatic formation.
    “The stones are from the Palm Springs desert and are meant as a tribute to the work of [former Swiss art duo] Peter Fischli and David Weiss,” explained Vattilana.
    Two giant stones add drama to the boutiqueBack-lit, circular openings throw light on the boutique, which, according to the designer, also take cues from an existing artist.
    “Perimeters and ceilings create movement and an iridescent light emerges from the total depth of the shop, referring to the luminous geometries of [light artist] James Turrell,” he continued.
    The lighting was informed by the work of James TurrellVattilana described the brand’s Los Angeles store as a space that “echoes the volumes and lines of Californian modernism,” as it follows a group of uniquely designed Forte Forte stores in locations such as Milan and London.
    “The contrast with Italian materials and finishes enriches the balance of components with further nuances, sealing the uniqueness of the project.”
    “Each Forte Forte location follows a different rhythm,” he concluded.
    Giada Forte and her brother Paolo Forte founded the Italian fashion brand in 2002. Its other store designs include a Tuscan boutique with a hull-style ceiling and a Rome store “drowned” in green onyx.
    The images are courtesy of Forte Forte.

    Read more: More