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    Selfridges launches The Joke Shop with playful Slapstick Generator artwork

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    London department store Selfridges has opened The Joke Shop, a “shoppable comedy store” that sells products including sneezing powder and has windows filled with whoopee cushions and slipping bananas.

    Located in the corner store space on Selfridges’ ground-floor level, The Joke Shop pop-up store was designed by the retailer’s in-house team.
    The Joke Shop has a fake entrance with nostalgic typefacesThe shop, which the retailer describes as a “shoppable comedy store”, sells joke shop products such as whoopee cushions and sneezing powder, together with fashion pieces from designers including Judith Leiber and Adam Jones.
    Selfridges worked with five joke stores across the UK to get the right atmosphere for The Joke Shop, which Selfridges executive creative director Laura Weir hoped “would platform the power of nostalgia and in-person human connection”.
    The shop sells a mix of playful toys and fashion items”The Selfridges creative team travelled the country visiting local joke shops and found institutions that were rich in inspiration and personality,” Weir told Dezeen.

    “We used more found and vintage pieces than we might usually in the space and as a result, a customer asked me ‘what did you use for the smell?'” she added. “The impression of a genuine joke shop was so strong that customers felt we had scented the space, which we hadn’t.”
    Artist Mel Brimfield created Slapstick Generators for the storeThe Joke Shop also features the Slapstick Generator, an artwork by artist Mel Brimfield that appears ready to drop buckets of paints and anvils on visitors to the store.
    A second Slapstick Generator outside the store threatens to release a boulder on the person at the Selfridges Concierge desk outside The Joke Shop, while a third sits in one of its windows.
    One appears ready to drop a boulder”I love the sheer scale of it, the detail of each mechanism and the sense of movement,” Weir said of the Slapstick Generator.
    A fake door, which fills another of the windows, was inspired by nostalgic typefaces and handwritten wayfinding.
    “Above the door, we worked with Peckham-based signwriter and mural artist Matt Rogers who hand-painted the signs to give a nod to the British joke shops,” Weir said.

    Yinka Ilori imbues Courvoisier bar with natural beauty of Cognac region

    “Some of my favourite touches were the graphic stickers on the door, which disclosed a funny rating instead of a hygiene rating, for example, subverting classic retailing tropes with funny twists,” she added.
    “Eclectic attention to detail and intentional imperfection felt important.”
    Artist Max Siedentopf designed a display of a banana slipping on a banana peelSelfridges also commissioned artist Max Siedentopf to create installations for its other department store windows, featuring his takes on classic jokes – including a giant chicken crossing a road to get to Selfridges and a trainer-clad banana that has slipped on a peel.
    “Each window pays homage to classic jokes and pranks throughout the decades – from giant whoopee cushions, a wide collection of authentic clown shoes, pie catapults and, of course, bananas,” Siedentopf told Dezeen.
    A giant whoopee cushion fills one window”I bribed a group of monkeys with bananas to randomly select jokes for me,” he added. “Each window is unique, however every single screw, piece of wood, banana and nail were carefully selected for their comedic potential.”
    Other Selfridges retail spaces featured on Dezeen include a pop-up Kim Kardashian swimwear store and a Courvoisier bar by designer Yinka Ilori.
    The photography is courtesy of Selfridges.

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      Yinka Ilori imbues Courvoisier bar with natural beauty of Cognac region

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      A wavy canopy emerges like a fountain from this pop-up cognac bar inside Selfridges in London, designed by local designer Yinka Ilori to mimic the glistening waters of the Charente river in France’s Cognac region.

      The bar belongs to cognac brand Courvoisier and was designed to capture its hometown of Jarnac and the surrounding region, where cognac brandy is made using white grapes from one of six designated “crus” or areas.
      Courvoisier has opened a pop-up bar at SelfridgesIlori wanted to bring this bucolic setting to London’s Selfridges department store, using it to inform the colours and patterns featured throughout the space.
      “I aimed to capture the essence of Jarnac – the warmth of the sun, the rippling of water, the beautiful wildflowers and the natural beauty in the surroundings,” he told Dezeen.
      “The design pays homage to the magic and nature of Jarnac, creating a space that embodies its spirit.”

      The interior was designed by Yinka IloriThe town’s location on the Charente river is the most prominent influence, seen across the pale-blue floors, the sinuous rippling pattern on the walls and, most importantly, in the bar itself.
      Here, a circular counter was topped with a wavy blue canopy that seems to pour out of a central pillar, with the same pattern continuing down onto the base.
      Ilori also designed a limited-edition VSOP bottle for the brand”I wanted people to feel like they were surrounded by water, with it flowing both above and below them, creating a sense of immersion and tranquillity,” Ilori said.
      “The design of the canopy aims to reference the effortless flow of water, making visitors feel as though they are in the midst of a serene river.”
      The bar’s scalloped countertop picks up on the sinuous shape of the waves but provides a colourful contrast thanks to its lacquered red finish.

      Yinka Ilori draws on “unapologetic” architecture of Burkina Faso for debut pop-up shop

      Another reoccurring feature throughout the space is a cartoonish flower shape that nods to Jarnac’s wildflower fields and is found across drinks stands and upholstered benches in the seating area.
      To create a visual connection between the blue waves and the buttercup-coloured flowers, Ilori incorporated a sunset gradient that fades from yellow to soft lilac and envelops several cylindrical display stands as well as the base of the bar.
      “I was struck by the gradients in the sky in Jarnac and wanted to capture this unique visual,” Ilori said.
      A wavy pattern features across the wallsThese three repeated motifs, spanning earth, sky and water, also feature in the limited-edition bottle design that Ilori created for Courvoisier’s Very Superior Old Pale (VSOP) cognac.
      The bottles are available in four different ombre colours and displayed throughout the bar, which will stay open for three weeks until 11 September.
      The same pattern is picked up in the canopy of the barThe project forms part of Ilori’s ongoing collaboration with Courvoisier as the brand’s “ambassador of joy”.
      Last year, the designer created an immersive dining for Courvoisier in New York, designed to transport diners into a surrealist interpretation of Jarnac.
      Ilori’s colourful work is often considered as part of the New London Fabulous movement and includes a colourful skate park in Lille and The Colour Palace pavilion at the London Festival of Architecture.

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      Kim Kardashian brings poolside vibes to SKIMS swimwear pop-up at Selfridges

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      A three-tiered diving board stands next to a metallic palm tree inside this pop-up shop that designer Willo Perron has created for Kim Kardashian’s lingerie brand SKIMS in London.

      The brand’s first physical retail space in the UK, at the Selfridges department store in London, follows the same formula as its debut shop in Paris. Here, surfaces were coated in panels of glossy plastic with gentle thermoformed curves to suggest the shape of the human body.
      SKIMS has opened a swimwear pop-up in SelfridgesBut for this temporary summertime pop-up, Perron abandoned the brand’s typical fleshy colour palette in favour of a pale blue hue reminiscent of a heavily chlorinated swimming pool.
      The resulting plastic panels are so glossy they look almost wet as they form everything from mirror frames and bench seats to wall panels and the shop’s monolithic till counter, which is embossed with the SKIMS logo.
      A three-tiered diving board sculpture forms the centrepiece of the storeA huge replica of a three-levelled diving board stands at the heart of the store, with a stepped base and springboards formed from lengths of the same baby-blue plastic.

      Shiny chrome tubes act as handrails and are repeated throughout the store in the form of gridded partitions and clothing rails, curving around the columns of the Grade II-listed department store.

      Kim Kardashian launches first pop-up SKIMS store in Paris

      Rounding off the poolside atmosphere is a matching metal palm tree sculpture, integrated into the long bench set that runs along the shopfront.
      To display stacks of rolled-up nude-coloured SKIMS towels, Perron also added two smaller freestanding platforms with the same steps and chrome handrails as the diving platform but minus the springboards.
      Thermoformed plastic panels in glossy blue glad most of the interiorTaking over Selfridges’ ground-floor pop-up space The Corner Shop until 8 July 2023, the shop will offer the brand’s core collection of swimsuits and bikinis alongside limited editions and seasonal colourways.
      Customers will also be able to buy ice cream to match their swimwear, stored in baby-blue freezers courtesy of London gelato company Chin Chin Labs.
      A metallic palm tree decorates the store”I’m thrilled to bring SKIMS Swim to London for the first-time ever and take over The Corner Shop at Selfridges with our most conceptual pop-up experience to date,” said SKIMS co-founder and creative director Kim Kardashian.
      “We have followers all over the world,” she added. “As we enter the next phase of SKIMS retail, I look forward to connecting with these customers through innovative shopping experiences on a global scale.”
      A metallic palm tree completes the poolside atmosphereReturning for its second year, SKIMS’s swimwear offering is pitched towards providing various levels of coverage for different body types and modesty requirements.
      This is an extension of the brand’s drive to create inclusive underwear and shapewear that works for people of different sizes and abilities, following the launch of its Adaptive Collection last year.
      Over the next three years, the brand is planning to open a roster of freestanding stores across the UK and EU.

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      Random Studio creates “giant fragments of a woman's body” for Mugler pop-up

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      Dutch design studio Random Studio has created Bodyscape, a “futuristic” pop-up store, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of French fashion brand Mugler’s fragrances.

      The Mugler installation, which was designed for luxury department store Selfridges, includes sculptural, chrome-effect fragments designed to evoke a woman’s body. These were organised across the ground floor of the Corner Shop, an ever-changing retail pop-up space.
      The pop-up was created to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Mugler’s fragrance”For Mugler, we had dreamt up Bodyscape; a giant sculptural installation of a woman reclining, fragments of her body parts breaking the space up into a cluster of retail experiences,” said Random Studio.
      “Amplifying the brand’s surreal fascination with the female body, the hyper-feminised curves, crevices and folds of the installation were to be accentuated by a futuristic reflective material.”
      Sculptural fragments of a woman’s body were installed in the Corner ShopThroughout the space, sculptural fragments were used as walls, partitions and display areas that aim to take visitors on a journey through the chrome-effect-finished body. The interior walls of the shell-like fragments were painted in Mugler’s signature blue hue.

      Pieces of the sculptural body, which Random Studio explained mimicked the form of a woman reclining, were displayed in full view along the street-facing windows of the Corner Shop.
      It was constructed in collaboration with Xylotek”Seen from the street, the sculptural installation forms an abstract side view of a woman elegantly reclining,” said the studio.
      “The curves, crevices and folds of the body are rendered in a reflective material that mirrors the viewer’s gaze, throwing back a distorted image – a nod to Mugler’s sense of humour and seduction.”

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

      Instead of opting to use easily manufactured but less sustainable materials such as fibreglass or metal, Random Studio collaborated with Bristol-based timber company Xylotek to construct the installation using wood.
      Xylotek manufactured the shell-like structures, which were painted across the exterior and interior with a metal-effect finish rather than “higly-toxic” chrome.
      This was done so that the paint could eventually be stripped off and the wood recycled.
      The structures were painted blue and silverThe centrepiece of the installation, encased by the chest and buttocks of the fragmented body, is a drop-shaped object that releases a cloud of fragrance and triggers starry lighting as visitors near it.
      “A polyphonic soundscape of siren-esque voices coaxes visitors into the space and towards a scent sculpture, illuminated by undulating lights,” said Random Studio.
      “As the visitor approaches the drop-like structure, the lights intensify and the sculpture emits a short burst of fragrance whilst a projection lights up the space with stars which slowly transforms into the abstract shapes of heavenly bodies.”
      The curving walls guide visitors through the pop-upEarlier this year, Random Studio designed a series of surrealist pop-up installations at Selfridges for fashion brand Jacquemus that included a luxury-bag vending machine and a swimming-pool changing room.
      Also at Selfridges, trainer brand Axel Arigato created an “upside-down” office-themed pop-up with wall-mounted trainers and polystyrene ceiling tiles across the floor.
      The photography is by Jasper Fry.

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      AMO recreates “Provence atmosphere” with clay Jacquemus shop-in-shop

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      Dutch studio AMO has created a terracruda-clad shop-in-shop with curving tiered shelving for French-fashion brand Jacquemus at luxury department store Selfridges.

      The boutique was installed as a permanent retail space located on the ground floor of London department store Selfridges and is host to Jacquemus bags and accessories.
      The permanent Jacquemus shop-in-shop was designed by AMODesigned by AMO, the research and design arm of architecture firm OMA, it incorporates curving, floor-to-ceiling display shelving clad in a clay-based material that is said to echo materials local to Provence.
      Between rows of curving and tiered display shelving, plinths, totems, tables and chairs decorate the retail space’s interior and display the brand’s latest bags and accessories.
      Terracruda clay was used across the interiorHidden compartments and cabinets were fitted within display units to create a sense of discovery while also tying the space to the trio of surrealist Jacquemus pop-up installations that ran through May in and around Selfridges and Oxford Street.

      The permanent retail space follows as a result of the success of the Le Bleu surrealist pop-up installations that were created by Dutch experience design firm Random Studio and invited customers to explore and discover the brand’s products.

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

      Terracruda clay was applied by hand across the interior of the store to create an uneven surface and natural look. The earthiness of the clay visually juxtaposes against the rigid and solid forms that are populated by colourful bags and accessories.
      Seating areas set within the curving displays are framed by views out to Duke Street and the nearby David Chipperfield-designed entrance that was added to the store in 2018.
      Terracruda clay was used to reference the South of France”The inspiration for the design of the Jacquemus space owes to the brand’s origins in the south of France,” said OMA partner Ellen van Loon.
      “We wanted to capture the atmosphere of Provence through the materiality of the space, which led us to approach the design in a different way altogether,” she continued.
      “Instead of working with form and deciding on the materials afterwards, we chose the materials at the outset and let them guide the shape of the space.”
      Seating areas decorate the boutiqueSwedish streetwear label, Axel Arigato recently unveiled its “upside-down” pop-up sneaker store in the luxury department store that features an office-themed interior.
      In Paris, Acne Studios opened a monolithic store on Rue Saint Honoré that is clad in Parisian limestone and references a Stockholm skatepark.
      The photography is by Lewis Ronald.

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      Axel Arigato opens “upside-down” pop-up sneaker shop in Selfridges

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      Trainers injected with magnets climb the walls and polystyrene ceiling tiles line the floor of Axel Arigato’s “upside-down” office-themed sneaker pop-up in London’s Selfridges department store.

      Installed in Selfridge’s first-floor menswear department for 12 months, the topsy-turvy pop-up store is a departure from the stone displays and pared-back colour palette ordinarily associated with the Swedish streetwear label’s retail environments.
      The Axel Arigato shop-in-shop is located in SelfridgesInstead, the design team conceived the store as an upside-down office featuring all of the typical, run-of-the-mill materials and fixtures that you would expect to find in an office, such as ceiling tiles, strip lighting, corrugated metal, exposed wires, pipes and steel beams but all installed to create the impression of being upside down.
      Typical polystyrene grid ceiling tiles are installed across the floor, while shiny vinyl floor tiles are used on the ceiling.
      It was themed around an upside-down office interiorThe sneakers, which include the latest season and popular carry-over footwear silhouettes, are injected with magnets and stuck to the wall while customer’s receipts are dispensed from behind a set of elevator doors that open at the touch of a button.

      “The concept was to flip the script both physically and figuratively on what customers expect from a pop-up, turning all elements upside down through an industrial office lens in which the ceiling becomes the floor and vice versa,” said the brand, calling the pop-up its most “ambitious and boundary-pushing” to date.

      Bum-shaped sculptures feature in Axel Arigato’s brutalist Copenhagen flagship

      The endeavour was facilitated by British footwear retailer, Kurt Geiger, who provides the footwear offer for Selfridges.
      The store is a continuation of the brand’s co-founder and creative director Max Svärdh’s mission to disrupt the traditional retail module. A digitally native business, Axel Arigato began its life online in 2014, opening its first physical store in London’s Soho in 2016.
      Metal lines the walls of the shop-in-shopFrom the beginning, the brand elevated the status of its products to art by displaying them on plinths in the centre of the store like pieces of sculpture. The concept was in contrast to other sneaker brands at the time, which typically displayed as many shoes as possible across shop walls.
      The brand’s permanent stores are also distinguished by the use of monolithic blocks of stone. In Paris, goods are displayed on blocks of travertine, concrete in Copenhagen and terrazzo in London.
      The photography is courtesy of Axel Arigato.

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

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      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.

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      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.

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