Pippa Chambers asks global trend forecasting powerhouse WGSN to determine the nation's top six designer flagships.
Hermés, Elizabeth Street, Sydney.
“While controversial at times, the Hermés Sydney flagship store is always a point of discussion and continues to push the boundaries of its visual merchandising display,” Wallbank says. “Whether you love it or hate it, people will still come in their droves to see what the fuss is about and that’s exactly what a good visual merchandising strategy should do”. Wallbank says Hermés’ unusual 2009 display raised eyebrows as an abundance of antique taxidermy, including warthogs, zebras, foxes and deer, shared space with the brand’s luxury bags and accessories. Accompanied by the skeletal remains of what one can only presume was once a scientist, the scene is reminiscent of a hunting lodge science experiment that never quite went to plan, says Wallbank. Store props include wooden shelves with scientific beakers on, pot plants and a stuffed deer stands alongside an array of handbags in a glass display box. Sections also feature darkly shaded wallpaper which appears torn away in areas, exposing brickwork. Wallbank says in 2010 the brand continued to explore unusual themes by displaying suspended ‘majestically beautiful paper wing creations’ in its windows, by Sydney paper artist Benja Harney. “This gave us a peek-a-boo window curiosity for the launch of their Voyage D perfume,” Wallbank adds. “Whatever occasion or product Hermés may be promoting you can always guarantee that their inspiration and innovation in the window displays will continue to raise the bar of visual merchandising design within Australia.
The Trimapee, QV Building, Melbourne.
“With collection names such as Ritual Redemption, Damaged Disposition and Umbilical Ventiloquial, Melbourne designer label Trimapee were never going to settle for your average designer flagship aesthetic when working on their store concept,” Wallbank says. “You’re greeted with paper bagged faceless mannequins who look like victims that have been brought there against their will, dark polished concrete floors and artwork on the walls made from fluorescent tubing – which all shape and make for a retail experience that is both slightly dark and disturbing, yet achingly mesmerising at the same time”. The store concept design was created by the label’s designers, Mario-Luca Carlucci and Peter Strateas, who wanted their environment to be able to adapt and evolve telling the story of each new collection they develop. To achieve this the store design is made from interchangeable fixtures and steel scaffolding which can be moved or reshaped, depending on the collection, mood, events and installations, and the steel gives the store an industrial feel which works well within the space. Both Carlucci and Strateas say their aim was to create more of a gallery space, opposed to a retail space. “We went for a sterile, almost surgical approach with the stainless steel troughs on caster wheels, and laser-cut spine racks, spacing the garments perfectly, giving each item its own home,” Strateas explains. “Astroturf lines the counter tops, which gives the space a surreal feeling – juxtaposing the stark nature of the concrete walls and floors, with a hint of life, only to find out on closer inspection it’s artificial”. The designers also created the main fluro light feature, which is accompanied by a series of perspex light boxes. This display is regularly rearranged. “Each collection has a concept and a strong theme, therefore, the space itself needed to be able to adapt easily and compliment the collection,” Carlucci adds. “The aim for the customer is to feel that they are seeing an exhibition each time they visit the space.”
Sass & Bide, Paddington, Sydney.
“The simplicity of Sass & Bide’s Paddington store is part of a trend we’ve been seeing at WGSN for white box retailing.” Wallbank says. “A clean crisp aesthetic in-store and sharp black geo-linear detailing on the glass frontage lets their product do the talking and draws you in immediately to the designs on display”. The store has angular built-in shelves and circular white display cases are the only other merchandising fixtures to be seen, apart from a sculptural animal feature draped in white fabric. “This transforms the space into an almost gallery feel where the art is the product,” Wallbank adds. Antique Victorian gates greet the customer at the entry threshold and bespoke fittings are used throughout the space to give a sense of craftsmanship and application of detail. A Sass & Bide spokesman says the store is a blank canvas, designed to evolve and change as the label does. “It has been at the hands of various designers, architects, artists and creative contributors – it’s ever changing. White washed rendered surfaces converge to create walls, ceilings and floors that are simultaneously contradicted by a floor-to-ceiling art piece made from shards of broken mirror”. Sass & Bide says the fitting rooms are spaces of ‘intrigue and curiosity’ and the oversized steel and glass doors provide a sense of occasion and are counterpointed by white muslin curtains that ‘cocoon’ the fitting room space. ‘Curiosity cabinets’ are also placed in each fitting room to house an ongoing display of curiosities and objects. It is the equine references, such as a commissioned sculpture of a life-size horse, that adds another dimension to the flagship store.
Peter Alexander, Pitt Street, Sydney.
Wallbank likens entering Peter Alexander’s flagship store to being catapulted into a scene from Alice In Wonderland. “You walk past the merchandised cake stands with vintage lampshades overhanging, past the counter of tea cups in front of an oversized fireplace, only to then come across a whole bedroom setting attached upside-down to the ceiling of the store – leaving you wondering how on earth they managed that”. The store, which offers sleepwear for men, women and children, has a double bed, strewn with items such as a cushions, a teddy and pyjamas, stuck to a wooden floorboard ceiling. A rug, chair and side tables have also been positioned on the celling to create the affect of an upside-down bedroom.
There is also an upside-down chandelier, top hats on the lights, mirrors, pictures of Alexander with his pet pooches, flowers and giant chairs and lamps situated around the store. Designer Alexander says he had lots of discussions with the architects and interior designers about how he visualised the store and says he dreamt about his flagship for many a night as he wanted something that represented the ‘essence’ of the brand. “I wanted no boring spaces with almost a room by room experience, mostly I wanted my customers to smile and I believe we achieved that,” Alexander explains. “I decided that the store should bring the catalogue to life in the sense that the flagship, and my other stores, would be more than clothes hanging on racks. I wanted the store to be a memorable experience that engage people’s senses on all levels - see the theatre that garments sit within, feel the softest fabrics and smell beautiful candles”. Alexander says occasionally he also wanted the customer to discover other ‘good finds and treasures’ in the store, such as a good book to flick through and other quirky things that have nothing to do with pyjamas. Wallbank says by having features such as pictures of Alexander and his pets, and at time other guests such as his mother on Mother’s Day, his personality is ‘deeply entrenched’ within every store design, leaving customers feeling like they know the man behind the brand and can trust his product.
Ksubi, Chapel Street, Melbourne.
“High-end streetwear label Ksubi design their visual merchandising as cool as the kids that shop there,” Wallbank says. “The store designs are more reminiscent of street art exhibitions or grungy music venues where you could just hang all day and no-one would probably care”. Walking into Ksubi stores, Wallbank says you can almost feel the angst coming on as soon as you enter and it is this that makes the brand so good at what they do. She says the label’s visual merchandising compliments the brand’s identity perfectly and attracts the kind of customers they design specifically for. Their new Chapel Street flagship store continues the grunge trend with pared back detailing and exposed brick walls bringing a de-constructed feel to the interior design. Complete with moon rock beanbags, a flying metallic space avenger, fluro lights, an American flag on the moon, a box filled with TV’s and imitation NASA props, the ‘End of the Moon’ store is aptly named. The store, which stocks apparel, eyewear and shoes, pays homage to the nostalgia of the era of moon travel and is reflected through the stores interior, says Ksubi spokeswoman Alanna Quin. “The store plays with the contrast of the ultra modern with decaying textures, a black glass counter and clean fixtures juxtaposing the textured walls,” Quin adds.
Burberry, George Street, Sydney.
“This flagship in Sydney’s luxury precinct area is an outstanding example of how to bring together over 150 years of brand heritage with today’s modern multimedia advancements,” WGSN Australia trend editor Summer Wallbank begins. “Seeing itself as not only a historic design house but as a media content company, Burberry continuously lead the way in incorporating new technology into retail strategies, putting them ahead of the game in terms of visual merchandising for customers of the 21st century”. Wallbank explains how the thick marble columns give the large space a sense of symmetry and the marble tables divide the space and centre the layout of the store, while giving way to the ‘beautiful’ high ceilings and art-deco drop lighting fixtures. “A perfect blend of old meets new,” she adds. The 820sqm store is housed in what was once a bank, and it now stocks men’s, children’s and womenswear, accessories and non-apparel. The huge pillars are mixed among walls of LED screens with touch technology, allowing customers to either shop online or view content streaming direct from the global headquarters in its London store. Ipod docks are also located in the VIP area, allowing people to listen to their own music while browsing the collections. Burberry’s marketing and communications manager Bronwyn Hogan says the brand’s planning and visual team worked with both the City of Sydney Council and the Heritage Branch of the New South Wales Department of Planning, to develop innovative design strategies that ‘respect’ the historic space while incorporating the latest in digital technology. “Specialist marble and bronze conservators, in particular, have worked to return the historic high quality finishes and fittings to their original appearance,” Hogan says. “The Burberry fittings and finishes are also of a very high quality and have been designed to be completely reversible.”