Thursday 31 January 2013

Topshop partners with Royal College of Art

Topshop has enlisted the Royal College of Art to re-design the Boutique area of its Oxford Street flagship store. Students on the new Interior Design MA programme competed for the chance to give the space a makeover. 

Students had five days to create "An interior system that would encourage shoppers to engage with Boutique clothing and provide an inspirational and stimulating customer experience" 

The winning design by Rob Vinall, will be unveiled in-store in time for London Fashion Week in February. 

"The winning design delivers something new and innovative that will take Topshop into the future of fashion retail."  said Topshop creative director Kate Phelan. 

Vinalls's vision features a triangular ceiling grid from which products can be suspended, and which can be altered periodically to create different moods. The design also incorporates a graduated wall graphic printed onto one mirror - in a matching colour palette to the ceiling grid - designed to give the illusion of "a top-heavy level above."

"The initial concept was an idea of cause and effect, giving importance to the elements of hanging and balance" explained Vinall. "The design needed to enhance and give prominence to the detail of the clothing, whilst also being functional and interesting space to shop and browse."  

The final installation will also break out into the main shop floor, to try and entice shoppers into the Boutique space.

"The genius of Rob's design is to hang the merchandise from a suspended grid to remove everything off the floor." said Ab Rogers, head of the Interior Design MA programmed. "It's an antidote to classic retail design where most display systems have large unfilled volumes of space above them. The grid creates discipline and precision bringing elegance and calm to the Boutique's interior." 

No comments:

Post a Comment