Selfridges Men's Designer West

During my time at Alex Cochrane Architects I had the opportunity to work in two amazing projects for Selfridges&Co.

One of them was the Silence Room, a temporary installation in which I worked from concept to construction. The other one was Mens Designer West, which I helped design but sadly was not involved in its assembly. 

This scheme follows the same rules as Men's Designer East, previously completed by ACA, located at the opposite side of Selfridges central atrium. There are a series of brass rails at each side of the mat, demarcating the space and enclosing three sculptural plinths, beautifully illuminated by three halo lights.

My favorite part of the whole design is definitely the floor, made of oversized geometrical stones. I remember what a great pattern-making and scale exercise its design process was, which even involved the creation of a 1:1 mock-up pattern module.

A mirrored feature wall divides the retail space from the fitting rooms and back of house areas. It contains a number of solid brass rods that are free to slide in and out, introducing versatility to the merchandise display.

Being personally involved in the project I am presenting today, I can only state how every little detail, proportion, material, surface [and so on...] was considered; and the result speaks for itself (and please allow me to say it's simply stunning!). 

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But what do YOU think about it? Let me know in the comments below! And definitely do not hesitate to visit this space if you fancy a bit of great retail design and the coolest, most fashion-forward menswear brands! (Or if you are my mum and dad, of course...!).

- - -  Now I am just waiting to get a very special someone's feedback... ;) ;) ;) - - -

ARTICLE [96 Kingsland Rd, London]

Technology issues have stopped be from writing this post about Article since I randomly discovered it back in July... I'm happy to finally be able to go on with the blog and published this cool shop's pictures. 

First thing I liked about Urban Excess' physical store is how you can still see outside the branding from the previous lighting shop located there. I feel like that kind of 'effortless vibe' is definitely part or Article's charm. You don't need a big signage telling you what's in there, you can have a sneak peek from the big windows that will definitely make you wanna go inside.

From all the different fixtures in the store, the wall's metallic mesh is my favorite. Again, it's feels easy, it's simple, elegant, probably cheap, and it works perfectly.  It also has great versatility, allowing to display sneakers and boots differently depending on each year's collection. 

The whole place has an industrial/old-school look , in perfect combination with the items' coolness and style. But it's also quite cool how after this "rougher" environment, the focal point at the end of the store, where the till is located, is a very polished feature wall. It contains several wooden rods, that once again allow flexibility and create a very dynamic retail environment.

Article was a great start from my new London era, and I look forward to continue exploring the city's amazing retail design culture.

CAPSULE [Barquillo 41, Madrid]

Capsule is one of those small&smart stores, which is one of my favorite retail concepts. It is specialized in sneakers and men's fashion, always showing some limited editions and brands' exclusive collections. Its very discreet window and its small space is perfect for the exclusivity they want to inspire.

I am absolutely obsessed with the joinery work, from the hangers, shelves and mostly the counter-display table. It is beautifully made and it matches perfectly all the brands spirit.

I find the three-level hangers particularly smart. They allow a very strategic display game, showing the main clothes at eye level and combining them with some accessories on the top shelves and some special items at the bottom. 

The store recently changed it's location, and that was a wise choice. Barquillo Street is becoming an important reference area for men's fashion in Madrid and I highly recommend it to anyone visiting the city who is interested in doing some shopping. 

Despite having a wide men's collection, don't worry girls! There are also some things for us at Capsule, so do not hesitate in paying them a visit!

<< Thanks Al for playing the "I'm Palo`s assistant role" when we visited this cool place! >>