British fashion house JW Anderson prepares to open up a flagship store location in Milan with the help of British design studio 6a Architects. It is inspired by local themes, specifically Soho sex shops -- the store is found in the city's Quadrilatero shopping district and takes place over a single floor, and is made up of two rooms.
Anderson speaks about the new space to Dezeen, stating "I thought [6a Architects] really grasped how to take my visual language and turn it into something which was able to be educational [...] The store actually is a combination of Disobedient Bodies and a store. It's a little bit more elevated," he said. "The front of the building feels Soho, and as you go in, it feels more kind of domestic Milanese."
Flagship Store Window Designs
6a Architects Highlights Sex Shop Windows in New Storefront Design
Trend Themes
1. Local Inspiration - Designers are drawing inspiration from local and unconventional themes to create flagship store window designs that stand out from traditional retail displays.
2. Single Floor Store Layouts - As retailers look to minimize overhead costs, single floor store layouts are becoming increasingly popular, providing an opportunity for innovative spatial design and customer experience.
3. Combined Retail Spaces - Combining retail spaces with other experiences, such as educational exhibits, adds value and a unique experience to the traditional shopping experience.
Industry Implications
1. Fashion Retail - Fashion retailers are taking inspiration from unconventional sources and implementing unique store layouts to create a memorable and immersive shopping experience for consumers.
2. Architectural Design - Architectural design firms have an opportunity to create disruptive and unconventional retail spaces that draw inspiration from local themes and provide a unique shopping experience.
3. Experiential Retail - By combining retail spaces with educational exhibits or other experiences, the experiential retail industry has the potential to disrupt traditional retail and create a more engaging and memorable shopping experience.