The first impression is the one that counts. And physical stores certainly know what we are talking about. From the shop windows to the display of the products, passing through the internal spaces, the physical store is constantly put to the test by the eye of the customer, who must be encouraged to enter the store and live a unique and overwhelming shopping experience.
More and more shops, especially those immersed in fashion retail, have begun to incorporate a revolutionary transition: from a simple point of sale to a work of art and relational context, with the aim of embracing an emotional, customer-oriented approach.
1.1 Louis Vuitton
In 2023, the French brand Louis Vuitton shook the world of fashion retail. Collaborating with the eclectic Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama (famous for her iconic multicolored polka dots), the fashion house has featured installations, giant sculptures and robots featuring the figure of Yayoi on the iconic stores: New York, Chengdu, London and Hangzhou. A surprising collaboration to celebrate the launch of the collection and attract attention from all over the world.
Watch the presentation here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyYuuHvSE-I
1.2 Jacquemus
An approach focused more on the internal architecture of its stores. It has instead been used in recent years in Jacquemus' Shop in Shops.
Taking inspiration from the landscape works in the South of France by French architect and set designer Jacques Couëlle, creative director Simon Porte Jacquemus collaborated with design studio AMO (a research branch of the renowned OMA studio) to create a truly alternative world in to dive into; entirely dedicated to its Provençal origins.
Inside the main European department stores (Les Galeries Lafayette, Selfridges and Harvey Nichols), he wanted to create minimal spaces that could still create suggestions and transport visitors into the stories of the brand's collections.
Between curved, organic and sculptural lines, limestone stones and white cotton cushions, these three corners are the emblem of an irregularity that carries with it a sense of craftsmanship and naturalness.
1.3 Gucci
However, the French fashion houses have nothing to envy of the renovation of the Gucci store in Via Montenapoleone, which took place in December 2023. A true aesthetic revolution inspired by "Gucci Perspectives: Still Milan", the project presented by the creative director Sabato De Sarno at Milan Fashion Week Spring-Summer 2024.
Inside this totally renovated space, visitors can completely immerse themselves in lines of Made in Italy craftsmanship mixed with exclusive materials, geometric patterns and works of art. The collection itself takes over the shop and envelops everything, even covering the walls.
“The walk appears as a composition of cipollino and bardiglio marble, and a hypnotic and beautiful geometric pattern materializes on the floor. There is also a tribute to Italian tradition: Venetian glass has become a fundamental element in interiors, used for shelves and many other details.” (source: https://www.elledecor.com/it/viaggi/a46142224/boutique-gucci-via-monte-napoleone-milano)
1.4 Bershka
But will revolutionizing the aesthetics of physical stores be enough? Or do we also need new services (especially digital) to renew ourselves and involve more and more customers? The OMA studio answers this question, which in 2023 completely changed the common imagination of physical stores.
The Bershka Milano flagship store could be seen as a true 5.0 shopping experience, in which the concreteness of architecture mixes with virtual reality. A parallel dimension that speaks the language of Gen Z, between social media and fluidity thanks to screens on which to play with augmented reality and hi-tech dressing rooms, where it is possible to take photos with special 3D effects. The main objective of this store? Diversify the store's activities to transform the brand into an omnichannel hub, where customers can make pleasant visits at different purchasing rates and with different methods.
The key word therefore seems to be defined: AMAZE. Between exclusive collaborations with artists and architects up to the introduction of new technologies, the retail world in recent years has begun an aesthetic revolution that we are fully experiencing, and which seems to be evolving with each passing day. Who knows what awaits us in the imminent future and, above all, what impact the now omnipresent Artificial Intelligence will have?
