The new Off-White boutique in Paris reinterprets elegance and industrial aesthetics
Since those times in which the couturier Christian Dior and Cristóbal Balenciaga immortalized the culture of luxury and Haute Couture in Paris , the city has become an incessant reinterpretation of fashion, architecture and art. Today, this legacy is also fed back thanks to the alliances of different sectors that explore the limits of creativity, and that on this occasion have materialized the new off-white boutique in Paris.
Designed by LOVE , a research and design studio belonging to the architecture firm WCO (Office for Metropolitan Architecture), the store occupies a 19th-century building at the intersection of Rue de Castiglione and Rue du Mont Thabor, in a location two blocks from the Place Vendome.
Halfway between Parisian elegance and industrial aesthetics, the I love design invites us to rethink the conception of luxury boutiques in paris , with a courtyard, a gallery and a market that extend over three floors, gradually daring to reveal the identity of off-white and from the store to those who visit it.
The store was conceived by AMO, a research and design studio
Still, the process of reviewing the Retail stores and the leitmotif of a physical space in a world that embraces digitization is not just a matter of this project, since since its first collaboration in the off white boutique in Miami they began to challenge the relevance of the purchase process in a physical place, while at the same time proposing, through architecture, to orchestrate a common thread that manages to highlight the logistical process behind the retail trade.
Samir Bantal , director of LOVE , who led the project together with OMA's partner, ellen van loon , and the architect Giulio Margheri, explained in an interview via email to Traveler.es: "Virgil Abloh (creator of off-white ) and I have been working on a number of collaborations that question the relevance of retail in today's multi-channel experience. The paris shop part of a different point. Colette, once a global epicenter of popular streetwear, closed in 2017, leaving a void in the Parisian retail landscape. We talked about how everyone who visited Paris they were always going to Colette to see the 'freshest' brands and trends (Virgil Abloh sold his first t-shirts there). We discuss how Paris I needed that same vibe again. Not to replace it, but to think about what that idea could be today: a place not only for shopping, but also for cultural and artistic exchange."
With that conception in mind, from LOVE incorporated into the store front entrance arches inspired by the portico from the street, while a semi-circular vestibule of corrugated glass, which leads to the centerpiece of the ground floor, outlines a reinterpretation of the typical parisian courtyard , precisely where the women's collection has settled.
The store seeks to establish itself as a site for cultural and artistic exchange
For its part, the entrance on Rue du Mont Thabor leads to what feels like a completely different shop. Light blue walls and black flooring are juxtaposed in an environment full of furniture designed by AMO , thereby showing the signature associations off-white.
The intimate atmosphere of the mezzanine, with its considerably low ceiling and small windows, becomes a space inspired by the aesthetics of the gift shop, welcoming the collections of articles for the home and for children , as well as an exhibition wall.
The second floor, destined for the menswear collection , is made up of a high ceiling and large windows overlooking the city of paris , seeking to create a bright and uncluttered space that can be easily adapted for concerts, Art exhibitions And parties.
"More than selling fashion, Virgil has known how to spread popular culture. This is what makes collaboration interesting for us. AMO was founded to respond to a changing context in which traditional architectural production seemed overwhelmed. The analysis became the product, leading to a different engagement with architecture, but opening architectural production to media, fashion, art and culture. Gives you the chance to LOVE to adapt to the rhythm of popular culture through publications, exhibitions, fashion shows and more", concludes Samir Bantal.
This is the new Off-White boutique in Paris