Hasta La Ideas

Raw concrete and colourful fabrics are combined in this fashion store in Dubai by London designers Studio Toogood (+ slideshow).

Studio Toogood designed the boutique for Dubai fashion brand Mahani, introducing cast-concrete and monolithic forms intended as “an antidote” to the glamourous opulence of shops elsewhere in the Emirates.

Richly coloured drapes divide the space, while stools designed by Faye Toogood are upholstered in bright satin, providing relief from the plain concrete surfaces.

Garments can be hung from simple black railings that run along the perimeter of the store or suspended from discrete hooks that protrude from the walls.

Bespoke pieces of furniture constructed from metal mesh are used to display items such as shoes and jewellery.

A concrete catwalk spans the length of the store, providing opportunities for fashion shows and events, while white animal sculptures are dotted around the edges of the space.

A chandelier made from bare light bulbs hangs from the ceiling. Elsewhere, angled spotlights are combined with suspended strip lights to add to the store’s raw aesthetic.

The final addition is an in-store bakery serving tea, coffee and desserts made by food design collective Arabeschi di Latte, who Studio Toogood previously collaborated with on an installation where participants were served black food at midnight in a darkened apartment.

Other projects we’ve featured by Studio Toogood include a bar where guests selected wine by smelling scented totem poles and an installation featuring boxes decorated with multi-coloured electrical tape.

See all our stories about Studio Toogood »
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Here’s a description from Studio Toogood:

Studio Toogood’s design for the new Mahani – Dubai’s first concept store – is an antidote to the polished slickness of modern retail in the Emirates.

The walls and fittings of the store – which opened in May 2013 – are cast in raw concrete, creating a neutral, Modernist-inspired environment to showcase the fashion-forward collections on sale.

The ascetic qualities of the space are offset by subtle touches of femininity, including richly coloured drapes and satin upholstery on bespoke pieces designed by Faye Toogood; meanwhile, a series of animal sculptures add a playful element.

Mahani’s in-store “bakery” serves tea, coffee and sweet treats by food designers Arabeschi di Latte, while a dedicated catwalk area running the length of the boutique allows for exclusive shows by cutting-edge and emerging designers.

The interplay of Studio Toogood’s monolithic modern interior with the soft femininity of the directional clothes makes Mahani an exciting, exclusive and distinctive new fashion destination in Dubai.

The post Mahani by
Studio Toogood appeared first on Dezeen.

by Emily Millett Populated by a dynamically passionate and exuberant people who never seem to need an excuse to indulge in recreational hedonism, Madrid is varied and rewarding when it comes to pursuits of decadence. Eating delicious tapas, drinking fine wines and general flamboyant merrymaking are all encouraged and happily…

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We check out the NYC of Israel with local fashion blogger and cultural maven Eyal de Leeuw

Head of External Relations at the Design Museum Holon just outside Tel Aviv, Eyal de Leeuw is not only a natural tour guide, but as co-founder of Israel’s leading men’s fashion blog Ha-Garconniere, he is clued into some of the most interesting city sights and the latest in urban night life. I met de Leeuw last month during Holon Design Week, and the former cultural attaché kindly took me around during what little down time we had. Here are his top seven must-sees for the city often dubbed the NYC of Israel.

Rothschild 12

Located on the well-known Rothschild Boulevard, the multifunctional Rothschild 12 is anything and everything you want it to be. For the morning it’s an excellent cafe to see and be seen and then later on a nice bar for an early afternoon drink. At night it’s a lounge-like music venue hosting a weekly lineup of young Tel Avivian bands and DJs. The best thing is you can always return to fight the hangover with a lovely weekend brunch.

Har Sinai

After Uri Lahav opened this nonchalant bar last year, Har Sinai became the ultimate hangout for both the hipsters and those who reject them. Before going out for a night of clubbing or at the end of a long working day, Har Sinai is a place to listen to great music and to find refuge in a small bar behind the largest Tel Aviv synagogue.

Cheesecake

Cheesecake is a party line led by talented musician (and local star) Assaf Amdursky and wiz-kid Oren Marzam, hosted every Thursday at the Breakfast Club (as well as Milk, its sister club next door). A small and intimate party line, Cheesecake throws together international DJs, amazing energies and a great photographer who captures the hippest of Tel Aviv’s gay-friendly crowd.

Joz & Loz

Laid back yet delicious, shabby-chic yet sexy, tranquil yet hectic—Joz & Loz has become one of the city’s best hangouts, attracting clients from the creative industries. The restaurant is the perfect place to enjoy a fresh and even poetic menu with secret performances by local musicians and long nights under the Mediterranean skies. Don’t forget to order a Noga, the special house drink.

Hotel Montefiore

Every city needs a boutique hotel to host elegant guests from abroad for a lovely weekend. Enjoy a fine French-Vietnamese dinner and have a drink at the bar, where they serve the finest dirty martini in town.

Sommer Gallery

With the absence of a serious center for contemporary art in Tel Aviv, many young and exciting art galleries have began opening up around town. Sommer Gallery has made an international name for itself by creating a new voice for the emerging Israeli art generation. While the main gallery shows an array of established local and international artists—such as Yael Bartana, Adi Nes, Darren Almond, Thomas Zipp and Wilhelm Sasnal—a smaller space in the gallery is dedicated for budding curators and artists.

Verner Boutique

Situated in the south of the city, Verner Boutique is a good stop on the way to the Jaffa flea market. The shop carries labels such as Maison Martin Margiela’s MM6 line, Acne and Alexander Wang, as well as Israeli jewelry designers.

Design Museum Holon

Eyal was too modest to include Design Museum Holon, but I can personally attest to the fact that it deserves an extended visit. Designed by Ron Arad, the exterior alone is worth the trip. After the “Designers Plus Ten” exhibition closes later this month, Yohji Yamomoto will take over the main gallery until 20 October 2012.

Concave walls at the centre of this Hong Kong boutique hide a stockroom and fitting rooms.

This free-standing core was designed so as not to block the two long glazed walls, which admit an unusual amount of natural light for a shopping centre unit.

Japanese designer Koichi Futatsumata of Case-Real designed the interior for clothing brand Joyce.

Photographs are by Daisuke Shimokawa of Nacasa & Partners.

Here are some more details from the architects:

A shop design for Joyce, an established Hong Kong boutique with a 40-year history. The site, a corner plot located within The Lee Gardens, a luxury shopping mall in the central area Causeway Bay, is V-ish in shape, with walls of windows on two sides and an area measuring roughly 100 square meters. Even in Japan, it would be rare to get such natural light in adjoining boutique, and we sought to create a bright, open space in this location. To do so, it was imperative that the windows not be obscured by the placement of the boutique’s commercial facilities, such as fitting rooms, stock and staff rooms, and the like. We devised a method of assembling those facilities and forming a core in the center of the space.

At the same time, Hong Kong gives one the impression of being is a place where all sorts of things from all over the world are brought together, forming a complex mix of urbanity. It is a space naturally crafted as aggregate of the natural environment, man-made elements such as buildings and roads, and the thinking of many different types of people. We felt an attraction to that which is as diverse as Hong Kong’s unintentionally formed urban space. Thus, the unintentional contour of the space was kept with a simple reduction in building volume. Just as Hong Kong is as a city, the inevitable volume produced by the location given here was a core, a ‘microcosm’.

From this, three major advantages are born: 1) an unbroken flow of movement is secured; 2) it becomes a brighter space with no lighting interference, and 3) the multiplicity of expression within the lines of the walls bring out movement in the space. The form of this ‘microcosm’ holds a sculptural interest as well.

It could be said that, in a way, this unique space was borne of the unintentionality of Hong Kong as a city, rather than something that we produced.

Project Name : JOYCE – THE LEE GARDENS

Design: Koichi Futatsumata/CASE-REAL
Lighting Plan: USHIOSPAX FUKUOKA
Cooperation of construction: SOGO DESIGN HONG KONG
Construction: blueprint design engineering Ltd

Location: Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Type of Project: Interior Design
Period: May 2011 – Oct 2011
Floor area: 353.9㎡
Art Works: Ryo Matsuoka
Client: JOYCE BOUTIQUE HOLDINGS LIMITED

This clothing store in Tel Aviv by Z-A Studio of New York features items displayed on a pegboard that runs to the ceiling of the double-height space.

Called Delicatessen 2, the interior of the shop features furniture that appears to be emerging from the walls, with the spaces beneath them painted yellow.

Clothes are displayed on the pegs along one wall, with handbags mounted at the back of the space.

Photographs are by Assaf Pinchuk.

The following information is from the architects:

Delicatessen Clothing Store

By mounting the pegboard on the entire 5m tall space, and lighting it from behind, this rough hardware store material  turned into an ephemeral, lace-like dress that wraps around the space.

In addition to the vertical pegboard display, horizontal display fixtures, made of found and recycled furniture pieces were cut out of the pegboard dress and “pulled” out of the wall revealing the yellow undergarment.

The pegboard material was selected because it is the most bass flexible display infrastructure, which allows the constant change, growth and mutation of the space.

Spatial transformation can follow a change in display needs, evolution of the brand or simply the change of fashion seasons.

The recurring customer who is used to the change of goods can now encounter an immersive transformation and the spatial design can become a commodity consumed on a regular basis.

See also:

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