March 14, 2024 |
Dsquared2’s Dan and Dean Caten are returning to the British capital, a city that they once lived in for a decade, to open a brand new flagship boutique. Situated at 67 New Bond Street in the heart of London’s Mayfair, the dual level conceptual store, created alongside architecture and design firm Storagemilano, isn’t one to be missed.
An exploration of Dsquared2’s distinctive yet unconventional image through interior means, the brand reinterprets its meticulously constructed style with “contemporary irony and innovative spirit.” Once inside, visitors will be immersed in a meticulous medley of classically inspired and contemporary elements that reflect this.
The concept of the Wunderkammer, or Cabinet of Curiosities as it is more often known, is invoked through the reinterpretation of aesthetically familiar furnishings which are spread across both levels. A primary example of this is the custom lacquered okoumé wood display cases that span the entirety of the ground floor and bring to mind the expansive exhibit systems one might find at a natural history museum. Presenting the Canadian-cum-Milanese brand’s product offering on backlit backgrounds and encased in glass, the craftsmanship with which they are made is brought to the fore. These cabinets are riddled with continuous and soft tubular systems inspired by the London Tube that alternate with dividers in glass and sorbet-hued Formica Laminate. They sit in contrast to the mid-century aesthetics of the rest of the space, which is defined by the dark red or peachy Klinker clay tiling on the floor (blue or grey variegated carpets coat the clay in some places) and the industrial and technical elements of the LED light-bar chandeliers. Meanwhile the walls are plastered with hand-applied micro-cement, a material mixed with polymers, additives and chromatic colour pigments for a palpable sense of depth and a textural finish reminiscent of stipple.
On the ground floor, ceilings are construction paper-coloured and characterised by the “solids and voids” created by the modularity of industrial ceiling grid cells. That 1950s American office feel returns in the custom made lamps that punctuate the first floor’s aluminium ceiling grid.
The pride of the boutique perhaps, is the industrial staircase that emerges from its centre. Made with polished and pressed steel that displays a technical rhomboidal pattern, its sculptural stance and modern, glossy finish is enough to draw in any London punter.
A “harmonious fusion of tradition, innovation, and an unconventional vision,” Dsquared2’s new store is, in and of itself, a work of art. See you there?
Photography courtesy of Dsquared2.
