September 6, 2019 |
What’s that shiny, colourful box standing tall on the corner of Poland and Oxford Street? Well, funny you should ask. Somewhat unknown in UK’s capital, the already established chain of luxury retail spaces Flannels just opened their 45th location in the country and its first one in London. The business that took luxe fashion to places it hasn’t physically touched before, Flannels expanded conversations beyond the capital-centric stream and is known as the go-to destination for “lovely stuff” all the way up’t North. So, how come the team decided to finally tackle the saturated landscape of the Big Smoke? Well, it’s the last thing standing between local and international success. We bet you’re intrigued, right? Well, in order to prep you for your first visit to the just-opened retail haven, we’re bringing you 10 things to know about the store and all those fabulous gems hiding inside…
Interior photographs by Theo Tzia
1. The space, which took over two years to create, stretches over 18,000 sq ft and four floors, all designed by Italian studio Pconp in partnership with artist Riccardo Previdi.
2. The building the store is situated in was originally The Academy cinema which housed the original Marquee club. Flannels are planning to continue the cultural legacy of the building through visual art and music as part of their experiential retail.
3. There is a mix of men’s and womenswear, with brands including everything from Gucci and Burberry to Balmain, Off-White and Vetements. The second floor is imagined to host an ever-changing line up of immersive brand experiences and events – the first being a collaboration with notorious sneaker store Flight Club where you can buy extremely rare pairs of kicks you won’t be able to get anywhere else.
4. There around 7,500 pieces currently on display – the trainers from Flight Club are some of the most expensive items in the store. Going further, Flannels will drop exclusive products created in collaboration with global designers.
5. There is a total of 12 luxury changing rooms spread across three floors.
6. The space has no windows and instead features interactive screens which can change constantly – the contemporary answer to the old-school seasonal window changes. There are 36 4K digital screens on the front of the Flannels store, which will showcase a changing line up of work from some of Europe’s best artists in partnership with art initiative W1 Curates. The full size of the screens equate roughly to 11 meters high by 45 meters wide. The screens have sensors that detect outdoor brightness to ensure they are as energy efficient as possible.
7. There is a team of 78 people working in the store, including stylists and personal shoppers.
8. The new flagship also premiers a Style & Collect Service, a combination of a click-and-collect and a personal shopping experience which is a first for Flannels.
9. The materials used in the store include Italian marble, wood, slate and tile – the store apparently cost around £10m in total.
10. But most importantly? The working hours. The store is open from Monday to Friday (10am – 9pm), on Saturdays (9am – 8pm) and Sundays (12pm to 6pm). Enjoy your shopping!
External photograph by PENSON. The new Flannels flagship is open at 161-167 Oxford Street in London.
