25 March 2015

Flagship stores with an impact like this can only be found in the Far East. In Japan and South Korea, in the “designer” shopping districts of the big cities, outlets the size of whole buildings do battle with one another to amaze the public and represent the luxury of the world’s biggest fashion houses. The design is not confined to the interior, but starts out from the building. The Milan-based Piuarch Studio has recently completed a 400-square-meter store for Givenchy, situated in the prestigious Cheongdam-dong district of Seoul. The four floors are enclosed in a reflective blue-green outer shell: a cladding in relief that evokes the characteristic T-shaped cut of the brand, juxtaposed with interiors in a minimalist style. The embossed surface of the sheets of steel alludes to tailoring and to Op Art, reinterpreted in a high-tech key through the mutable effect of the electropolished metal. Inside, more traditional and classic materials have been utilized: Calacatta marble, Sahara noir and basalt convey the idea of a sober and timeless elegance. The staircase of Sahara noir marble is detached from the wall and has flights going in different directions. The store, a new urban landmark, aims to reflect the vision of Givenchy’s creative director Riccardo Tisci: modernity linked to tradition by unique and technological knowhow.