Studio Four IV has designed the international womenswear floor at Harvey Nichols's flagship store in Knightsbridge. The 2,200 sqm space creates a premium environment where brands are able to express their own personality within a unique Harvey Nichols boutique concept.
Renowned for its collections of expertly edited fashion merchandise, Harvey Nichols's new space is home to collections from much loved fashion houses including Balenciaga, Valentino, Alexander McQueen and Christian Louboutin, as well as many up and coming new labels.
"Our design for the womenswear floor allows brands to express their own personality within a unique Harvey Nichols boutique concept," commented Chris Dewar-Dixon, Co-Founder Studio Four IV. "The result is a cohesive design with a relaxed ambience and fluid walkways, which encourage customers to meander and discover the exciting collections on offer; placing Harvey Nichols unequivocally at the forefront of premium fashion retailing."
Visitors travel up the escalator to be greeted by a glass showcase featuring a lavish seasonal display, which provides a sense of occasion in true Harvey Nichols style, and signals customer's arrival on the new womenswear floor. Making a conscious move away from the branded shop-fits traditionally seen in many department stores, the space has been completely reimagined to reveal a sophisticated and elegant, pared back interior, with the look and feel of a luxury boutique.
The entire floor has been remodeled to provide clear pathways and sight lines, which allow vistas from one side of the store to the other; once covered windows have been opened up for the first time in over a decade, flooding the space with natural light, to create a fresh, bright, spacious environment. Walls and fixed structures have been removed, resulting in a new easy to navigate layout that encourages visitors to move freely from one brand to another.
The new concept provides a simple, yet elegant framework for the first floor womenswear collections, providing a subtle, contemporary Harvey Nichols canvas, against which each brand has the opportunity to express itself and showcase their ranges. Individual boutique spaces are defined by bespoke brushed-steel fixtures with brass detailing and minimalist brand signage, which are set against a soft, chalky white backdrop, and the muted tones of a polished stone floor, placing focus firmly on the clothing.
Brands are invited to personalise the monolithic brand blocks that call out their label on the shop-floor. Beautifully executed, these range from polished concrete to abstract artworks, which can be changed to reflect the look of seasonal collections. Within their spaces, the brands are encouraged to add their own personality, which they have done through the inclusion of bespoke mid-floor display fixtures, carpeting, seating and mannequins. This creates distinctive gallery-like spaces, that provide a change of pace and give customers something new and intriguing to discover at each and every turn.
The same design language is used across the floor, creating a seamless transition between the brand spaces that occupy the perimeter and Harvey Nichols curated collection of emerging labels which are introduced in the centre of the floor.
