Awesome Explanation Mark! The feeling which the design and fitout of Bottega Veneta’s revamped, futuristic, Singapore store at “The Shoppes” at the Marina Bay Sands emulates. For me, the interior design of this luxury outlet, like many of it’s neighbouring stores, is world-class in presenting a fully developed, avant-garde brand experience. It hits all the senses so clients and visitors to the store “live” Maison Bottega Veneta. In the new retail design buzz-word, it’s hyper-physical.
Known for its striking bottle green, like Tiffany has blue, Christian Louboutin has red and Hermes has orange, ‘Bottega Green’ is easily heir apparent in this scheme. I adore this forest, polished green, and here it is modernised with contemporary materiality and illumination. The trademark hue is elevated using glossed and lacquered finishes, alongside mirrors, glass and shiny surfaces, to create a futuristic, polished well-lit background for the latest collections.
What drew me to the store, which is spread over two floors of ‘The Shoppes’, is the huge, exterior curved-corner windows and doors, which softly frame the interior like an old photograph. A chamfered edge wood detail contemporises the framing. It’s like a massive billboard.
The “wow” factor in features of luxury retail design tend to be in the architectural detailing. The chevron floor tile is sublime, in a duplicated format with monochrome handmade glossy Palazzo Morelli terracotta tiles. It’s finish redirects light and reflects the shades and shadows of the clothes and accessories. Intrinsically, green is carried on the shiny spiral staircase connecting the floors.
Apart from the fixed fittings which include thick edge-lit glass display shelves, the shop features beautiful, futuristic, chrome furniture pieces for merchandising and there is plenty of greenery, or living elements, in fluted ceramic vases, add serenity and a sense of calm.
A Singapore retail enclave, “The Shoppes” for me is a showcase of the best retail brand design work going. Here the world’s most fashionable names combine interior design, branding, art and music to create all-encompassing showcase to sell luxury fashion collections. This strategy is deserved in one of the most sophisticated cites in the world, for the most sophisticated consumer. The nearby Gucci store is also a design colossus and the Louis Vuitton’s first Island Maison is as historic still as when it opened in 2011.
According to Vogue Business and documented recently by NSS Magazine, the future of luxury goods interior design is “hyperphysical”, where companies present their outlets, and indeed all aspects of their brand, as a all-encompassing, sensory experience. It builds an immersive environment which is personal and heart-felt, in real life and which can be presented virtually. Every aspect of the brand, from the sounds to the smells, is considered and detailed. A visit to “The Shoppes” is proof of the efforts.
Images: Bottega Veneta Marina Bay Sands
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