Retail design is quickly learning new ways to entice the customer. To create aunique and captivating shopping experience, shops use interactive technology andcommission stunning works of art; fashion brands team up with celebrity architectsto create brand strategies and generate publicity; and irony, humor, and playful elementsof surprise turn into mainstays of retail interiors. From the giant, breathingmannequins of Mandarina Duck in London to the high-tech dressing rooms ofPrada in Los Angeles, Design for Shopping provides a detailed, behind-the-scenesexamination of the sometimes jaw-dropping, sometimes whimsical, and alwaysbreathtakingly creative ways that todayGCOs most exceptional shops appeal to the customerGCOsimagination. Accompanied by architectsGCO floor plans and vivid color photographs, Design forShopping showcases a comprehensive selection of recent retail interiors fromaround the world.
Following an insightful introduction which examines the historicaland sociological variables in current shopping culture, the book is divided intoseven chapters which discuss themes such as the reinvention of old brands; technologyand shopping; the emerging intersections between architecture, art, and fashion;play and shopping; new ways and places to shop; and how store design andbranding have become intimately related to selling a lifestyle. Fascinating case studiesillustrate each of these themes, with thirty-five stores discussed in total. As aspecial feature, each chapter begins with an interview with a prominent figure inthe world of retail design. Designers, architects, and retailers interviewed includeMarcel Wanders, Hani Rashid, Amanda Levete, and Terence Conran. The perceptivetext, coupled with the gorgeous illustrations of the stores (shops presentedinclude Gucci, New York; Helmut Lang, New York; Prada, Los Angeles; Armani,Hong Kong; Dior, Tokyo; Mandarina Duck, London; Fendi, Paris; Miss Sixty,Barcelona; Villa Moda, Kuwait City) makes this book a must-have for anyoneinterested in design, architecture, shopping, or culture.
