There is perhaps no brand in fashion that fuses the worlds of design, art and architecture better than Stockholm's Acne Studios. The label exists on it's own plane and over the years we have seen them release some of our favorite collections, books, magazines, art and more. One area where they continue to push the boundaries are their retail stores. Each store is developed with the location in mind and it always compliments the boutique's geography, architecture and has a very distinct concept and ethos. We have visited Los Angeles, New York and Berlin and each store is so different and fascinating in its own right. They are fully immersive environments that showcase clothes, art and books.
Their latest boutique in Cheongdam, South Korea is one of the most brilliant we have seen thus far. Designed by acclaimed architect Sophie Hicks, the shop is located in one of Seoul's most glamorous shopping areas. The new flagship opened on September 19th, and has already made a big splash. Below find some images from the shop and hear from Acne Studios.
“With our architect Sophie Hicks in London, our partner Shinsegae in Seoul and our HQ in Stockholm, it certainly has not been an easy process to build this house together from scratch. That said, I think we are all very proud and excited about the result.” Mikael Schiller, Chairman Acne Studios.
From Acne Studios:
The standalone building plays with the contrast between modest discretion and forceful attitude. Viewed from the outside it is a restrained and elegant lightbox. Once inside, the visitor finds that the box conceals a heavy, concrete structure consisting of four pairs of columns holding up the roof and upper floor. A floating concrete staircase winds around one of the columns.
The concrete will bear the imprint of rough timber, and the collections will be shown against softly reflective metal walls, freestanding in the open space. Juxtaposing the concrete and steel, the building sits on vegetation typically found in the Swedish archipelago: including, of course, wild strawberries.
The Acne Studios Cheongdam store occupies 230 sqm and will carry men’s and women’s ready-to-wear and denim as well as accessories and footwear. In addition, a specially designed limited edition unisex sweater will be sold exclusively in store to celebrate the opening.
Acne Studios Cheongdam is located at 79-7 Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. For more information please visit the official website.
-JRS