In response to growth in its men’s designer fashion business, Selfridges (named Best Department Store in the World by the Intercontinental Group of Department Stores) has unveiled a new space designed by Alex Cochrane Architects that will be the home to collections by brands such as Balenciaga, Givenchy, Dries van Noten, Lanvin, Marni, Saint Laurent Paris, Comme des Garçons, Jil Sander, Givenchy, and Paul Smith.
Located on the London store’s first floor, the 300 square-metre space had been in planning for over 10 months and was spearheaded by the store’s Director of Menswear, David Walker-Smith as part of Selfridges’ ‘Menswear Masterplan’, an ongoing multi-million pound redevelopment strategy devised to introduce men to a new way to shop for fashion and accessories. The masterplan will continue with the redevelopment of the store’s men’s shoe department later in the year.
The layout of the new space is anchored by three plinths dividing the overall space in two sides of equal proportions. The plinths appear to be made of solid stone and are used to showcase folded garments. The floor mirrors the physicality of the plinths with oversized geometrically cut stones with a hexagonal pattern. A series of rails made of brass with a bronze finish provide height contrasts around the central plinths and play with the perimeter of the space. A feature wall of polished steel, located at the back of the space, provides a focal point for a programme of brand-specific pop-up concepts, and has launched with an installation from Lanvin.
