Burberry stages its thrice-yearly fashion shows in Milan. The city also drives the market for the stylish accessories that have establish Burberry as a global brand.
For those and many other reasons, the commission to design the Burberry flagship store in MiIan was very significant indeed.
‘Britishness' is a defining feature of Burberry; Virgile and Stone chose to re-interpret that essential quality in a fresh, contemporary way which plays on popular perceptions of the British sensibility.
The whole store is designed around an idealised notion of an upper class British apartment of elegance - there's even a working fireplace and a lounge area with sofas in which shoppers can relax and feel at home. The mood throughout is one of friendly informality, making a deliberate contrast to the formal minimalism of many Italian fashion retailers.
The assumption that it's always raining in Britain prompted the creation of The Rain Room. Burberry's iconic trench coats are displayed along an 18 metre hallway, with back projection screens overhead depicting stormy weather enhanced by a suitably damp soundscape.
The store also features an interpretation of the traditional country hedgerow created by Finnish artist Jakku Pernu using woven willow canes. Pernu's abstracted tree installations also grace the upper floor, along with paintings by British artist Dan Hays; the Burberry Home Collection is displayed on cast resin plinths by designers McCollin Bryan.
The design employs natural materials associated with Britain. Large scale balls of woollen yarns introduce a note of whimsy; riven Welsh slate flooring is complemented by herringbone parquet flooring in oak, which is also found in craftsman-made armoires and wall panelling.
The Burberry store is a major destination for Milan shoppers and it has become the model for Burberry's retail presence worldwide, from Rome to Bangkok, Moscow to Barcelona.
Virgile and Stone specialise in luxury fashion, property, restaurant, hotel and leisure design and branding, globally. For more information, please follow this link. http://www.virgileandstone.com/intro.
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