Selfridges gives fashion department a makeover in Designer Studio

Selfridges’ Designer Studio

Responding to consumers’ changing shopping habits, department store chain Selfridges is opening a new fashion concept at its London flagship.

The Designer Studio, opening in two phases, stocks streetwear, high fashion and contemporary brands in the same space, allowing for new conversations between labels to form on the sales floor. Part of Selfridges’ $394 million investment in its future, the studio is designed to enable flexibility within the retail environment, letting the store keep up with and adapt to fashion’s fast pace.

High street meets high fashion
Selfridges’ Designer Studio is the last part of the makeover of its third floor.

As part of the renovations, the store opened the Body Studio earlier this year. The largest department in the store at 37,000 square feet, it offers clothing and accessories that satisfy women’s demand for more sophisticated and inclusive bodywear (see story).

Other efforts in the studio project included the opening of a Denim Studio and Contemporary Studio, which carries high street brands such as All Saints and TopShop along with cult French brands and aspirational labels.

Selfridges’ Designer Studio

Breaking down retail barriers, the Designer Studio becomes the final piece in the puzzle, creating a 100,000-square-foot floor-wide space carrying everything from high street to high fashion.

The 22,000-square-foot Designer Studio stocks more than 60 international labels, including shop-in-shops from J.W. Anderson, Marni, Christopher Kane and Vetements. Others carried within the space include Kenzo, Moschino, 3.1 Philip Lim and 22 newcomers to Selfridges such as Fenty x Puma.

A t-shirt shop will sell cult labels curated in partnership with i.t.

“Our starting point for the development of the Designer Studio was the question: What does our customer want?” said Sebastian Manes, buying and merchandising director at Selfridges. “What does she expect and what doesn’t she expect? We asked ourselves: How is she shopping the store up, down and across?

“This is particularly relevant in a time of fast moving digital retail,” he said. “We want the experience to surprise and make sense simultaneously. It’s a destination that addresses both the creativity and practicality of shopping for fashion.”

Sefridges’ Designer Studio

More than just a conceptual apparel section, the Designer Studio is conceived as a representation of the intersection of fashion and the worlds of music, culture and art.

Around the space are installations, which serve as hybrid retail fixtures and art pieces. Three of these conceptual pieces were created by frequent Selfridges collaborators Anna Lomax, Gary Card and Patternity.

A Gallery will a rotating selection of art picked by Selfridges, Designer Studio labels and collaborators, while a Book Shop will sell periodicals and art and photography tomes.

In-store amenities will reflect consumer trends. Fitting rooms come stocked with selfie sticks and photogenic backdrop curtains, while music playlists curated by designers set the tone.

Styling services have also been rethought to cater to today’s clientele.

The second phase of the Designer Studio will open in October.

from
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fredirect.viglink.com%2F%3Fu%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.luxurydaily.com%252Fselfridges-gives-fashion-department-a-makeover-in-designer-studio%252F%26key%3Dddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8