DDi - July 2013 - (Page 70)

Photos: Lea Titz 70 | Right Light Realtime fairy tale Sculptural fixtures and integrated lighting bring designer children’s apparel to life at Bambini’s Vienna boutique By Vilma Barr A new standard for value-added design for a children’s retail store has been set by Bambini. At every vista of this nearly 4,000-sq.-ft. boutique, whimsy meets significant fashion with children’s collections from Armani, Fendi, Gucci, La Perla, Missoni, Cavalli and other haute labels. Located at 30 Breitenfurter Strasse in downtown Vienna, the store is both fanciful and sophisticated. For Bambini (Italian for “children”), designer Denis Kosutic created an interior where the appeal extends to all age groups. His design weaves black, white and gray patterns on walls and floors, manipulating the scale of stylized flowers, fronds, lollipop whirls, mushrooms, bananas and pears. “The design provides a unifying effect for the space,” Kosutic says. “I wanted the shop’s interior to be playful, surprising and exciting for both kids and the adults | July 2013 accompanying them, a real-life wonderland for showcasing the extraordinary apparel and wonderful accessories brought together in Bambini,” Kosutic says. “Our objective was to introduce a visual adventure of a contemporary store style.” Positioned on the lower level of the store are a series of full-height polished, reflective, openweave circular copper enclosures. In some, mannequins are stacked on two shelves, while in the center of the other enclosures, Kosutic placed a glowing white tube illuminated internally with LEDs. Selections of styles are displayed on hangers around the lower ring. Placement of the enclosures subtly directs shoppers around the sales floor. Encircling the top of the structures is a custom-designed black electrified element supporting Macrolux Zero 35-watt HQl tapered and rectangular spotlights. These adjustable black track fixtures are beamed downward at the hanging merchandise arrayed on the outer ring. A wall of pleated velour draperies conceals the dressing rooms. Here, 2-watt LED “Wallflower” fixtures from Flos are bright spots of light that welcome young Bambini shoppers. Polished copper that forms the railing for the floating staircase leading to the upper level also supports double-tier, wall-mounted display units. These are accented from above by black Macrolux fixtures mounted within black troughs. Recessed halogen ceiling lights provide ambient illumination throughout the selling floor. Bambini’s shoe collection treats each style as a work of art. “Shoe styles are displayed in individual pairs in cubbies on a five-tier wall system. A single centrally placed recessed light fixture is above each pair,” Kosutic explains. Cylindrical plush stools for try-on seating contrast to the angular geometry of the full-height white units on three sides of the department. A white plaster frieze of supersized mushrooms, pears, flowers and lollipops gives the space a distinctive, artful identity. Kosutic collaborated with Carina Habert and Marieke Kuchenbecker on the many custom details throughout the multi-tiered environment. He says that response to the décor from both Vienna-based MB Fashion Gmbh (Bambini’s parent company) and Bambini’s staff has been positive. The lighting, he indicates, serves as a unifying element to emphasize the exclusivity of the merchandise and the setting in which the collection is presented. To email this article, visit www.ddionline.com/magazine. www.ddionline.com http://www.ddionline.com/magazine http://www.ddionline.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of DDi - July 2013

DDi - July 2013
Contents
From the Editor
From the Show Director
Newsworthy
Shopper Insights
Editor’s Choice
Visual Perspectives
Design Snapshot
Karl Lagerfeld
Walgreens
Fred Perry
World Department Store Forum
Fixture Leaders Listing
Company Index
Right Light
In-Store Technology
Product Spotlight
Calendar
Advertisers
Classifieds
Shopping with Paco

DDi - July 2013