GSA Interior Design students’ ideas for a new Top Shop store in LA make short list for Retail Design World (RDW) Student Awards
"the GSA students were working to a real brief from one of the most dynamic
fashion retailers in the world. To impress seasoned designers in that
context suggests that these students are truly ones to watch.”
Matthew Valentine, Editor of Retail Design Week
Three international Interior Design students from The Glasgow School of Art have made the short list for the 2016 RDW Student Awards it was confirmed today, 3 March 2016. Venus Pang (from Hong Kong), Aaron Hunter (from Dundee) and Lisa Gauss (from Cologne) responded to a brief to create a concept for the new Topshop store in Los Angeles which was set by Guy Smith, Head of Design at Arcadia Group.
“We are delighted that three of our level three students have made the short list for these prestigious awards,” say Patrick Macklin, Head of Interior Design at the GSA. “Having a live brief to work to is vital for professional development, and to have the opportunity to create concepts for a new Top Shop store in Los Angeles was hugely exciting for the students.”
“To be shortlisted in a national design competition is no small matter, but when the entries are of such a high standard it really is a vote of confidence,”says Matthew Valentine, Editor of Retail Design Week, who was instrumental in establishing the RDW Student Awards and was a judge in this year’s competition.
“The work submitted by entrants to the Retail Design Student Awards this year was terrific, and genuinely impressed the panel of senior designers who gave up their time to be judges. And let’s not forget that the students from Glasgow were working to a real brief from one of the most dynamic fashion retailers in the world. To impress seasoned designers in that context suggests that these students are truly ones to watch.”
"At the heart of the Topshop brand is an innate understanding and love for
fashion. Rather than being confined by rules and visual devices, as long as
it's current, Topshop can go anywhere and be anything."
Guy Smith, Head of Design at Arcadia Group
The students were challenged to consider what references to previous Topshop sites, in particular the existing Los Angeles store, there should be in the new store; the role of new digital technologies in the shopping process; how the space might react to change; and how the store could introduce Topshop to potential customers who are unfamiliar with the brand.
Lisa Gauss’s concept is for a machinethat transports clothes over tracks throughout the store.
“The customer is surrounded by flying clothes,” explains Lisa. “It takes the shopping experience to a whole new level and makes the journey of finding a new favourite outfit a lot easier and more exciting.”
“The design is entertaining and theatrical reflecting the location of the store in Los Angeles,” she adds.
In Surprise behind the Veil Venus Pang begins with a façade that hides the products presenting the shop instead as a “box of surprises” whilst also conveying the brand’s “hip vibe”. Inside the store a series of geometric shapes subtly break up the interior space into sections for four different departments.
“As the shopper stands at the entrance they get a clear glance at the overall placement of departments,” explains Venus. “Their attention is directed to the focal points along the main aisle displaying the newest and best items in the store.”
“Special photo booths with space for up to 8 people, which are installed with professional lighting, camera and a touch display, will enable people to join friends for a photo session. This will be converted into a digital look book and uploaded on to social media, for sharing and comparing,” she adds.
In Holografsion Aaron Hunter proposes the application of holograph technology to allow customers to experience something extraordinary and interactive. Features of the design include 7m floor to ceiling mirroring and holograph screens as well as interactive outside shopping technology.
“Three main structures are positioned purposely to lead the customer through the store,” explains Aaron. “A shoe area is suspended from the roof with pink rubber allowing translucency and light to travel through the space; the changing area is located within a structure tailored in hologram material, and the main structure is an 11m x 5m dual holographic screen. It is a design that would enable Glendale to change fashion retail for ever.”
As part of the design process the students were mentored by Ross Hunter of acclaimed design agency, Graven Images. The winners will be announced at Olympia in London on 9 March 2016.
Ends
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Notes for Editors
RETAIL DESIGN WORLD STUDENT AWARDS
Retail Design Student Awards, a much-applauded scheme designed to celebrate, encourage and promote the future stars of retail design, were launched in 2015.The 2016 Awards build on the success of the inaugural scheme. Students from six universities took part (Kingston, Nottingham Trent, Huddersfield, Manchester, Northumbria, and The Glasgow School of Art).
Mentors for the 2016 applicants were: Tim Greenhalgh, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of FITCH, Jeff Kindleysides, Founder of Checkland Kindleysides, Helen Shelley, Creative Director of MWorldwide, David Judge, Creative Executive Director of Start JG, David Dalziel, Group Creative Director of Dalziel and Pow, and Ross Hunter, Director of Graven Images
Entrants from Kingston University, Nottingham Trent University and Huddersfield University worked on a live brief from Speedo, and those from Manchester University, Northumbria University, and The Glasgow School of Art tackled a brief set by Topshop.
All shortlisted work will be displayed at the Retail Design Expo 2016 (March 9 – 10) and the two winners will be announced on 9th March at 1.00pm.
NEW TOP SHOP LA DESIGN BRIEF
Topshop Los Angeles
Establishing a constantly evolving brand in a new market
CONTEXT
For many years, brands have been defined and recognised by formulated and rigidly applied aesthetic treatments. Company logos, secondary typefaces, brand colours, patterns, forms, styles of photography and other visual devices are used to make brands instantly recognisable to their existing and potential customers.
Topshop is one of a new breed of brands that work in an entirely different way. At the heart of the Topshop brand is an innate understanding and love for fashion. As fashion constantly changes so to does Topshop. As long as an approach possesses a certain energy and is all about what is current and 'now' it can be applied to and used by Topshop. Rather than being confined by rules and visual devices, as long as it's current, Topshop can go anywhere and be anything.
This brand elasticity can give great freedom when designing stores for Topshop. Each one can be unique, new and different from those that have gone before as long as it remains true to the principle of being on trend and primarily about fashion.
However, this posses a challenge for the continued expansion of the brand. As a long established UK business Topshop needs to establish itself in new markets around the world in order to grow. While in the UK, generations have grown up familiar with the Topshop brand, in other countries the brand is virtually unknown.
To date in the USA Topshop has opened stores in Chicago, Las Vegas, San Diego, Huston, Atlanta and New York (2).
THE CHALLENGE
Building large numbers of identical stores, 'cookie cutting' a design into numerous sites is the accepted way of establishing a retail brand in a new market. However, Topshop's love of fashion and change makes it tempting to create one-off store designs, each being different from the last.
So, should Topshop adopt the accepted, proven route to expansion or attempt a riskier strategy which, if it doesn't work could significantly set back the international growth of the brand?
THE BRIEF
To design Topshop's second store in Los Angeles. Your design should reflect an understanding of the following issues:
· What references the design makes to previous Topshop sites, in particular the existing Los Angeles store.
· What roles do new digital technologies have to play in the shopping process? Consider what may help and augment the shopping experience and what might distract and diminish the hands-on, visceral experience of being in a real store.
· How does the space react to change? Should it be a permanent temple to fashion or an empty stage?
· What can the store do to introduce Topshop to potential customers who are unfamiliar with the brand?
APPENDIX AND NOTES
50% of the space should be used by Topshop.
30% of the space should be allocated to Topman, the menswear equivalent of Topshop.
Consider how the two brands co-exist in the space. Are they side-by-side, one in front of the other or some other approach?
20% of the space should be given to 'Back Of House' requirements - offices, store rooms etc. The design of this space in not included within this brief.