Fashion matrix

Fashion matrix
Romanticism's first flagship store is inspired by the relationship between the human body, clothes and space

By Jessie Bove, Associate Editor
May 01, 2008

Koji Fujii/Nacasa and Partners Inc., Tokyo

Located near the banks of the bustling West Lake area of Hangzhou, China, an organic, seemingly growing structure stops passersby dead in their tracks. The façade of Romanticism's first flagship store draws shoppers in with a mysterious "net-like organism," reminiscent of a sea creature's grasping tentacles, enwrapping the store exterior.

The 3-D curved net continues on into the interior, wrapping itself throughout the space. This organic net is what ties the entire store together, explains Japanese architect Keiichiro Sako of Beijing-based SKSK Architects, which designed the boutique for the women's apparel retailer. The first flagship for Romanticism, which operates about 500 stores in China, includes a retail area, ground-level café and a basement. "I wanted customers to have an unusual experience in the shop, and stimulate their interest," Sako says.

Lighting consultant Masahide Kakudate of Lighting Architect & Associates Inc. also worked on the project. The glowing and intriguing exterior, however, is actually a reflection of nearby neon lights. "I hope that customers can be absorbed into the store by the façade," Sako comments. "First, they are attracted by the unique interior space, but gradually start to take attention to those clothes that are displayed like [they are] floating in the air. Guided by a curved line to the basement floor, I want them to make a tour through [the] space." Vibrant merchandise, such as the dresses displayed behind the cashwrap, seem to float effortlessly in mid-air, suspended on simple, sleek rods with wires from the ceiling. In other areas of the boutique, clothing racks seem to spring forth from the walls, extending as part of the sculptural net.

The fluid net design was inspired by the fact that two-dimensional fabric is used to make clothes for a three-dimensional human form, Sako explains. With the first skin being the human body's natural skin, and clothes acting as a type of second "skin," Sako envisioned a third skin—which would exist between space and clothing, all of which wrap the body. "We adopted the form of net as a metaphor for clothes, which are made of fiber," he says. Rather than using elements such as the floor, walls or ceiling to define the space, Sako's third skin—or net—shifts shapes into counters, chairs, railings and other elements throughout the space. Holes in the netting act as pockets to display merchandise against the 3-D white walls. In one section of the store, the pocket niches are used to display colorful books, which visually pop against the white canvas of the wall. The net also gives life to display tables that rise from the floor, showcasing products against a stark backdrop.

Every unit of the net is different, Sako explains. The net consists of "bones" (reinforced steel rod), "flesh" (Styrofoam and fiberglass) and "skin" (epoxy-resin and water paint finish), he says. The steel-rod bone structure was made by hand, one by one, at the construction site. "Each steel rod had to be fixed to the ceiling and floor very carefully, because they were originally not straight, but bended or twisted," Sako notes. "The Styrofoam on the structure was cut by knives to create basic organic shapes and then polished for finishing by sandpaper." The intricate design and complicated, hand-made construction were possible due to inexpensive personnel costs in China, he adds.

Flooring throughout the boutique consists of cement mortar, white tile and a white marble finish. The ceiling of the ground floor features a mirror-finished stainless steel compound board, visually doubling the height, reflecting the curves of the net, and distorting the interior upside down. "The reflected images that come from stainless steel surfaces are not completely flat and make people feel they are seeing objects from inside water," Sako describes. "Because water is always under us, not over us, this experience is very unique for every customer. Some visitors told us that they felt as they are in a fairy land."