Located in London’s Mayfair district on Albemarle Street, Self-Portrait’s flagship store is the very first stand-alone store for the fashion brand.
“I wanted to offer that luxury shopping experience, but at our price point,” said Han Chong, founder and creative director of Self-Portrait. “Albemarle Street is perfect, because it has a sophisticated feel, but also an edge.”
Setting the groundwork for future Self-Portrait stores, the two-storey, 2400 sq ft (223 sq m) flagship store designed by Casper Mueller Kneer Architects features distinct spaces that are “flowing into each other”.
“It was important for us to create a number of different places that the customer could explore,” explained Casper Mueller Kneer architect Olaf Kneer. “So there’s a sequence of spaces flowing into each other, creating zones with different spatial and material qualities.”
With the walls clad in a grey Cornish mineral clay render, the dark tone is contrasted with white grid ceiling lights.
In addition to complimenting the space and serving its functional purpose, the large mirrors layed through the store add to the sense of openness.
On the second floor, there are two curved metal screens and a custom terrazzo flooring with pink and white marble insets. There are also two stairs to provide customers with a more “playful loop” when exploring the store and its merchandise.
