Faye Toogood, the renowned interior designer, has been appointed by luxury British brand Mulberry to co-create their new store concept in London together with their Creative Director Johnny Coca.
The rich and opulent space embodies a new shopping experience where a warmer atmosphere created by the tactile environment welcomes customers and encourage them to engage and enjoy the store.
Toogood played upon Mulberry’s heritage-brand status by paying tribute to the ideal verdant landscape of Somerset, Mulberry original birthplace. Inspired by painterly qualities of British landscapes, the designers created a strong contrast by juxtaposing simple geometric volumes, shapes, scales and sensibilities.
The project reveals also inspiration drawn from the controversial Brutalist style, first used in the UK by the Smithsons and Denys Lasdun. For Faye Toogood, it is this combination of the architecture style with the softness of the landscape that embodies what’s happening now and reflects the perception of the British-contemporary brand.
The display solutions evoke some of the iconic features of Toogood’s design, such as the “chubby” elegant legs of her Role Moly chair. Refined contrast is the core concept of the store: Mulberry green tiles arranged in a long and narrow rectangular are juxtaposed to the grey plaster areas; pink glass displays add lightness to the raw concrete walls.
Yet, the fresh, contemporary interior feels like a welcoming home: strikingly modern with a hint of heritage, the bold design creates a tactile universe where the brand can be discovered. It was Coca who defined this particular atmosphere in the hope to have an immersive environment with the feel of a home, where customers could go and explore the modern British identity of the brand.
“As a British brand, we did want something that felt in tune with our history, but not too literal an interpretation of English classical style; something more rebellious and modern and subtle in its references,” says Coca. “We want people to feel well here, to feel at home. It is a comfortable and warm space, but it also tells a story about us as a lifestyle brand. It is a reflection of our new chapter, as we continue to develop our vision of sophisticated, cool, fun.”
Toogood’s work is a continuous source of inspiration for her honest yet strong approach she has taken on all her designs, interiors and sculptures, as you can see in the renovation of this house in Ibiza.
