The new Ultrecht flasgship branch of men’s fashion store Oblique Men plays on the latest trends, not only when it comes to shoe and fashion collections, but also with its beautiful interior design.
Designers from The Invisible Party developed the brand identity and a spectacular interior concept, realized with HI-MACS® in its luminous shade Emerald, from the Lucent collection, perfectly fabricated by Van Assem Interieurbouw with a result that is anything but mainstream.
The designers focused on creating a space that matches the high-end brands the store carries. As these brands have a classic heritage and urban aesthetic, they chose to create a space with a contemporary feel and sophisticated edge.
The design merges two formerly separate spaces. The two spaces were made one by creating an oblique line that runs through both, setting the angle to which floors are laid and furniture is displayed. The angled line also sets the tone, creating a contemporary interior with an edgy high-end yet classic feel.
The classic sense is given a modern twist through different touches, such as the use of latest generation materials, including HI-MACS® for the furniture, combined with a terrazzo-look floor.
The HI-MACS® Emerald colour is used in the counters to interject a trendy colour palette with its bright, almost neon green shade. The colour comes into its own on the warm wood floor and combines well with brass and petrol details. In addition, the Lucent collection from HI-MACS® has translucent properties, where the material and its colour create a special effect using the influence of light.
Furthermore, the Solid Surface material lends itself to optically seamless designs and it is also thermoformable. The only lines you see in this design are the subtle graphic patterns that have been milled into it. The oblique line is also projected onto walls and the changing room doors, adding a bold graphic layer.
An accessories cabinet screens the window from the store. The material diffuses light in such a way that silhouettes are visible but fuzzy. As such it forms a dividing line between inside-outside, or display-hidden.
The range of materials and colours in the shop underlines the coming together of classic and urban. In creating a variety of sensory experiences, traditional materials are made modern through their juxtaposition and reinvention.
The store has been conceived as a stage to present and give an overview of the 58 brands the shop carries. The angled line is repeated in the various display elements, creating specific sight lines and leading shoppers along the products, developing an angled footwear display that shows the product from a wearer’s viewpoint. In sum, the design for Oblique Men puts contemporary, urban men's fashion on a pedestal.
PROJECT INFORMATION
Flagship Store Oblique Men
Location: Utrecht, The Netherlands
Design: The Invisible Party theinvisibleparty.com
Fabrication: Van Assem Interieurbouw https://www.vanassem.nl/
Material: HI-MACS® Emerald S305 from Lucent collection
Material Supplier: Baars & Bloemhoff, The Netherlands
Photography: © Sal Marston Photography
