BuckleyGrayYeoman were appointed by Fred Perry to design their new ‘flagship’ Authentic store, creating a retail space that merges contemporary design with the brand’s rich 60-year heritage.
The centrepiece of the design is an anamorphic artwork of Fred Perry’s famous laurel emblem. The sculpture consists of 32 suspended brass leaves that run the length of the space. When viewed from the front of the store, the leaves align to create a complete image of the laurel, but as customers move around the artwork it transforms into layers, creating different shapes and patterns.
This experiential element of the design runs throughout the project, which features several elements that play with the idea of viewpoint and scale. As customers explore the store, the details of the design are subtly revealed. A seemingly plain white wall framing the golden laurel artwork at the back of the store is a mosaic of white Fred Perry buttons. Light panels running along the right-hand side-wall appear at first to be simple luminaires, until closer inspection reveals that they display blown-up photography of a classic white Fred Perry polo shirt. Footwear and accessories are displayed on light boxes, creating lines that replicate the proportions of the contrasting “tipping” around the collar and sleeves that is the signature detail of Fred Perry Polos.
The store has been designed with a calm, open approach to layout and a restrained material palette of concrete, black steel and wooden parquet flooring. Products are displayed on eight concrete tablets that also create seating for customers.
BuckleyGrayYeoman have created a sophisticated interior with a sense of clarity whilst also celebrating the expectation-defying individuality of the brand that has gained it an incredibly loyal following over the last five decades.
In 2014, BuckleyGrayYeoman were appointed Global Design Consultants for the Fred Perry brand.