In
stark contrast to the conventional clinical white box of traditional opticians,
Campaign has created a dramatic interior for the London flagship store of
global eyewear brand Kirk Originals.
Located
in Conduit Street, in the heart of London’s west end, the new store showcases
the Kirk Originals collection of stylish glasses and sunglasses in its entirety
along with selected ranges by independent eyewear brands exclusive to Kirk
Originals in the UK.
A
convivial space has been designed to convey the brand’s heritage, ethos and be
conducive to browsing and trying on the handcrafted frames on display, with
full eye examinations and fittings available in the basement.
Taking
inspiration from the brand’s latest Kinetic collections, the flagship store
design features displays of winking eyes in various guises. A series of larger
than life lenticular printed eyes are suspended in the front window, simultaneously
winking and catching customers’ eyes as they approach and enter the store. A
sense of interaction continues inside, as a wall display of human-like ‘winkies’
runs the length of the store, providing a ready-made audience to enhance the
browsing and trying on experience. The ‘winkies’, 187 white powder-coated
sculptural heads, each wear a unique frame and can be tilted and re-positioned
to create clusters of onlooking craning heads.
A
restricted palette of monochromatic colours and modest materials including blue-grey
painted walls and a dark grey floorkeeps the
spotlight firmly on the ‘winkies’ adorned
with frames as if displaying works of art.
Integral
to the shopping experience, the Kirk Originals identity is interwoven
throughout the space: a succinct account of the brand’s origins has been
rendered in graphic text over two walls at the entrance; meanwhile a black and
white projection on the back wall playfully re-works the Kirk Originals logo
through a continual kaleidoscopic loop.
Side-stepping
the expected, Campaign has transformed 65 sqm of interior space to create a
memorable destination for eyewear aficionados.