ALEKSA studio has completed the flagship shop for designer sunglasses brand For Art’s Sake in London’s historic Covent Garden, followed by a sister store in Xiantiandi shopping centre in Shanghai. The stores are united by attention to detail and an aesthetic that is targeted at millennial shoppers, reflecting the elegant and intricate frames produced by the brand. Pastel colours, a selfie station and ‘Instagram spots’ are key design features to ensure that the outlets speak to a style-conscious digital generation.

For Art’s Sake is an online design brand that specialises in fashion-forward eyewear and their London Store represents a bold contemporary design approach while respecting the historic surroundings. ALEKSA studio wanted to echo the brand’s eclectic style and so employed a luxurious palette of contrasting materials – mirror polished brass, blue velvet fabric and high gloss white timber, elevating the statement-making frames. Solid curtain-like walls and upholstered display stands in velvet are coloured soft blue to match the company’s signature velvet packaging. Bespoke brass arches create flexible window displays visible from outside the shop. Large display units are carved into the walls and feature faceted and tilted round mirrors, floating shelves and mirror finish brass reveals and skirtings.

The shop has two entrances – one faces the Central Avenue (an arcade of restored shops) and the other opens onto the main piazza, with cafes and open-air music. The interior design draws inspiration from key architectural motifs found on site, such as the existing iron skeleton arches and arched brick façade and windows reveals.

The designer created an efficient joinery system that can house the maximum number of sunglasses at any time, encased in opulent velvet-wrapped bases. A key consideration was to make otherwise small space appear bigger by introducing carefully curated angled mirrors and ‘Instagram spots’ within the shop. For Art Sake rose to prominence on social media and it was crucial that the physical experience of the shop encourages visitors to share photos across digital platforms. The design of the store is therefore part of a wider online marketing strategy to engage with new audiences.  

ALEKSA Studio director, Aleksa Rizova, said: “The shop designs are inspired by the client For Art’s Sake’s key ethos to celebrate the bold woman – a playful power-dresser, both effortless and elegant. The interiors are refined and yet playful, designed with the millennial generation of shoppers in mind.”

For Art’s Sake has since opened a second shop in Shanghai's Xintiandi shopping centre, also designed by ALEKSA studio. The new fit-out incorporates design motifs developed by the architecture studio for the Covent Garden Shop – brass window arches, display units with brass reveals and round mirrors and the signature fluted blue velvet walls. The brand expects to have locations in Hong Kong, Miami and New York by 2020.

About ALEKSA studio

ALEKSA studio is an emerging creative Architecture and Design practice, based in London and working internationally. Our portfolio ranges from commercial and residential projects to bespoke installations, furniture and product design pieces. Our designs are bold, innovative and playful - we love experimenting and designing through making using emerging materials, patterns, colours and advanced fabrication techniques. Our recent projects include shops in London’s Covent Garden and Shanghai; a restaurant refurbishment at Grade I Listed Natural History Museum; community skate-parks in Liverpool and Sao Paulo; a Regent Street window display for make-up brand Kiko Milano; several bespoke residential projects and furniture design collections. Our work has been exhibited at the Royal Academy of Art Summer Show, Clerkenwell Design Week, the Centre Pompidou and belongs to the largest European art and design collection at Centre National Des Arts Plastiques, Paris.

www.aleksastudio.co.uk

About For Art’s Sake

Founded in 2016, For Art’s Sake is a London-based design brand specialising in fashion-forward eyewear. In two short years, we’ve grown exponentially, and currently appear in 550+ premium stockists around the world, including Harvey Nichols, Net-A-Porter, Yoox.com, and Lane Crawford. We’re also loved by style authorities from Beyonce to Olivia Palermo, Poppy Delevingne and Aimee Song. Our sunglasses take care of the little details from exquisite craftsmanship to decadent velvet packaging and speedy shipping, so that you can focus on the bigger picture – conquering the world one stylish step at a time. Whether it’s through our designs, on social media or our blog, we celebrate the bold woman building a bright future; she is an enigma – a playful power-dresser; both effortless and elegant; a master of reinvention.

www.fasforartssake.com