A splashy collaboration between AMO (the research arm of OMA) and the French fashion house Jacquemus is making the scene in Paris and London this season thanks to the dynamic duo of OMA partner Ellen van Loon and Giulio Margheri.

Located inside the iconic Parisian department store Galeries Lafayette Haussmann and the equally posh London’s Selfridges and Harvey Nichols outfitters, the stores first premiered in July and were inspired by a deep dive into the brand’s origins, according to the design team. 

“We wanted to capture the atmosphere of Provence through the materiality of the spaces,” van Loon says. “[That] led us to approach the design in a different way altogether. Instead of working with form and deciding on the materials afterwards, we chose the materials at the outset and let them guide the shape of each space.”

The first London 860-square-foot outpost is clad in hand-applied terracruda ceramic in reference to the brand and founder Simon Porte’s Provençal extraction and offers a refresh from the bluesy pop-up space in Selfridge's Corner Shop that was constructed earlier in the year. OMA says the homespun materiality “preserves a level of irregularity, [giving] the design a sense of naturalness and craftmanship.”

In a stark contrast, the more comfortable Parisian location is upholstered completely in oversize white padding that provides shoppers with a sense of comfort and luxury. Stacked pillows serve as seating arrangements and display shelves. Like its London counterpart, the interior is enhanced by store windows that offer a welcoming glimpse inside to would-be passersby.

Both are marketed as a “shop-in-shop,” a concept that has grown in popularity as high-end retailers look for more creative ways to stay au courant and relevant to customer bases that have migrated further and further away from the brick-and-mortar retailers with the advent of more sophisticated e-commerce operations.

This marks a continuation of van Loon and Margheri’s past scenography commissions for Tiffany, Off-White, Solid Nature, KaDeWe, and BVLGARI. Van Loon is also transforming KaDeWe's Berlin location while working to create its first-ever Vienna outpost, which is expected to open in the fall of 2024.