Retail design is quickly learning new ways to entice the customer. To create a unique and captivating shopping experience, shops use interactive technology and commission stunning works of art; fashion brands team up with celebrity architects to create brand strategies and generate publicity; and irony, humor, and playful elements of surprise turn into mainstays of retail interiors. From the giant, breathing mannequins of Mandarina Duck in London to the high-tech dressing rooms of Prada in Los Angeles, Design for Shopping provides a detailed, behind-the-scenes examination of the sometimes jaw-dropping, sometimes whimsical, and always breathtakingly creative ways that today's most exceptional shops appeal to the customer's imagination. Accompanied by architects' floor plans and vivid color photographs, Design for Shopping showcases a comprehensive selection of recent retail interiors from around the world. Following an insightful introduction which examines the historical and sociological variables in current shopping culture, the book is divided into seven chapters which discuss themes such as the reinvention of old brands; technology and shopping; the emerging intersections between architecture, art, and fashion; play and shopping; new ways and places to shop; and how store design and branding have become intimately related to selling a lifestyle. Fascinating case studies illustrate each of these themes, with thirty-five stores discussed in total. As a special feature, each chapter begins with an interview with a prominent figure in the world of retail design. Designers, architects, and retailers interviewed include Marcel Wanders, Hani Rashid, Amanda Levete, and Terence Conran.
The perceptive text, coupled with the gorgeous illustrations of the stores (shops presented include Gucci, New York; Helmut Lang, New York; Prada, Los Angeles; Armani, Hong Kong; Dior, Tokyo; Mandarina Duck, London; Fendi, Paris; Miss Sixty, Barcelona; Villa Moda, Kuwait City) makes this book a must-have for anyone interested in design, architecture, shopping, or culture. Sara Manuelli is the author of numerous books on design, including RSVP: Invitation Design. She is former features editor of Design Week and has contributed to numerous publications, including Wallpaper*. 270 illustrations.