Skye
- Denver, CO
Retail clothing stores typically focus on the visual display of merchandise while relegating the act of re-clothing and dressing to the insignificant ‘back of the house’ program. The Skye interior remodel of a 1,850 SF street level retail space is designed to celebrate the emotional metamorphosis of change. Focusing on the act of undressing and dressing, the interior is defined by carefully composing a series of translucent re-clothing chambers within the space. These cylindrical chambers redefine the space while signaling the emotional significance of shedding and re-clothing. Various levels of translucency expose the act as either intimately personal or expressively celebratory.
Sheer fabrics and translucent materials utilized throughout the store further enhance the notion of exposure. The materials enhance the spatial layering of the interior by establishing a processional density from the exterior urban environment to the container-like womb of pouched environments in the rear of the store.
Change, kinetic energy and visual stimulation are reinforced by displaying the clothing on slowly circulating racks that are derivative of the dry-cleaning industry. These circulating racks reduce the amount of display space while creating a sense of continual fluid movement. Customers become engaged in the display process by actively participating in the movement. The experience is further enhanced by the video animation of live modeling shows throughout the world. Clothing exhibited at the shows is transformed into a hologram that is displayed within a ‘naked’ chamber. Computerized view stations allow the customer to download holograms into the display chamber while swatches of the actual fabrics are automatically loaded onto the circulating racks.