10 Artists Who Have Designed Retail Stores
Not to get all Kanye preachy on you, but shopping for clothes can sometimes be an art form. Picking out clothes and styling yourself is very much of a form of self-expression that takes time, effort, and creativity. Especially if you’re dropping thousands of dollars for some designer stuff (hopefully less than that if you’re at a sample sale) you would probably want to take your time with the browsing and buying. That’s why having an inspiring window design or creative interior space is so important to premium labels such as Louis Vuitton. In the past, the French fashion house has commissioned a range of artists from RETNA to Yayoi Kusama to enhance their retail stores and hopefully inspire buyers. Click through our list to see the work of 10 artists who have designed retail stores.
3D Joe and Max
We’ve all seen photos of 3D sidewalk art. To think that somebody actually created all that with a bit of chalk is mind-blowing. As 3D street artists who have been commissioned by a number of brands, 3D Joe and Max aren’t strictly limited to sidewalks. They’ve also done a mural here and there. The duo’s Joe continues to work on their anamorphic 3D art today, and he recently made a life-like mural for Rag and Bone in New York.
RETNA
You might remember that RETNA designed a very RETNA-like scarf for Louis Vuitton last year. Before that, the contemporary artist also designed the storefront for the French fashion house’s Miami Store. He turned the facade into an impressive canvas showcasing his signature handiwork. While his murals and paintings typically contain personal messages and poetry that aren’t immediately decipherable to passersby, there’s no mistaking what his piece for the ritzy French store says.
Hitotzuki
For those who don’t know, Hitotzuki is a Japanese street art duo consisting of husband and wife Kami and Sasu. Since street art is illegal in Japan, it’s sometimes difficult for the artists to create their calming mandala murals. Elsewhere, however, Hitotzuki is a huge hit. A few years ago, Hermés commissioned Kami and Sasu to deck out their store windows and interiors.
Daniel Arsham and Alex Mustonen
It’s amazing what you can do with a bit of next-level Styrofoam. Daniel Arsham and Alex Mustonen are the masterminds behind Snarkitecture, a design collective that has collaborated with a number of fashion labels. One of Arsham and Mustonen’s most impressive projects is their 2010 installation for the Richard Chai store. Using the remains of an existing structure that once sat beneath the High Line, the two hand-cut a glacial cavern out of the material, which then filled the void of the entire retail space.
Yayoi Kusama and THEVERYMANY
Louis Vuitton has worked with a handful of talented artists over the past few years, but one of the brand’s best picks? The dreamy, dot-seeing Yayoi Kusama. Last April, the Japanese artist helped transform a Louis Vuitton pop-up shop into a polka dot wonderland. While her speckled handbags for the French label sat atop well-lit platforms, the store wouldn’t have had the same effect if not for THEVERYMANY’s handiwork, which was inspired by Kusama’s spotted pumpkin installations. It’s pretty magical, right?
Takashi Murakami
When Takashi Murakami created a line of “Multicolor Spring Palette” clutches and wallets for Louis Vuitton in 2009, he also got to convert the French label’s store in Omotesando, Tokyo, into a “Superflat” paradise. Its walls were paved with the Japanese contemporary artist’s famous grinning flowers, and its interiors were filled with his many plush creations. The explosion of colors, neon lights, and cuteness made for a beautiful, fitting design.
Hugo McCloud
Before Hugo McCloud began blowtorching and sanding metal to create his experimental paintings, he was a designer. Born into a family of artists, he made furniture and environments inspired by different cultures. He has one rule, however, and that’s making sure he fully understands the cultures that he is alluding to in his art and design. Back in 2010, McCloud designed the interior of the Cukui flagship store in San Jose, drawing inspiration from traditional Pacific Islander culture.
Aerosyn-Lex Mestrovic
Recognized for his beautiful penmanship, Aerosyn-Lex Mestrovic created the visuals for the 2014 CFDA Fashion Awards, and worked with KENZO and even Kanye West. A lesser-known fact is that Mestrovic originally went to school for fashion design, which explains his eye for style, which is evident in the collection of apparel he unveiled at the Nike 240 Canal Pop-Up Shop. In addition to an eye-popping line of footwear and hats, he revamped the entire store.
INSA
INSA typically creates works of “GIF-iti,” painstakingly painting and repainting a wall, documenting the process, and putting all the photos together digitally to create a GIF. Last year, however, he tried his hand at fashion design. The U.K. artist worked on a special capsule collection of limited edition denims with Osaka-based brand EVISU, even designing the store’s interiors.
Kevin Lyons
Okay, so Colette is always teaming up with dope artists, having worked with Curtis Kulig and Baron Von Fancy in the past. However, the French boutique’s collaboration with G-SHOCK and Kevin Lyons was one of its best. For G-SHOCK’s 30th anniversary, artist Kevin Lyons [LINK: http://green-label.com/tag/kevin-lyons/], who is also an art director for multiple brands, covered the windows and surfaces of the store with his “monster” characters.
Not to get all Kanye preachy on you, but shopping for clothes can sometimes be an art form. Picking out clothes and styling yourself is very much of a form of self-expression that takes time, effort, and creativity. Especially if you’re dropping thousands of dollars for some designer stuff (hopefully less than that if you’re at a sample sale) you would probably want to take your time with the browsing and buying. That’s why having an inspiring window design or creative interior space is so important to premium labels such as Louis Vuitton. In the past, the French fashion house has commissioned a range of artists from RETNA to Yayoi Kusama to enhance their retail stores and hopefully inspire buyers. Click through our list to see the work of 10 artists who have designed retail stores.