Location: MILAN, Italy 210 sqm 2018
Client: Jacob Cohen Co. SPA
Type: Retail

The new Jacob Cohen boutique opened in Milan in via della Spiga, at the very heart of the Fashion Quad. The new store is spread over 200 sqm and over two storeys, where Area-17 combined the richness of details to neat geometries of linear elements and surfaces, according to a color palette which deftly mixes deep blue, gold, and neutral shades of beige and browns, giving that sense of preciousness and laid-back elegance that has always been the brand’s hallmark.

 

The new concept builds on the assumption that beautiful things deserve an equally attractive space to match. Hence the sleek airy design, enriched by precious furniture and materials as the famous Japanese Kurabo denim used for flowy drapes and capitonné decorative panels, which eventually have become a signature of Cohen spaces. In order to highlight the color palette of the products, the finishes create a basic background, from the polished industrial concrete flooring with wool area rug inserts to lime-effect painted walls. Rich tridimensional textures inspired to the Cohen universe enliven the surfaces, alternating a new interpretation of the brand logo to sober vertical stripes of English tapestry memory, to architectural motifs such as boiseries and diamond walls. All materials’ treatments are completely natural: the store will age beautifully as a pair of favorite jeans does, becoming even more beautiful and personal. The new flagship store has fully succeeded in expressing the brand’s commitment to quality and craftsmanship through a careful attention to detail, which, however accurate, never exceeds the boundaries of sobriety. A few examples of this style can be traced in the calf hair inserts as well as the special edition furniture in the VIP area. The idea finds its best expression in the tailor room, where clients can personalize new items getting inspiration from the brand’s story, illustrated in a gallery wall made of both traditional and digital images.

Featured

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FLORENCE, Italy 200 sqm 2012

Area-17 collaborated with INRES to develop the new format for FiorFiore stores. FiorFiore is Coop’s premium private label, featuring the finest traditional products from Italian and worldwide food culture. FiorFiore Concept Store is meant to be a food boutique, where the high quality of design, materials, and skilled craftsmanship are metaphors for the excellence of the products on sale.

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BEIJING, China 150 sqm 2007

The fresh-looking yet refined environment of Tamarind Indian restaurant shines through subtle hints to its cuisine homeland. Area-17 designed a space where bright colors and glass surfaces decorated with motifs reminiscent of tamarind flowers are understated references to the Indian imaginary.