Architectural illustration of Foster + Partners' plan for the former Fenwick New Bond Street buildings. Credits: Foster + Partners. Luxury fashion brands have long understood that shopping is more than a transaction. They excel at blending global prestige with local nuance, creating bespoke environments that reflect local values and aesthetics. These stores feel rooted in place, with a distinctiveness of place that makes them desirable. Written by Luke Bell, senior strategist at Wiedemann Lampe We see this a lot from luxury fashion brands in the UAE, where new cultural districts and destinations are being built from scratch. A new retail destination in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, for example, is inviting a carefully selected number of luxury brands to set up flagship stores that correspond to the values of the city – making each one not only a one-of-a-kind but true to the spaces they inhabit. Brands either strive to align visually with architecture of the district or offer experiences that match the local rhythm. High street fashion may not have luxury budgets, but they can borrow from this mindset. It’s a mentality shift that could set the foundation for a more meaningful transformation of our high street – and it’s not as challenging, or costly, as you think. Bringing a sense of place to the high street Brands should start by asking themselves, “If we were starting from scratch, how would we curate brands that reflect local community? How would we design spaces that instil pride in place?”. If you can’t…
