Perfectly positioned in the sweet spot between luxury and accessibility, Swedish footwear and accessories label Axel Arigato has catapulted itself into the fashion stratosphere in the space of just two years. Having built its success exclusively online, this month sees the brand breach new frontiers with the opening of its first bricks and mortar store in London’s Soho.
‘Selling strictly online and marketing through social media was our entry to the market, a way for us to begin our story,’ says CEO Albin Johansson. ‘But having our own flagship store has always been on our minds and I’m really excited to now offer a brand new platform where we can express our identity in a different setting and perspective, while staying true to the same philosophy.’
To help them translate the digital experience into a physical one, Axel Arigato’s creative director Max Svärdh turned to acclaimed architect Christian Halleröd, the man behind store designs for fellow Scandinavian labels such as Acne, Byredo and Frame.
The store’s Broadwick Street exterior
Located on a Soho street corner, the store’s dual frontage, lined with 4m-high windows, fills the glossy white interior with daylight. Unfinished concrete pillars, mirrors and a black gridded ceiling framed by perfect lines of pure LED light add to the sharp-edged effect. In the centre of the space, laid out on 450kg slabs of rough-cut white terrazzo stone, the full range of men’s and women’s shoes, accessories and clothing, as well as a selection of rare Japanese books, magazines and objects, are showcased like works of art in a gallery.
‘We needed a minimalist palette because the products we offer are so diverse and individualised,’ explains Svardh. ‘Instead we started looking for different surfaces that could add depth to that tonality. I also wanted to allow flexibility for upcoming projects and collaborations. Axel Arigato is a young brand that is constantly evolving. For us it only made sense to create a space that could evolve as well.’
In order to create a wider lifestyle experience, the store will also carry a number of carefully selected brands such as Matthew Miller and Goran Kling – and even the chairs, designed by Halleröd, are available for purchase.
The space is the brand’s first bricks and mortar store
Located on a Soho street corner, the store’s dual frontage fills the glossy white interior with generous amounts of daylight
Unfinished concrete pillars, mirrors and a black gridded ceiling framed by perfect lines of pure LED light add to the sharp-edged effect
The minimalist facade of Axel Arigato’s store
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Axel Arigato website
ADDRESS
19–23 Broadwick Street
London W1F ODF
-
Nikos Koulis brings a cool wearability to high jewelleryNikos Koulis experiments with unusual diamond cuts and modern materials in a new collection, ‘Wish’
-
A Xingfa cement factory’s reimagining breathes new life into an abandoned industrial siteWe tour the Xingfa cement factory in China, where a redesign by landscape specialist SWA Group completely transforms an old industrial site into a lush park
-
Put these emerging artists on your radarThis crop of six new talents is poised to shake up the art world. Get to know them now
-
Why radical Swedish designer Ann-Sofie Back was way ahead of her timeA new book and exhibition, ‘Go As You Please’, celebrates 20 years of Ann-Sofie Back’s subversive, Swedish design. Nicole DeMarco speaks to the designer about her distinct (and much-referenced) brand of ‘failed glamour’
-
AlphaTauri’s Salzburg HQ is a science fiction fantasyBrowse in-store, buy online: the future-focused mentality of AlphaTauri
-
Water inspires Holzweiler’s Snøhetta-designed Oslo flagshipHolzweiler Platz, the new retail destination of fashion brand Holzweiler in Oslo, is designed by architects Snøhetta as a naturalistic space that unites fashion, art and food
-
Manu Atelier's first boutique nods to Le Corbusier in IstanbulThe cult Istanbul-based label introduces bold, sculptural expressionism into this first bricks and mortar store
-
Louis Vuitton's Ginza Namiki flagship evokes a rippling pillar of waterJapanese architect Jun Aoki creates a water-like facade for Louis Vuitton's Ginza Namiki Tokyo flagship
-
Alternative retail websites for fashionable festive giftingLook to luxury etailers Rêve En Vert, APOC Store and Doda the Store, Aspect and Zero-Living for feel-good gifting options that support emerging creatives and artists, and have a sustainability-focused mindset
-
Aspesi’s upcycled shirt is a winter wardrobe stapleThe Italian brand's Shirt-Jacket 13 silhouette is well padded with eco-credentials
-
David Chipperfield designs Furla's new flagship in Milan's historic Piazza DuomoGio Ponti, Vico Magistretti and Achille Castiglione inspire the brand's newest Milan boutique
