Clare Cousins: Architecture & Interior Design

The design of a new concept store for the ‘fast fashion’ retail chain Dotti involved developing concepts which could be adopted in stores nationally.

They included the design of display systems for large product volumes and concepts for versatile merchandising strategies.

We devised the use of a perforated skin to satisfy two criteria, namely to integrate a custom-designed wall puc system for flexible merchandising and disguising the fixtures, and to introduce a textured backdrop to an otherwise neutral palette.

This concept was extended to the six-metre high illuminated shop front which acts like a beacon in the mall. A ‘catwalk’ was designed as a stepped platform for the display of mannequins with product underneath but also serves to delineate and guide people through the space.

Where some brands utilise music to invigorate, this store uses colour: deep magentas, pinks, purple and rich reds, inspired by an evolution of the brand’s colour palette, create a feminine environment.

Solid timber flooring and display ‘blocks’ provide a natural element to offset these vibrant hues.

Repeated elements and patterns, such as the circle, are used to create strong visual links within the store, and the use of the dot motif provides a simple reference back to the Dotti brand and heritage. This bright and open interior starkly contrasts the boldness of the fitting rooms where oversized woollen pompoms form a sea of colour on the ceiling of the otherwise darkened space.