Dilettante

Perth-based luxury designer fashion retailer Dilettante has a strong identity.

The clothes from the high-end labels they stock offer the wearer a unique experience; quality, textures, innovative fabrics and cuts and, at times, conceptual considerations that you rarely find in more generic ranges.

Ohlo Studio, a cross-disciplinary design practice, was commissioned to create a new design for their store.

Jen Lowe from Ohlo Studio conceived the new store design as an extension of the fashion product – tactile and distinctive.

Architecturally sparse, the space allows the product to take centre stage whilst maintaining conspicuous details reflecting the creative energy in the collections.

Previously the Dilettante fit-out was dark and intimidating.

The new fit-out had to engage the existing audience without excluding others.

In practical terms, that meant the store needed improved lighting, increased racking, smarter storage, workspaces, and customised jewellery and shoe display areas, all of which were integrated in the new design.

This narrow store required delineation and a sense of journey.

From the pavement, the nude cragged effect on the façade sets Dilettante up as the orphan on an otherwise relatively traditional retail strip.

An entry portal at minimum ceiling height and the partial screening of the façade window creates the effect of passing through a threshold from the harsh Perth sun into a calm, focused scene.

The entry is sparse and the ‘work area’ has been set back to allow customers breathing space.

Functional sculptures break up the space in order to create individual areas that can be used to create brand stories.

The change rooms are generous and calm with soft clear lighting.

Dilettante’s regular clients like to hang out in the store and store management staff work from the showroom.

So Ohlo Studio’s scheme incorporated a high work bench that allows for extended interaction, plus a centrally located lounge chair for special guests.

Ohlo Studio had to be resourceful as the design and construction budget was $70,000 and it had a lot of work to do.

To make the money work as hard as possible, Ohlo Studio leveraged their extensive trades and supplier network.

They worked with young up-and-coming artists and trades people wherever possible too.

The benches, shelves, railing, cabinetry, and chairs were all custom-designed and manufactured locally in alignment with the budget.

This gave young artisans the opportunity to have their work in the public eye and added some social value to the project.

Sourcing all furniture and materials locally also provided an environmental benefit.

Jen Lowe from Ohlo Studio collaborated with artist Georgia Kaw to produce a series of material explorations using boat-building techniques.

The surfaces developed were applied to specific volumes designed by Jen to allow for all the practical requirements to be accommodated.

This resulted in the compressed polystyrene functional objects that furnish the space and house the jewellery collection.

They are contradictory in appearance but entirely practical.

The bench appears soft and impermanent and yet it is extremely hard and strong.

Jen and Georgia worked closely on a scheme that experimented with the inter-relatedness between objects and how material applications affect our reactions to those objects.

The Polished marmorino walls accent the earthy patina of the existing concrete floors and contrast with moonscape rendered walls (developed on site using an expandable foam mixture overlaid with nude heavy-sand render) to create unusual yet inviting environments.

Vertical blinds were used as a backdrop rather than a window treatment.

They allowed the space to be transformed – moderating natural light and creating really varied merchandising solutions.

Four elements greatly influenced the visual design direction:

The textures and experimental design in the garments stocked.
The willingness and eagerness of the client to experiment with form and materials.
An existing sculpture in the store; “Medium” by artist Clare Peake (light, soft mountains made from recycled paper).
Jen Lowe from Ohlo was curating an exhibition and producing artworks with artist Georgia Kaw at the time and recognised a link between their work and the ideas being developed for Dilettante. Georgia’s art practise reflects the Dilettante Brand in its seriousness surrounding experimentation with material treatments.

Project Details

Completion date – 2017

Project Awards

Shortlisted for the Retail Design Category in the 2017 Interior Design Excellence Awards

Project Team

Interior Design

Ohlo Studio

Ohlo Studio, based in South Fremantle in Western Australia, is a cross-disciplinary design practice with expertise in design for the built environment across a variety of scales.

Projects as diverse as hospitality precincts, family homes, public art, and object design form a body of work that’s characterised by an artistic, ideas-driven approach.

The Ohlo Studio design philosophy is rooted in the discipline of place-making.

Every project seeks to leverage the power of design to build the character and quality of place, and space, for businesses, individuals and communities; feeding financial and social benefit to their clients and beyond.

Ohlo studio projects go beyond inventive attention to detail and materiality.

They are rich in meaning and cognisant of history, community, and commerciality.

www.ohlostudio.com

Photography

Kristoffer Paulsen

Kristoffer is a commercial photographer based in Melbourne, shooting nationally and internationally.

www.kristofferpaulsen.com