PHOTOGRAPHY: RORY GARDINER WRITER: ALI MORRISA SET OF ALPACA ‘BOTOLO’
CHAIRS BY CINI BOERI FOR
ARFLEX SITS AT THE ENTRANCE
TO FENDI’S VIP ROOM, WHICH
FEATURES A MADE-TO-ORDER
BAG AND FUR SERVICE AND
PRIVATE CHANGING ROOMSDimore Studio’s refurbishment of Fendi’s Sloane Street
store in London, unveiled in December, appears more
like a salon than a retail space. The design, which
marks the Milan-based studio’s first retail concept for
the Roman label, builds on the opulent late midcentury
aesthetic that it perfected at the Fendi apartment
in Rome (W*204), but this time with a dash of exotic
glamour added in. ‘Our vision was to create a chic
and luxurious space injected with a sophisticated
contemporaneity,’ says Dimore Studio’s Britt Moran.
‘There are elements inspired by the late 1960s and 1970s
and the designs of Paul Evans, Pierre Paulin and
Gae Aulenti.’ An intimate VIP room on the first floor is
the store’s crowning glory. Here, hidden behind a set of
Vienna-straw screens, visitors are enveloped in a warm
golden glow created by skilfully layered patterns
and shimmering textures. A deep amber silk carpet,
bronze-mirrored wall panels and an oxidised steel
ceiling form a rich backdrop for statement-making
furniture and art. ‘It is truly distinctive, sophisticated
and with a whispered luxury and intimate feel,’ says
Fendi CEO Pietro Beccari, who plans to eventually
roll the concept out internationally. ∂BEST
PERSONAL
SPACE
Fendi VIP room, London,
by Dimore Studio080 ∑
W* Awards