The ideas the design firm presented were just what Chilewich was looking for and she knew she found the team to bring her shop to life. “They presented such a compelling display solution, which was so elegant in its simplicity, that we realized we wanted to introduce this concept in our very own retail store,” she says.
NEW YORK-Textile design brand Chilewich has opened its first retail store. Located in New York City’s Flatirion District, the shop was an idea in the making for quite a while.
“For quite some time we knew that we needed to improve how our products were displayed in stores around the world. We needed designers who would be genuinely respectful and inspired by our products and our unique brand voice. We were looking for originality and a concept which would become a signature for our brand at retail,” explains Sandy Chilewich, creative director and founder.
On a walk through SoHo with her husband and business partner, Joe Sultan, Chilewich happened upon an artisanal confectionary store called Xocolatti. “We were so impressed with the impactful and ingenious presentation which they created in such a small space that we tracked down the designers, De-Spec,” she relates.
The layout features a modular display system allowing a myriad of shapes, sizes and styles to be displayed and interchanged in the 820-sq.-ft. space.
“When I got the email about Sandy Chilewich’s inquiry to meet us, I was thrilled as I knew about their products. But once we saw the range, the way the fabrics are made, it was like being in a Joseph Albers book only made of threads and lines,” says Farnaz Mansuri, founder and principal designer, De-Spec.
“Our first attempt was to make a 3D matrix of a total range of colors, textures and shapes. The chart turned out beautifully and we knew we wanted to present this matrix which became the impetus of the display systems,” Mansuri goes on to say.
The store is located at 23 East 20th Street in New York City.
