Launched in 2015 by Joyce and Wu Xiaomin, respectively an artist in the fashion arena and a seasoned buyer, womenswear brand IMMI has gone leaps and bounds, offering a wardrobe of contemporary silhouettes crafted from sustainable fabrics to a young and dynamic demographic. The duo have banked on the momentum by opening the very first IMMI flagship store at home base Shanghai. The duo has opted for a 160 sqm. (1,722 sq.ft.) unit at Xintiandi Style, an upscale mall in the heart of town that’s predominantly home to a crop of young Chinese and Asian brands, and appointed Seoul-based architecture practice Studio Unravel to create a matching interior design. Interestingly, the design concept is based on one of the founders’ professional journey, and is captured in a ‘womb’ concept from which life and creation spawns.
This has been translated into an inner yet open space, clad in a deep red hue that displays a sizeable part of IMMI‘s elaborated collection on an elongated clothing rack. The wall coating is intentionally glossy in order to reflect, albeit in a distorted way, demarcating its physical detachment from the pristinely white surrounding space. Leading from this symbolic structure are rail tracks, replete with empty carts or loaded with objects that have the appearance of being meticulously constructed. Stacked and seemingly assembled at random, the objects stand as tokens irreverent of the context, and thus also contribute to further breaking the spatial mould of generic retail. Other furnishings and fixtures include a large-sized steel display with a blue glass top, clothing racks made from both steel and plexiglass, and rows of LED tubular lights across the ceiling. The new IMMI flagship store carries the brand’s full range of apparel and accessories.
IMMI
Xintiandi Style, 245 Madang Lu, Shop L218-219 (Xintiandi)
200020 Shanghai
Publishers Note
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