A brick an mortar presence arguably is a brand’s best advertising tool, and with that said, the opening of a new O.N.S flagship store in New York City has us totally fixated on what Hong Kong-born menswear designer Brian Chung has to offer. The location in the city’s Nolita neighbourhood, a lofty ground floor and basement section of a historic structure originally built in 1871, has seen a rather clever redevelopment by architecture practice Collective from Hong Kong. Upon entering the premises, shoppers encounter a large, seemingly inserted wooden box with a large cut-out which allows unobstructed views of an understated interior setting from the outside. But that’s not all. They’ll find themselves on, and quite literally so, a nifty innovation—plant-based asphalt as flooring which continues the urban street and its vibe, adding an edgy visual layer to the store. Right next to the actual entrance to the O.N.S store, a narrow corridor, replete with a custom-made 65 ft. (approx. 20 m) stainless steel ramp, leads directly to the lower level.
Inside the wooden structure, a clean and understated setting unfolds, featuring walls, flooring, and ceiling in light wood, paired with a matching set of sizeable displays with matte metal tops. Two large skylights with a playfully opposite configuration to the displays, allow in floods of natural light. Additional wall cut-outs on either side of the space are used to primarily present garments, and at the very end another opening with stainless steel-encased stairs leads to the lower level. Here, the setting gains a more playful edge, thanks to a 100 ft. (approx. 20 m) custom made slanted curtain installation which forms the backdrop of several multi-tiered resin displays and a sales counter, all commissioned to local design practice Facture. Right next to recessed shelving the fitting rooms can be found, and two in form of cubicles, smartly clad in Italian Mutina ceramic tiles designed by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec. The O.N.S flagship store carries the full range of men’s apparel and accessories, in addition to a tightly curated collection of shoes, bags and home & lifestyle items. The flagship store opening follows the earlier launch of a shared retail space in Hong Kong.
O.N.S
201 Mulberry Street (Nolita)
New York, NY 10012
Telephone: +1 646 6092626
Mon-Sat 11-7
Sun 12-6
Publishers Note
Just to be clear – superfuture® is a design blog and not a political commentator. No surprise there. The scope of our content has always been global and borderless, however that can often mean covering projects in countries where we will not agree with the politics or actions of those countries. In a world that’s as screwed up as ever right now, the focus of our support is to those designers, architects and other creatives who aim to make the world a more liveable one – as opposed to people that try their hardest to destroy it. So if a project hits our desk and we like it based on its design credentials, we may choose to publish regardless of its location or creators nationality. superfuture® has always been inclusive and hopes for all current wars, aggression, violence, hate and extremism to end.
