When island hopping in the Med, Ibiza, Capri and Mykonos may be fixtures in the itinerary of most power shoppers, but the more discrete kind prefer to drop anchor in swanky Porto Cervo. Founded in 1971 by entrepreneur Aldo Carpinteri, multi-brand retailer Modes gradually expanded from its Sicilian home base Trapani to a string of fashionable cities across Italy and Switzerland, and as of late, a new retail space has opened in Sardinia‘s leading luxury seaside resort. Situated in Promenade du Port, the boutique-infested downtown area straddling the marina, it occupies 315 sqm. (3,391 sq.ft.) set across three floors of a modern low-rise building. Carpinteri tapped Berlin-based architecture practice Gonzalez Haase to create a fitting interior design, and the result has raised the bar for the local retail scene. Bold understatement, a signature aesthetic of architects Pierre Jorge Gonzalez and Judith Haase, is captured by grey surfaces and shapes, covering all floors, walls, and ceilings, complete with curtains made of metallic fibre, and this palette is paired with splashes of bright hues, inspired by the island’s colourful construction and lush vegetation. The bare spaces are dotted with chunky volumes in various guises, all custom-made and treated with various metal finishes that lend each one the aura of an abstract sculpture, and as such, the boutique gains a playful art gallery feel. The new Modes boutique carries a curated mix of luxury brands and niche labels for both men and women, and includes coveted names such as Balenciaga, Nanushka, Visvim, Alaïa, Wandler, JW Anderson and The Attico.
Modes
Via Aga Khan 1 (Promenade du Port)
07021 Porto Cervo
Telephone: +39 0789 370900
Daily 4.30pm-8.30pm
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.
