There’s no denying the multicultural background and exposure of AMBUSH founders and life partners Yoon Ahn and Verbal have contributed a great deal to the brand’s sophisticated urban edge. Both have South Korean roots, grew up and gained a formal training in the U.S. and now reside in the megalopolis that is Tokyo. While Ahn pitches in with graphic design focus and autodidactic jewellery-making skills, her husband brings along a Japanese hiphop perspective, resulting in a jewellery line and full-fledged men’s and women’s fashion collections that resonate well with a forward clientele across the planet. Since its inception in 2008, AMBUSH has seen a steady growth which led to the opening of pop-up stores and standalone boutiques, or ‘workshops’ in true AMBUSH parlance, at home base Tokyo.
Unsurprisingly, the Tokyo-based brand also has a large growing following in China, and being the planet’s biggest luxury market, pop-up stores opened last year at I.T stores in both Beijing and Shanghai. Banking on its popularity here, retail operations have once again expanded, and AMBUSH inaugurated a permanent standalone store in the latter city. Occupying a ground floor unit at Taikoo Li Qiantan, a newly opened luxury shopping centre in the city’s Liujiazhai neighbourhood, the retail space features an understated, slightly futuristic setting which puts a nifty large sphere front and centre. The sphere serves as a digital blank canvas, allowing the store to continuously feature branded footage, but also boldly signals the company’s modern vision.
Placed on a pedestal, the sphere comes with prominent circular and semi-circular ceiling slots, from which light spots protrude, which visually further emphasise its stature within the setting. It’s flanked on both sides by suspended clothing racks which run along the almost the entire length of the side walls. The back wall, clad in metal panels with shelving, forms the backdrop for an elongated display with glass legs and a utilitarian-inspired bench which is clearly a nod to the aesthetic of the AMBUSH jewellery line. Additional furnishings include stacked mirrored pallets, an additional monolithic display, and last but not least, a bigger display made from glass. The new AMBUSH store carries the brand’s jewellery pieces and a selection of men’s and women’s apparel, accessories, bags and shoes.
AMBUSH
Taikoo Li Qiantan, 500 Dongyu Lu, Level 1 (Liujiazhai)
200126 Shanghai
Daily 10am-10pm
Publishers Note
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