© Elena Lokastova / Photography: Sergei Krasyuk

Ukrainian-born entrepreneur Viktoria Moldavskaya knows a thing or two about fashion, managing both a jewellery brand – whose new boutique we’ve featured in a previous post – and a womenswear brand called Choux. For the latter venture, founded only three years ago, the entrepreneur once again collaborated with local architect Elena Lokastova for a branded standalone store in Moscow. Occupying two floors on the premises of a six-storey residential structure built in 1909, it features a minimalist yet bold aesthetic that’s nothing short of a statement. Although only furnished with a single floor-to-ceiling volume, the ground floor oozes opulence and splendour. The bean-shaped volume, which houses secluded seating and a display at the same time, is crafted from plywood and shiny gold chrome, and seamlessly adapts to the ornate Baroque ceiling decorations.

Mirror-clad side walls magnify not only optically enlarge the ground floor space, but also the sense of splendour. Mind you, the bean shape was created by an experiment with bionic aesthetics. In French, Choux means ‘cabbage’, and as such, it’s a nod to the brand’s botanical naming. The terrazzo flooring features playful coloured marble insertsrectangles and squares of pink, white, green and yellow marble are evenly distributed across the space. Also to be found on the ground floor is the so-called Secret Room, a separate all-pink chamber brimming with tiny boxes, and quite literally so. Each shopper receives a key to one of these boxes at the checkout, and can leave a gift and letter for the next shopper.

The staircase leading to the upper floor is a tunnel decorated with marble tiles, and guides shoppers towards an entirely different setting. On the second floor, an intimate interior unfolds, somewhat reminiscent of a sci-fi Kubrick movie set, if you ask us. The setting features walls clad in emerald green velvet panels, overlaid by steel rod structures, and at the very centre, an elegant display which seemingly protrudes from the ceiling and sinks right into the pristine white floor. A niche with a sofa is situated between two white mirror-like fitting rooms. When the doors are opened, the screens optically increase the space and make it seamless and unified. The new Choux store carries the brand’s full range of women’s apparel collections. © superfuture

Choux
Bolshoy Patriarshiy Pereulok 10 (Presnenskiy)
123001 Moscow
Telephone +7 916 8807949
Mon-Thu 10am-10pm
Fri-Sat 10am-11pm
Sun 10am-10pm

© Elena Lokastova / Photography: Sergei Krasyuk