Paul Smith has opened a new flagship store on Mayfair’s Albemarle Street, selling menswear and womenswear as well as a selection of furniture. I popped down at the weekend to check it out and see an exhibition of items designed by Dieter Rams on display in the shop.
The first thing which strikes you about the Georgian building is the dark, almost burnt-out facade designed by 6a Architects. The ground floor shop front comprises patterned cast iron panels set against black painted walls and a series of curved glass windows inspired by the neighbouring historic shopping arcades.
6a said: “The repetition of the typical Regency shape brought an optical complexity with which the play of sunlight and shadow turns the pattern into a deep surface texture. Seen obliquely it seems woven, like a fine cloth. The surface is further enlivened by the latent makers’ marks of the casting process and the natural patination of the cast iron.”
Inside, my favourite room was the womenswear shoe collection, which is lined entirely with black and white dominoes and features custom-made furniture and fittings by Terence’s Conran’s sustainable furniture makers Benchmark.
On the ground floor is an exhibition of items designed by Dieter Rams during his tenure as Director of the Design Department at Braun, including the SK4 turntable and various wall-mounted speakers.
“The work of Dieter Rams is very close to my heart,” says Paul Smith, “When I opened my shop on Floral Street, Covent Garden in 1979 I was actually one of the first people in the whole of the country to sell the product he designed for Braun. Customers would travel from all over the place to come to my shop and get their hands on one of his iconic ET66 calculators. He has been an enormous influence on other designers for decades. I love the confidence of the clean lines and the subtle use of colour. He’s an absolute genius and I’m delighted to be exhibiting such an extensive collection of his work at No. 9 Albemarle Street.”
