MILAN — A mechanical polar bear graces the window of a Via Montenapoleone storefront.
The plush creature is just one of the eclectic touches sportswear brand Aspesi has put into its flagship that opened late last month here, near the Louis Vuitton and Armani Collezioni stores on the strip, replacing a jewelry store and a lingerie boutique.
The sprawling, 8,000-square-foot store features exposed-cement walls, pale wood floors and industrial ceiling beams in the entryway and women’s department. An aluminum shipping container, repainted to look like a fairy-tale house, contains mirrored changing rooms. The men’s department, which has its own entrance on Via Bigli, has vaulted stone ceilings and columns surrounding a funky, spoon-trimmed fountain. A courtyard cafe serving Italian cuisine is slated to open sometime in the next six months.
Architect Dirk Van Doren, of Tomato Studio London, and Studio Citterio collaborated on the store’s design, combining Van Doren’s eclectic style, as seen in the display case of antique tin toys and colorful wall murals, and Citterio’s minimalist use of steel and wood for surfaces.
“We wanted to create a kind of place where anything can happen,” said Lawrence Steele, one of the lead designers of Aspesi’s women’s collection. He added that the label’s owner, Alberto Aspesi, and the architects wanted to give the store an art gallery/market feel.
The firm expects the store to do 10 million euros, or $12.6 million at current exchange, in business next year.
The company posted 2005 consolidated sales of 44 million euros, or $55.7 million. Revenues are expected to grow more than 27 percent, to 56 million euros, or $70.9 million. Aspesi does about 90 percent of its business in Italy, but it is looking to expand its presence elsewhere.
Some of the walls and floors in the store are made of the same material used in wipe-off boards, making it easy to alter the store’s decor with little more than a pen. Lawrence joked that Aspesi could enlist scribbling children to redesign a wall.
“The idea is to have everything evolve,” Steele said.
The store’s merchandise mix is just as eclectic, including a wide range of Aspesi women’s and men’s apparel and accessories. It also stocks vintage men’s neckties and a selection of Comme des Garçons products, including Fred Perry-designed polo shirts. Aspesi also is selling its new line of detergents and fabric softeners bearing incense and floral scents.
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The flagship here is the brand’s third freestanding store and much larger than its predecessors in Florence and Rome, the latter of which opened eight months ago. Later this year, Aspesi will open two new shop-in-shops in Tokyo with Takashimaya Co. Ltd.