Fashion retail - Eleanor Curtis

Walking down the designer shopping streets of the world's capitals has never been so exciting. Whether you are on London's Bond Street, on Fifth Avenue in New York or on Via Montenapoleone in Milan, it is very clear that a revolution has taken place in fashion–retail design. Shops are being refitted almost on an annual basis in a whole range of styles, from the most purist minimalism to fantastical 1970s–inspired futurism. The emphasis being on novelty, innovation and an ingenious use of new and classic materials. By investing millions of dollars of their money on flagship stores and employing the biggest names in architecture, the fashion houses are clearly demonstrating just how important they now consider store design to be. Who are the architects and interior designers behind these fabulous stores and what is the thinking and concepts behind them?Fashion Retail profiles in depth over 28 recent stores. It features the stunning work of renowned architects such as Renzo Piano, Rem Koolhaas and Herzog & de Meuron for Herms and Prada, as well as that of Gabellini Associates and Claudio Silvestrin, who have developed long–standing relationships with fashion designers Jil Sander and Giorgio Armani respectively. Young designers are also represented, such as Will Russell who produced the cutting–edge interior for Alexander McQueen's stores and Universal Design Studio, who executed the much applauded design for Stella McCartney's new shops in London and New York. Future Systems' landmark design for Selfridges in Birmingham provides the centrepiece for the final chapter dedicated to new department stores.