Founded in 1981, multi-brand contemporary luxury retailer G&B, Negozio (Flero, Italy) has been dressing its clients in the finest international apparel for more than three decades, outfitting shoppers in the likes of Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Balmain and Givenchy, as well as the designs of many other notable fashion houses. For one of its latest women’s boutiques, the retailer honed in on Northern Italy, at the base of Mont Blanc – virtually a stone’s throw from the French and Swiss borders – on Courmayeur, Italy’s Via Roma, a primary thoroughfare in the picturesque mountain town.
To envision the 1076-square-foot locale’s interior, the retailer tapped architecture and design firm Baciocchi Associati (Atrezzo, Italy), which has a long resume of luxury projects under its belt, including G&B’s other locations. The goal for this store was to set it apart as a high-end destination among the Alpine resort village’s quaint shops and tourist offerings.
A residential vibe with oodles of lush materials proved to be the strategy of choice: “We wanted to create a salotto (living room) – modern and with a strong character,” says Massimiliano Naldi, partner, Baciocchi Associati. “A metropolitan atmosphere in a typical mountain environment, creating a boutique composed of five rooms, each with great personality, in a small space.”
As customers enter the store, Naldi explains, they are welcomed into an area dominated by the contrast of the Bleu Canard-colored walls and the striking yellow cavallino rug in the center of the room. Complementary green gneiss stone balances the vibrant hues with earthy, sumptuous tones and textures befitting of the mountainside outpost. Simple yet stunning brass, velvet and lacquered panel elements emphasize a sense of refinement, as do the interior’s nods to art deco design sensibilities. Statement pendant lighting is used throughout to guide shoppers through each room of the boutique, and glass-clad brass fixtures make products seemingly levitate within each shiny case.
This new and unique venue in the G&B, Negozio’s Italian store roster is a sophisticated addition to its portfolio that’s sure to pull vacationers from the slopes and into the boutique to peruse the latest fashions from designer favorites.
PROJECT SUPPLIERS
Retailer
G&B, Negozio SpA, Flero, Italy
Design and Architecture
Baciocchi Associati, Atrezzo, Italy
General Contractor, Ceilings, Fixtures, Flooring, Furniture
Wallcoverings/Materials, In-Store Technology, Audio/Visual
Fabbri Services Srl, Atrezzo, Italy
Mannequins/Forms, Props/Decoratives
EC Studio, Santhià, Italy
Lighting
Tom Dixon, London
Zumtobel Group, Dornbirn, Austria