A rope-like, 750-foot-long red “thread” wends its way through the redesigned Levi's Cinch store on London's Newburgh Street. To Checkland Kindleysides (Leicester, U.K.), this design element – made of painted twine – was meant to serve as a “sinuous signature” for the Levi's brand, since it evokes the stitching of the company's trademark jeans. (The thread also serves as a navigation aid through the space, which is a collection of small rooms spread over three floors.)
“The Levi's brand has continually evolved since the 1850s,” says Jeff Kindleysides, the design firm's principal-in-charge for the project, “and the concept behind the thread was to symbolize this lineage and continuity.”
Levi's merchandise hangs from the oversized “thread,” which runs along the space's white walls. This setup “elevates and showcases the product as the space's 'hero,'” says Kindleysides. But while the walls are designed to have a sleek, modern look, other surfaces within the store reflect Levi's long history. For example, copper was used in the flooring and fascia, and denim was installed in the stair treads.
Client Design Team: Levi Strauss & Co., San Francisco – Henry Barnes, European store designer; Rosanna Iacono, premium brand director; Gary Harvey, clothing design team creative director
Design Team: Checkland Kindleysides, Leicester, U.K. – Jeff Kindleysides, principal-in-charge; Jason West, design director; Russell Ashdown, Guy Tabberer, designers; Lucy Ashley, project manager
Supplier: Checkland Kindleysides, Leicester, U.K. (ceilings, fixturing, signage)