Diesel opens new retail concept at London flagship

Diesel has unveiled its new, game changing retail concept design at its London flagship store. Located at 73 Brompton Road, the two storey flagship store spans 230 square meters and features the brand’s womenswear and menswear collection.

The resulting store design was created through a collaboration between Japanese architecture firm Wonderwall and Diesel’s Artistic Director Nicola Formichetti. Led by Masamichi Katayama, Wonderwall is known for its cutting edge design concepts, which aim to bring together the best of conventional and traditional design philosophies. The Diesel Brompton store concept is based on the idea of feeling at ‘home’.

Diesel opens new flagship store on Brompton Road

“It's exciting to introduce an amazing new store concept that I've been working on with Japanese architect firm Wonderwall” said Formichetti in a statement. “It's inspired by a modern day living space for modern day Londoners and international shoppers. It's going to be an exciting place to experience the new Diesel energy.”

The store features key pieces from Diesel’s menswear and womenswear collections in its opening hallway, which is punctuated with industrial steel fixtures. This leads into Diesel’s female denim towards the back of the store, which is displayed alongside of Persian effect rugs from Diesel’s Living, the brand’s interior line and antique style furniture. The basement level is home to menswear as well as its mens denim offering.

The flagship store also features high-tech additions such as high definition screens and a cement mortar facade designed to accelerate the air's natural oxidation in order to decompose air pollution. In honour of Diesel’s new store, the brand has launch a collection of UK exclusives which includes soft leather jackets and metallic shearling coats. In addition, Diesel has created a 5D multi-sensory virtual reality thrill ride for customers to experience in store with Savvy based on its seasonal campaign 'Fur you, Fur Me.'

“Managing the whole project - from the initial brief through to completion - was great fun,” said Stuart Anderson, Creative Director at Savvy. “Working with a forward thinking creative company like Diesel enabled us to really push the VR creative on this project and together we have created a thrilling ride into ‘Furland’ that heroes the Diesel characters and creates a genuinely immersive rollercoaster for the senses.”

The new retail concept marks a key development for the brand, which has invested in revitalising its image and strategy over the last few years. Diesel’s Brompton store marks the second instalment of the new retail strategy following the opening of its store in Madison, New York last year and comes two decades after Diesel first arrived in the UK. It will be rolled out across the globe.

“I’m enthusiastic about the future-forward change the brand is spear-heading in retail,” said Diesel’s founder Renzo Rosso. “My only advice to the Diesel fans is: go visit the Brompton store and live the brand's new shopping experience.”

Photos: Courtesy of Diesel and Savvy