Industry focus: Joseph counts on utility, rawness

London – Joseph has unveiled a new store design at its Bond Street store, the second part of its brand revamp for 2009. The designer boutique chain’s store ‘refresh’ was headed up by British designer Tom Dixon’s Design Research Studio and answers a need to do something quite different on the street ‘famous for very French or Italian design’, says Joseph’s artistic director, Alain Snege.

Materials are spotlighted in their rawness at the Bond Street store: galvanized steel and huge rocks (on which accessories sit) give a cool, modern and industrial feel. On the first floor, a giant steel conveyer belt system hangs from the ceiling, displaying clothes in a dynamic way, while the blow-up, ribbed-fabric changing rooms give a transient sense to the effort of trying on new clothes. In the menswear section in the basement, cracked walls add to the raw, industrial mood.

Look out for our forthcoming report on Alphalux – the new understanding set to change the look, feel and emotional experience of luxury over the coming years.