Concepts, a streetwear retailer with outlets in New York, Shanghai, and Dubai, last month opened its global flagship, a 4,700-sf store on Newbury Street in Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood that includes shops from some of the more prestigious names in the fashion world, like Cartier and Chanel.
The three-floor building, designed by the collaborative Bergmeyer and built by Shawmut Design & Construction, represents Concepts’ biggest retail expansion to date, and celebrates the company’s roots; Concepts started in 1996 out of a small outlet in Harvard Square in Cambridge, Mass. The Newbury Street location reimagines the retailer’s brand experience by taking the form of an art gallery. The combination of materials used—zinc, concrete, and stone—creates a modern, comfortable environment.
“This is a historic moment for Concepts, especially as we head into our 25th anniversary. This flagship store is more than just a retail space and with Boston being our home, we’re proud to further infuse our DNA into the city,” says Tarek Hassan, founder and CEO of Concepts.
Concepts shares a neighborhood with several high-profile fashion retailers.
The store was designed in partnership with Sid Lee, a global creative agency that specializes in brand building.
Also see: Take a virtual tour of Concepts’ newest store
The main staircase that connects the three floors takes its cue from the Greek term “theatron,” meaning “a gathering place for spectators.” The store’s design takes shoppers on a journey through Concepts’ different collections. At the heart of the store is a striking zinc cube, designed to cast light from different angles in ways that promote a sense of discovery.
BRINGS VRSNL VENTURE INTO A STORE FOR THE FIRST TIME
A staircase in the middle of the store connects its three floors.
The ground floor of the store displays Concepts’ private labor apparel and accessories, multi-brand footwear and apparel, and headwear customization. The mezzanine features Concepts’ “Constant Change,” an area for rotating special projects and collaborations, augmented by a DJ booth.
The top floor showcases Concepts’ new women-focused luxury boutique that is the first and only in-store expression of its VRSNL venture, which previously had been available online only. The boutique will include a curated offering of Concepts’ private label, streetwear, and sportswear brand. The upper floor also has a café with made-to-order food and beverages.
Deon Point, Concepts’ creative director, told the website Complex that VRSNL is his company’s response to the challenges it faced in the past getting women to shop its stores. “We had to make sure it was an integral part of what we did,” he explains.
Related Stories
| Aug 11, 2010
ASHRAE introduces building energy label prototype
Most of us know the fuel efficiency of our cars, but what about our buildings? ASHRAE is working to change that, moving one step closer today to introducing its building energy labeling program with release of a prototype label at its 2009 Annual Conference in Louisville, Ky.
| Aug 11, 2010
10 tips for mitigating influenza in buildings
Adopting simple, common-sense measures and proper maintenance protocols can help mitigate the spread of influenza in buildings. In addition, there are system upgrades that can be performed to further mitigate risks. Trane Commercial Systems offers 10 tips to consider during the cold and flu season.
| Aug 11, 2010
MulvannyG2 Architecture wins “Best Mixed-use Development—Future” award
MulvannyG2 Architecture’s project, Aquapearl in Taipei, Taiwan, was honored by Cityscape Asia 2009 as the “Best Mixed-use Development -Future” on May 20, 2009 at the annual conference in Singapore.
| Aug 11, 2010
AECOM, Arup, Gensler most active in commercial building design, according to BD+C's Giants 300 report
A ranking of the Top 100 Commercial Design Firms based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
Turner Building Cost Index dips nearly 4% in second quarter 2009
Turner Construction Company announced that the second quarter 2009 Turner Building Cost Index, which measures nonresidential building construction costs in the U.S., has decreased 3.35% from the first quarter 2009 and is 8.92% lower than its peak in the second quarter of 2008. The Turner Building Cost Index number for second quarter 2009 is 837.
| Aug 11, 2010
AGC unveils comprehensive plan to revive the construction industry
The Associated General Contractors of America unveiled a new plan today designed to revive the nation’s construction industry. The plan, “Build Now for the Future: A Blueprint for Economic Growth,” is designed to reverse predictions that construction activity will continue to shrink through 2010, crippling broader economic growth.
| Aug 11, 2010
PCL Construction, HITT Contracting among nation's largest commercial building contractors, according to BD+C's Giants 300 report
A ranking of the Top 50 Commercial Contractors based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
Webcor, Hunt Construction lead the way in mixed-use construction, according to BD+C's Giants 300 report
A ranking of the Top 30 Mixed-Use Contractors based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
Report: Fraud levels fall for construction industry, but companies still losing $6.4 million on average
The global construction, engineering and infrastructure industry saw a significant decline in fraud activity with companies losing an average of $6.4 million over the last three years, according to the latest edition of the Kroll Annual Global Fraud Report, released today at the Association of Corporate Counsel’s 2009 Annual Meeting in Boston. This new figure represents less than half of last year’s amount of $14.2 million.