Engage commissioned for Melissa’s Galeria
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Engage Production, specialists in interactive technologies for branded environments, has been commissioned by innovative architecture and design firm IDL to design, engineer and install a kinetic sculpture display as centrepiece to Brazilian footwear brand Melissa’s new retail ‘Galeria’ in Covent Garden, Central London – the brand’s first permanent store in Europe. The outlet opened on October 10th after a launch party the previous evening, with notable attendees including Kate Moss, Georgia May Jagger, Gareth Pugh and Jamie Hince.
Comprising 21 clear acrylic boxes each displaying a single Melissa shoe, the bespoke DMX-controlled kinetic sculpture is the centrepiece of the store’s creatively styled contemporary interior. The store’s design is a collaboration between Muti Randolph, a multimedia artist and interior designer from Rio de Janeiro, and Melissa’s creative director Edson Matsuo. The space has a sleek, minimal look with futuristic, white gloss display plinths and shelves, with the modern interiors contrasting with the store’s historical façade.
“We’re delighted to have been able to work with Melissa on the company’s new European flagship store,” explains Engage Production founder and managing director Steve Blyth. “This is a stunning Galeria in a gorgeous Georgian building in one of London’s premium retail areas, and to have been able to contribute to the design and build of the outlet is an absolute privilege.”
Set up on the site of the former Ralph Lauren store on King Street, London’s hottest shopping destination for contemporary luxury, Melissa’s European flagship store is part of the label’s worldwide expansion, following on from the opening of the US flagship in New York last year.
The shop follows the brand’s ‘Galeria’ concept, where the shoes are displayed alongside art installations and sculptures.
Melissa was founded in 1971 and is known for its plastic design and designer collaborations with the likes of Karl Lagerfeld, Vivienne Westwood, Gareth Pugh, Jason Wu, the Campana Brothers and Zaha Hadid.
