Inside the new Jil Sander store on Bond Street, London

Lucie and Luke Meyer’s vision for Jil Sander has been one of taste, precision and restraint, enlivened by the brilliance of unexpected embellishments and handcrafted poetic moments. ‘[There’s] It’s a great tension between something very authentic and traditional, but distorted in a very modern way,” Luke Meyer told Wallpaper* last February. He then spoke about the brand’s fall/winter 2023 collection, a comment that could be applied to the pair’s approach to their tenure thus far.

Such is the case with the pair’s new Jil Sander store on London’s Bond Street, which opened last week with a series of events but will only open in November 2023. Conceived in partnership with Casper Muller Nier, an architecture firm with a rich history of collaborating on fashion store designs with brands such as Saint Laurent, Celine, and Lemaire, the store will be a part of Myers’ Jil Sander world. promises an “intimate” journey to. As meticulous and thoughtful as the pair’s collection is.

Inside the new Jil Sander store in London by Lucy and Luke Meyer

Luke Meyer says of his collaboration with the architects: “We kept in touch and the first meeting was just an exchange of ideas. Whether it’s an architectural project or a collection, whatever we do… I think that’s the way to start.” “They knew Jil Sander well, and there was an understanding on both sides, which always made things move faster.” Much of this process was intuitive, says Lucie Meyer. he added. The store’s aesthetic is the first of a new concept, with a new store scheduled to open in Tokyo’s Ginza later this year, and is said to be “born from the inspiration boards we put together.” Ideas and materials that inspire us. ”

Indeed, materiality is central to the project. The main element of the store’s architecture is stone, with the floors, walls and stairs leading to the basement carved out of travertine marble, some with geometrically carved surfaces and more natural versions of the material. Some still have an undulating texture. “The direction of the veins, the continuation or interruption of the pattern, this is really a textural approach, but without overwhelming the space,” says architect, co-founder of Casper Muller Nier with Marianne Muller. Olaf Nier explains. “The beauty of this travertine is that we found a lot of blue within these stone blocks, which is very unusual in that it almost feels artificial.”

Müller added that the stone surfaces are a solution to the fact that the contents of the store change from season to season or week to week. (It is pointed out that this is often done.) Meyers Collection Colors). “We provide a setting where the product really comes to the forefront,” she says. ‘[There is] There is a slight roughness, giving the space an almost geological quality, as if carved from a single piece. ”

“I think that’s the challenge, it’s a really evolving environment because everything is constantly changing. [whether] Colors, textures, materials,” added Luke Meyer. “So, in a sense, no matter what happens here, every presentation has to stand up. It feels like one idea, not necessarily a homogeneous one, a collection of different surfaces. We all enjoyed the task of creating something that could be done.”

The inspiration for this approach was Carlo Scarpa, an Italian modernist architect best known for his monolithic marble and stone interventions in Venice. “I think he brought up materiality more than anything else in his conversation. We talked a little bit about his Venetian drainage system and the idea of ​​different levels. [of stone]” says Luke Meyer. Müller said that Scarpa was not about formality, but about “conceptual ideas,” that is, “a series of statements that cut across the levels of the store, the idea of ​​levels and horizons, which became very important in thinking about space. He added that it is evoked in “things.”

“In a way, it’s the way we work with fabric,” says Luke Meyer. “Because you can do everything with one fiber. It’s how you treat it, how you finish it, how you spin it. Construction, weave, brushing.

The image of an artist’s studio, especially the soft interplay of light and surfaces, was also part of the inspiration for this space. Meanwhile, Lucy Meyer focuses on the details, such as pointing out the gently curved edges of the marble shelves in the basement, which are designed to reflect the pair’s Jil Sander collection and feature many In the case of , its structure is only revealed when it is removed from the hanger and attached to the main body. “I felt like in Jil Sander’s words it was important, so I felt like I needed to enrich the space with small details,” Muller says, adding that it set the space apart from something monolithic. , he pointed out, making it more intimate. “Those may be details you don’t see unless you look for them,” says Lucy Meyer. “But when they all add up, it creates a different atmosphere,” adds Luke Meyer.

In fact, despite the coolness of the materials, the store itself manages to maintain an intimate feel. This reflects the Meyers’ continued desire to shift the sometimes harsh connotations of Jill’s Thunder into something softer and more poetic. “I don’t think what we wanted was a store that was intimidating,” says Lucy Meyer. “We want people to stay for a while, to enjoy the space. I think that’s why, on the upper floor, we tried to divide the space by volume. [of marble] Instead of having one big space where you feel exposed, it’s about dividing the space to create more private moments. ”

As for what feels like a continuing luxury retail renaissance, just a few doors down, Gucci recently unveiled a huge new store in a converted art gallery, and there are a number of new openings and renovations taking place in the area. However, the Meyers say they have a desire to open one themselves. These stores are based on the idea of ​​building a tangible world that consumers can immerse themselves in. “I don’t think online shopping can ever replace the feeling of being in a store. It’s all about the experience,” says Lucy Meyer. .