new store in London’s Soho has a distinguished presence. Its exterior is marked with a pine green scalloped awning, the brand name positioned at the top in small gold print. Two mannequins bearing Teddy Santis’s menswear designs are positioned in the front window, along with a curated collection of objects like a basketball and an urn. Behind that? Well, that’s unknown. Just like at the brand’s
in New York, the shop mysteriously masks its inside offerings from the street with a pair of velvet curtains hung behind the windows and the door.The space, designed by Sarita Posada Interiors in collaboration with West Architecture, features layered antique Persian rugs and floors of swirling Cipollino marble. Yellow boucle chairs sit in front of walnut panelling. Achille Castiglioni’s “Light Ball” lamps, an iconic piece of mid-century design, hang from the ceilings.
Posada says she and Santis found inspiration in heritage menswear shops, as well as the work of Austrian architect Adolf Loos . The dark walnut wood finishes are a nod to classic Savile Row tailor shops, while the velvet wall panelling and leather banquettes are reminiscent of London’s private clubs. The ornate rugs and green accents are an homage to the renowned men’s outfitter, Knize, which was designed by Loos in 1921. Most of the decorative objects are sourced from local London dealers.
“It was important to us to reference both traditional settings such as Loos’s Knize,” says Posada, “but balance it with a number of additional found mid-century pieces consistent with the brand’s voice.”Although this isn’t a stuffy, old-school aesthetic by any means: Aimé Leon Dore, after all, is a brand very much of the moment, with its coveted collections often inspired by ’90s hip hop culture and basketball.
“Our London flagship is a proud milestone in the evolution and global expansion of Aimé Leon Dore that embraces its London location and pays homage to our New York roots back in Queens,” Santis tellsLike the New York location, there’s a Greek-inspired café as a nod to Santis’s own heritage.