The Belgian brand LES HOMMES opens the first flagship store in Belgium in a 200sqm space in Antwerp, home town of the two creative directors Tom Notte e Bart Vandebosch. The boutique- at 6 Arme Duivelstraat – it’s the second flagship store in Europe after the one in Milan Porta Nuova opened in 2014 and prelude an important expansion which foresees the opening of 15 new boutiques in Asia in 3 years time.
Like for Milan, the concept and the brand identity of the new boutique were developed by Piuarc, to whom the brand entrust the responsibility for the task to express in space, colours, geometries and materials the values and images that characterize its style. Les Hommes it’s a sophisticated menswear fashion brand that distinguish itself for the quality of concepts, materials research- often contrasting rich and poor materials- the attention to details.
Starting from the analysis of these characteristics that Piuarch defined the project of the boutique creating a concept of the environment from the peculiar identity.The boutique is located in the heart of Antwerp shopping district, in a corner building with windows on both fronts. The boutique building presents a plurality of textural references: marble, champagne coloured glass, galvanized steel, concrete, are responsible for providing tactile and visual sensations to the visitor.
The combination between simple materials and precious ones creates an effect of structural elegance and chromatic minimalism: like for the white cloud marble of the walls put side by side with the raw concrete used in the stairs. The space maximize the use of nature light while the mirrors, with warm shades and slightly gold, symmetrically speaks with the plasticity of the marble treated in scan surfaces by large triangles.
The interpretation of the “context”, that have been always the stylistic figure of Piuarch, in this case means give three-dimensionality to the brand’s style by the usage of the materials. A work done with a constant dialogue with the designers: Tom Notte e Bart Vandebosch. The attention to details typical of the Belgian duo’s work is reflected also in the furniture, thought as volumes compositions of smoked glass, white cloud marble and champagne steel. Source by Piuarch.
