Fred Perry New York City & Stockholm

Fred Perry New York City and Fred Perry Stockholm mark a ten-year design collaboration between designers Buckley Gray Yeoman and the high-end British fashion brand. Both stores embody many of Fred Perry’s defining store design elements that have been cultivated between the two firms, such as a calm colour palette, the belief in retaining as many features of existing stores as possible, and emphasising the notion of contrasts between materials and spaces In New York City, Fred Perry’s North Americn flagship store achieves a near impossible mix of identities: that of a British fashion label with a decadeslong heritage, and the buzzy culture of an instantly recognisable world city. The store is located on Broome Street in Lower Manhattan, in a historic building used for the past 35 years as an antiques dealership, and in SoHo, a now-gentrified district known as much for its shopping as its nineteenth-century cast iron buildings. In line with our redesign-led approach, we decided to leave the multiple layers of occupation of the building visible, exposing original features and subsequent modifications such as the mosaic tiled flooring, and working them into the new space. A feature wall with exposed brickwork is fitted with clothing rails and bespoke units to display the brand’s collections, collaborations and its archival gallery. Reclaimed timber display units allow the retailer to be as flexible as possible, reinterpreting the layouts to suit the display of different collections, as well as for hosting one-off events. For Fred Perry’s Stockholm store, we sought to create a destination that makes a contribution to the street life within the vibrant Södermalm district. Fred Perry regularly host events at their stores – so we wanted the store to act as a flexible space for arts and music that can spill onto the street, rather than simply an unchanging place of purchase. The existing store was divided into a series of four rooms. Rather than open these up into one large space, we decided to celebrate the unique character of each room by devising a sequence through the store. The design of each room is strongly expressed, but its clothing contents are not categorised. Visitors are thus encouraged to explore the shop with intrigue and surprise. Upon entry, the first room is not crowded with clothes but instead kept very sparse with minimal clothing on display. A gridded lighting frame with hanging spherical lights sits between the main desk and the window, with polished concrete grounding the space. This is contrasted with the warmer use of timber to the rear of the store where more colour is used. All the fixtures can be moved or dismantled, creating a flexible retail space which doubles as a series of event spaces. The back-of-house was also rationalised, with a new manager’s office and concealed access to the basement. Matte black light fixtures are placed beside glass, timber is set beneath metalwork, and a new entrance is accessed through a recess marked with graffiti. The façade was not cleaned at all, as we wanted to keep it as a key feature emblematic of Fred Perry’s brand that matches the existing spirit of the street. Since completion, the store has hosted regular events and has served as a meeting point for the brand’s fans who share a passion for its energy and spirit.