Aimé Leon Dore’s 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 Nolita store, the shop mysteriously masks its inside offerings from the street with a pair of velvet curtains hung behind the windows and the door.
But inside, a rich, moody world awaits.
Ståle Eriksen
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 paneling. 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 (a pioneer of Vienna modernism). The dark walnut wood finishes are a nod to classic Saville Row tailor shops, while the velvet wall paneling 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.”
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