This image shows a good example of the glossy display pieces that contradict the matte walls.
Please take notice of the short comments on most of the images- they unfold to explain design intents. Hope to get it more organized soon!
branding
The red curtain is part of the branding. The pops of red, taken from the ACK in the new logo, stand out in the stark white store.
The red is also a subtle nod to the importance of the customer, they get to pull back the red curtain as if they're on stage. Not unlike the notable celebrities that help bring street culture to iconic status, while inspiring the youth to gain knowledge and self worth.
This is the location that a "simply beautiful" mural will be going (to be done by friend of the store, George Eberhardt) depicting clouds and a plane taking off in the distance. It will be done in all white line work and have the understated detail and comic book influence that his work is known for.
Incorporated as many sustainable concepts as possible. Examples include: °use of natural light °fluorescent, low voltage lighting °low VOC paint used and low emission chemicals on sealed concrete floor °sustainable materials °re-use of old fixtures and backroom shelving °all fixtures made of wood, metal and glass by a local craftsman °benefit from the LEED for Homes certification of the mixed use building
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Right now I'm working on a flexible display piece (going in next to the dressing room) that will use one simply designed bracket repetitively to give it many different display options. If all goes well, it will be implemented in other areas of the store to give tons of different display options and help keep the store fresh for years to come.
more branding- The benches were found at an antique store from up the street. Stew kept the frame and overstuffed for comfort in the signature red color.
This open but still tucked away area is a sunny spot for conversation, to chill or to inform/engage shoppers with music, fashion, sports, art, media culture through magazines (or conversation).
The flat screen is the touch of technology that informs, entertains and connects visitors with music, sports and art
One of my favorite details to the store is that all of the case work, displays, shelving and the logo are high gloss paint or lacquered (in an effort to reflect light, like the floor does) while the walls and curve are matte to create a subtle contrast (and make the walls easier to clean). In turn, it draws attention to the merchandise.
Sneaker Freaks Welcome! The shoe wall is another favorite of mine. It can be seen from up the street. The rich yet subtle details and changes in material and texture of the shoes was what the material selection was based off of.
the dressing room or second counter can double as a bar during events. the seating area becomes a dj booth and floor displays move easily to open up room for more people
The toned down traditional style of the clocks gives a nod to remembering the past in this sped-up modern world because referencing where we came from is important to remembering the framework to how we got to where we are today.
The second counter, an initial request, is the newest addition to the boutique. The passing of owner, Stew, left things up in the air but the pieces have been picked up, due to the dedication of the people involved- and in his honor. We all miss him very much.
This floor piece, along with the shelving inside the front counter, was designed by long term employee Rryuhn Dotson. I love how it works with the rest of the space.
the arc refers to a plane taking off and is a shape commonly found in an airport terminal. such as at Detroit Metro and Gerald R. Ford airports.
ACK's brand is seen here.
There is talk of updating the LRG wall decal with a red square filled in with the artwork of talented illustrator Rryuhn Dotson (consisting of white and grey line work). The old store not only doubled as boutique/event space but as a rotating gallery. The owners are very involved in the community, and the art and music community especially. They are known for giving young (and sometimes underprivileged) artists a chance to flex design abilities (Rryuhn and me being a couple of them- and have been extremely grateful for the opportunities).
The shiny black Floor is inspired from an image of a Prada store with glassy looking glossy floors. It adds to the slickness of the store, it's reflective (like many airport surfaces) and is part of my translation of the Japanese ideal of shibui
The modern/Bauhaus inspired design elements came together naturally, starting with Stew's 2nd request for a clean, all white store. This meant to me: saturate the store in white like pouring a bucket on paint over it. The first step I took to carrying out the design started with the concept of the white making the merchandise and it's fine detail pop. This puts the focus exclusively on the products. Some people come just to look, kind of like a gallery, as the shoes and clothing are truly works of art (although we both agreed we did not want a museum feel-the clothes kind of are framed in).
This 5-unit brick structure was recently built by local design + build company Bazzani and on the site where an explosion leveled the previous building in 2008. The three upper units are residential and the building has good bones with a LEED for homes Silver certification. Bazzani and Local First (whose Grand Rapid's chapter is partially thanks to Bazzani) are a big part of the sustainable growth of the Uptown and Eastown neighborhoods.
Detroit Metro (image courtesy of visitingdc.com).
Detroit Metro (image courtesy of jaunted.com)
Sinage from Detroit Metro (image courtesy of blogs.westword.com)
Gerald R. Ford Airport entrance
inspiration image (courtesy of work.chron.com)
one of the initial inspiration images
inspiration (image courtesy of redspottedhanky.com)
One of the original inspiration images
Ontario airport (image courtesy of shutterfuzz.com)
The window design Stew and me had settled on. May or may not be used
The lighting is somewhat industrial and inspired by the utilitarian lighting necessary for lighting the large space of an airport. Along with the exposed ceiling, its part of the elegant and rough contrast of the space that reflects its culture and the ideal of shibui
The shoe wall is framed in by the windows so that it can be seen from up the street. Along with the horizontal signage, hopefully draws in customers who wouldn’t normally shop there. ACK is located in a secondary shopping district of Grand Rapids called Eastown. ACK is across the street from the legendary Yester dog (which inspired hangout Dog Years in the movie American Pie). The shopping is integrated into the neighborhood in Eastown and it is also where hip hop is strongly supported (Willie the Kid grew up down the street), which is an important aspect of ACK’s culture and is a shared interest among regulars. The old location was on Division Ave. which is another area where there are popular Jazz and Hip Hop clubs.
I was an important part of the decision to move to this neighborhood, when finding a space downtown didn’t pan out. My hope is that ACK’s established name and higher priced (yet highly coveted) merchandise adds to the draw of this neighborhood, which is full of almost exclusively small, specialty businesses. A few years ago more businesses were moving out than in. But lately the area has been growing more rapidly. There has been growth of trendy businesses moving to the area over the last year (that bring in the large college population from across GR) and I like to think ACK added a little kick to this (along with the East town organization’s strong commitment to supporting local business, East town's generally cool aura and nearby East Hills equally cool shopping district). continued below..
cont.. I hope that means the energy of downtown will keep spreading to other areas of the city (which wouldn't hurt toward sustaining Grand Rapids. I love it here but it shares the struggle of all Michigan cities). And ACK definitely has an energy. After all, as the clocks illustrate, ACK is a link to the world, through its culture.
new casework to come soon!
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ACK (All City Kicks)
ACK (All City Kicks) is a local shoe and apparel boutique with its own brand, started by late owner, Stew and his business partner Vic. >>>The concept is a space that shares the same slick qualities of a fast paced airport which represents the fast paced lifestyle of the consumer and rapidly changing trends that the shoes and apparel they sell stay at the front of. >>>Evidence of this is seen in the slick casework & floor finishes, the front counter simplistically modeled after an airport ticket counter, world clocks show ACK’s connection with the world (except instead of by travel by culture), horizontal lines that draw you through the space, places to linger & the Returns Policy sign is inspired by airport signage. I set up views because it is an event space too and is regularly being photographed. Branding is seen throughout with use of the new logo and the pops of red taken from it. As Stew would say, "FRESH,FLY,&FUN”
http://www.rapidgrowthmedia.com/devnews/ack1014.aspx