Royal Glamrock: The label Rich & Royal clothes fashionistas and trendsetters with great passion and devotion – inspired by the fashion capitals around the globe. The new store design by Blocher Blocher Shops symbolises this ambition with a contrast-rich pro and contra between glamour and rock – in shades of black, grey and gold. Now in the Mall of Berlin on 125 square metres.

Berlin. Company owners Denis and Patrick Stupp came across the name “Rich & Royal” when they visited New York for a concert of the US rock band with the same name. This was the beginning of something really great – because shortly thereafter the two young entrepreneurial brothers founded their fashion label. From the inspiration arose the ambition: top-quality, yet rocky outfits, with international flair. For cosmo-politan women, living life stylishly, and at the same time, self-assuredly. Now they can plunge into a wildly luxuriant world in the Rich & Royal store.

Blocher Blocher Shops, the Stuttgart-based office for monobrand development, has designed a place with stylistic contrasts: classical elements meet modern elements, open forms meet closed forms, rough surfaces meet smooth ones – rounded off with detail-loving eye catchers. Such as the cream- and anthracite-coloured cassette walls, coloured in rough brush strokes, with recessed display niches in turquoise and antique pink. The check-out desk – a panelled block in front of a dark niche – appearing like a profile wall cut-out. On the other side, concrete surface walls and shelving made of dark pipes connected by gold-coloured nodal joints attend to the wild side of the label.

The central theme is also reflected overhead – literally. The anthracite-coloured open ceiling forms a stage for two sweeping curved mirror elements, enriching the store with unusual perspectives. Another highlight is the central mid-air object: the emblem of the label, in the form of a three-dimensional swoppet figure made of galvanised metal. As playful as impressive: stage spots, uplifting the store to a rear stage and simultaneously adding a touch of Hollywood.

In the centre of the store, two modular display islands unfurl, with marble pedestals and cubes made of concrete and metal – on a dark fishbone parquet floor which merges seamlessly into the adjacent micro-concrete floor with wild transitions. Further to the back, a lounge with a rocked-out Jan Kath carpet and leather couches with rivet elements invite stylish relaxing. A metal-framed showcase on a wooden stool reminds one of the production workshops, and puts the focus on the products which are to be highlighted. Also an attention-grabber is the wire sculpture made by the African artist Papa Pepe: a life-sized ostrich, a royal animal, and the perfect ambassador for a label carrying royalty already in the name.

A touch of Paris – decoration and visual merchandising: For the opening, the visual merchandising and decoration experts of Blocher Blocher View were inspired by the current Rich & Royal campaign that was shot in Paris. The motto of “Take me to Paris” combines the romantic look in the shop window and in-store with rocky styles: the Eiffel tower appears in various-sized miniature forms, metal frames with outsized light bulbs evoke the French Varieté. Colour blots stick-ers on shop windows and showcases appear as if brushed on by street artists. Colour and styles ensure recognition value everywhere, here a delicate pink, there, black deco walls on which the products become intriguing eye-catchers. Interior elements are turned into staging tools by the visual merchandisers without much further ado: the display cubes, for example, become a part of the shop window design. Just like the steel rear wall elements as three-dimensional display objects, framing the mannequins with their cool, young postures.

For the opening rough-looking fabric-covered tailor’s dolls present the fashion, in the future the merchandise will be displayed on dark fibreglass, semi-transparent mannequins. After the successful opening in Berlin, other fashionistas can soon look forward to royal glamrock else-where. Because the store design of Blocher Blocher Shops for Rich & Royal will be multiplied.

Photography: Klaus Mellenthin
Visual Merchandising and decoration: Blocher Blocher View
Design by Blocher Blocher Shops