Situated little over two hours by car south of the sprawling urban behemoth that is Shanghai, the provincial coastal city of Ningbo may not have equal global prominence, but life is good here, and there’s hardly anything its well-heeled dwellers lack. Well, except perhaps good suits. Storied local textile firm Progen Group has upped the ante, revamping its existing store concept which is aligned with a man’s professional life and requirements. Aptly called PROGEN SUIT, the store occupies a 345 sqm. (3,714 sq.ft.) unit on the ground floor of its headquarters in the city’s suburban Xinshian neighbourhood. The interior design, created by Shanghai-based architecture practice Greater Dog, now features a playfully contrasting aesthetic which, quite cleverly, looks more like a hardware store.

The store design reflects PROGEN SUIT‘s new eco-friendly business model while the interior design also explores the brand’s desire of a matching sustainable retail model to duplicate elsewhere in the country. So, PROGEN SUIT is now all about a recyclable wardrobe, and spawning from that is an editable display system, and consequently, a flexible store configuration. The retail space has been opened up, and quite literally so, removing any unnecessary volume. The space has been built up from there with simple yet visually distinct interventions. The bare concrete ceiling is overlaid with a grid layout of LED strip lights and linear light fixtures, creating a strong visual dynamic as a backdrop. At the entrance, shoppers encounter a brand information display area with eight similar narrative wardrobes which show PROGEN SUIT‘s origin, brand story, highlights of its garments and props of its editable display system.

A concrete pillar-hugging island, comprising a cashier’s desk on one side, and a communal table on the other, takes centre stage in the setting, flanked by another seating area with comfy sofas. The window display area sees display tables on a faux steel track, adding another playful utilitarian element. The single-item display area comprises nine major categories of single suits, suits, trousers, shirts, coats, polo shirts, sweaters, jackets, and hoodies, and all appear in wall classification display form of hanging and folding. Additionally, an accessories trolley presents both accessories and shirts. The brand’s suits are placed in six wardrobes in a combined and matched form, visually presenting the suit dressing and craft details suitable for different kinds of jobs. The very matching understated signage highlights its importance in the corresponding category display. The renewed PROGEN SUIT store carries the brand’s full range of merchandise. © superfuture