HUMAN MADE, the popular leisure wear brand launched by Japanese cultural icon NIGO, resonates well with a young demographic across the homeland and abroad. In neighbouring South Korea, HUMAN MADE operates standalone stores in the popular Apgujeong and Seongsu shopping areas of Seoul, but as of late, a new outpost in the city’s Jamsil neighbourhood. Here, the Japanese brand secured a unit on the premises of Lotte World Mall, wedged in between the retail spaces of On and ARKET. The brand tapped Tokyo-based architecture and design practice I IN to create a alluring setting, and it’s one that fittingly takes cues from Korean celadon, which is considered a refined artisanal craft in South Korea. As a result, the store sees an infusion of pale blue-green tiles, a firm nod to the distinctive colour and subtle tonal variations of celadon ceramics. Interestingly, while the material expression references tradition, the spatial form is intentionally futuristic. A large celadon-inspired volume rises through the full height of the space, appearing to float within the interior.

Bold openings and sharply defined edges give the form a sculptural quality, allowing shoppers to experience the notion of moving through the inside of a piece of celadon. Taking centre stage is a large display crafted from stocked shipping containers encased in glass. By presenting everyday industrial objects as the focal point of the interior, the design not only challenges conventional ideas on value, and perhaps retail as a whole, but also offers an elevated retail experience. Additional furnishings and fixtures comprise metal clothing racks and displays, and a sales counter with a ridged front that ties in with the low benches situated in niches opposite. Tanuki sculptures on the retail floor and in the aforementioned wall openings add a playful touch to the interior design. The store design reinterprets HUMAN MADE‘s philosophy, The Future Is In The Past, through the cultural context of South Korea, creating a distinctive retail environment that connects heritage with contemporary design. The new HUMAN MADE store stocks the full range of men’s and women’s apparel, accessories, bags and lifestyle goods. © superfuture