A flagship store that’s a new landmark. And a hallmark. Restore created a new landmark on a road that features the best brands from around the world. US Polo Association features iconic, contemporary fashion for men, women and children, which means that the flagship store had to add cachet to the apparel. The brief was challenging yet clear: create a completely original design for the store while remaining true to the brand’s core values and personality.

Restore created a design was both original and totally surprising. It adheres strongly to the brand’s values and personality while the end result is dramatically different from any other store of the global brand.

The facade resembles a high end home more than a store, inviting passers by to discover what lies within. Once inside, US Polo is revealed in every poster, graphic and fixture. From the gigantic installation made of polo mallets that is the first thing visitors see to the saddles that decorate tables to the tiny horse themed bookends, everything speaks of the authenticity and classic tradition that is US Polo.

Each area is themed appropriate to the merchandise on display, a theme set by the materials that are used in the section. Rich polished wood provides a background to men’s casual wear, while men’s denims are surrounded by lighter wood and metal. The quantity of wood on display underlines the clubby feel of the brand while the photographs on the wall suggest the presence of a wealthy American family in a (supposed) private space beyond the store.

While the theme of polo and the feel of a private home speak of one part of the brand (it is comfortable, warm and stylish) the use of an interactive store experience using an iPad highlights the contemporary, modern aspects of US Polo. On a shopping street that is all metal, glass and bland modernity, the US Polo store harks back to a warmer time, a more welcoming time, when every store and every brand had a distinct and wonderful soul.

Store concept and design by Restore, Paris and Bangalore. Visual merchandising by Jellyfish
Photography by R. Santosh