Jacquemus x Selfridges: Surrealist Retail Design & Fit-Out
Image from Random Studio
Get ready to immerse yourself in a surreal world of fashion and design.
London's iconic department store, Selfridges, teamed up with renowned French fashion designer Simon Jacquemus in May 2022 to create a series of surrealistic pop-up brand activations called Le Bleu.
The imaginative pop-up experiences blended art, retail design and fit-out in an unprecedented way.
Designing Surreal Retail Spaces
Simon Jacquemus, in partnership with Random Studio, reimagined these spaces, including The Corner Shop and the Old Selfridges Hotel, into vibrant scenes from an oversized bathroom to a swimming pool changing room.
The Corner Shop served as the pop-up’s main retail space, and its interior was decorated with pale blue tiles.
Each meticulously crafted installation offers shoppers a visually captivating experience, reinforcing the Jacquemus brand identity.
Image from Random Studio
Innovative Product Displays and Brand Storytelling
The display area included an oversized bathtub, sponges, shower facilities, and sinks showcasing exclusive products and pieces from Jacquemus's Spring Summer 2022 collection and emphasised the brand's creative approach to experiential marketing.
Image from Random Studio
Random Studio, a leading experience design studio, collaborated with Jacquemus to create the pop-up activation spaces, which Selfridges described as a "surrealist reimagining of Jacquemus founder Simon Jacquemus' very own bathroom."
"I wanted to create crazy and unrealistic installations, all related to water and bathroom imagery," said Jacquemus.
Engaging Experiential Marketing Techniques
At the Old Selfridges Hotel, Le Vestiaire drew inspiration from swimming pool changing rooms with blue tiles and interactive 3D experiences. This sensory activation provided a backdrop for the Jacquemus narrative, enhancing brand engagement through detailed experiential design.
Leveraging IRL Brand Activations
Jacquemus's use of interactive vending machines for exclusive product offerings like the Chiquito and Bambino bags introduced a dynamic component to the shopping experience, available around the clock to Selfridges visitors.
Another brand activation behind Selfridges featured a life-sized vending machine stocked with exclusive editions of Chiquito and Bambino bags, which shoppers could access 24/7.
These highly engaging brand experiences, meticulously planned and strategically thought through, set Jacquemus apart.
Blue lockers and changing cubicles lined the walls at the rear of the space, and "3D experiences" were included, drawing on the iconography of surrealist French filmmaker Jacques Tati.
From Random Studio’s website:
“The changing room is animated by a soundscape and lighting gestures that bring life to each cabin, from pacing and humming to light play that suggests a human presence behind the door. Like a joke unfolding around them, visitors become part of the choreography of the space. They can enter several cabins where several mini-scenes play out, from a Russian doll-like cabin with multiple versions of itself inside to a cabin rattled by an unexpected gust of wind.”
Le Bleu was another edition to Jacquemus' vending machine pop-ups across Europe's fashion capitals, including Milan and Paris. The three pop-up activations were open from 3 May until 4 June 2022.
A Benchmark in Fashion Marketing
The Jacquemus x Selfridges collaboration sets a new standard for retail design & fit-out and brand activations. It demonstrates how real-life experiences can significantly boost brand awareness and create memorable consumer interactions.
Images are courtesy of Selfridges unless otherwise stated.