Merci
Can somebody fly me to Paris? Now, please? I think I want to spend the rest of my life in this store.
Image from WGSN
Image from Les Carnets du Design
Image from WGSN
Image from WGSN
Image from Les Carnets du Design
Image from Kriss69
Image from Le Marais
Image from Les Carnets du Design
Image from WGSN
Image from Moxiesinclair
Image from Les Carnets du Design
Image from WGSN
These beautiful photos are of the Merci concept store in Paris, and I believe this is some of the best retail design and visual merchandising I've come across. The store itself is a huge multi-level complex, but each section has a different innovative concept where special thought has been put into the product presentation.
An interesting aspect here is that the internal structure and fittings are highly industrial - if you took out the wonderful displays you would be left more or less with a factory. This minimal approach might have something to do with the idea behind Merci, and that is charity. All the profits from sales go to a children's charity in Madagascar, which means no mark-up...which means cheap designer clothes and products! Everybody wins!
I haven't been to Paris since I was 7 so I'm probably due for a visit. But before I go Euro I'm off to the faraway land of Brisbane this weekend to check out APT6. Stay tuned for a contemporary art run-around next week.
E.
