Dilettante Flagship Store in Perth by Ohlo Studio.

The retail world has changed dramatically. Outside of fast fashion, people are interested in experience. The brief developed for Perth-based store Dilettante by Ohlo Studio included providing a unique physical experience – considered, minimal, textural, and experimental.

“Dilettante has a strong identity. The clothes from the high-end labels arguably operate more as art objects than as regular garments. They offer the wearer a unique experience – quality, textures, innovative fabrics and cuts and, at times, conceptual considerations that you rarely find in more generic ranges,” explains Jen Lowe, director of Ohlo Studio. The store was designed as an extension of it’s product range. The fit-out is tactile and distinctive. Architecturally sparse, the interior allows the product to take centre stage whilst maintaining conspicuous texture and detail.

Four things triggered the design direction – the incredible textures and experimental design in the garments stocked; the willingness of the client to experiment with form and materials; an existing sculpture “Medium” by artist Clare Peake (light, soft mountains made from recycled paper); and Ohlo’s close working relationship with artist Georgia Kaw, and a fascination with her cast styrofoam, heavy and hard concrete objects.

Ohlo Studio and Georgia Kaw worked closely in the development of a scheme, which explored the physical and metaphysical properties attached to forms. “We experimented with manipulating the recognisable qualities of materials. Polished marmorino walls were contrasted with moonscape rendered walls, developed on site using an expandable foam mixture. Georgia produced a series of material explorations during design development, which resulted in the compressed polystyrene functional objects that furnish the space,” shares Lowe.

Related Post: Chicho Gelato in Perth by Ohlo Studio.

[Images courtesy of Ohlo Studio. Photography by Kristoffer Paulsen.]