Los Angeles-based studio 22RE combined metal mesh, black and reflective surfaces, and bold pops of color inside the multi-brand men’s store in the city’s Arts District.
Departamento’s second location is located in the Signal Retail District, which occupies a series of warehouses southeast of downtown Los Angeles.
By using the building’s industrial bones to inform design decisions, 22RE took on the design sensibilities of 20th-century modernists such as Rudolf Schindler and Richard Neutra.
“Inside, 22RE leans into the industrial elements of the original architecture through a deconstructive lens,” says the studio.
The store entrance is hidden inside the Concierge Café, and leads to a mirrored portal that opens onto the store floor.
While the layout follows a typical grid, the designers have included a variety of sections, sizes and displays that “disrupt” the flow and encourage shoppers to explore.
“This non-linear design challenges the traditional browsing experience and provides an unconventional yet effective approach to shopping,” said 22RE.
A pair of curved metal-clad walls reminiscent of a Richard Serra sculpture form a narrow passage from one area to the next, while also displaying clothing on their concave sides.
The blackened wood panels form an enclosed space, inside of which are bright white walls and reused wooden frames that contrast sharply with the rest of the store’s interior.
“The space, entered via a sliding slatted door, invites guests to experience the collection in a ryokan-inspired setting, evoking a traditional Japanese inn,” 22RE said.
Designed in collaboration with fashion label Taiga Takahashi, this store-within-a-store also features shelves made of tatami mats and floors designed to resemble pebbles.
Another triangular space features mirrored walls that create endless reflections of clothes and an eggplant-colored rug on the floor.
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“The collections are suspended and displayed through homogeneous, sculptural forms that divide the space, creating a seamless but contrasting duality between the heavy wood forms and the lighter metal elements,” said 22RE.
A red cylindrical volume is used as a changing room, while other changing areas are hidden behind silver curtains.
Custom items include a jewelry box made of green fiberglass, resin and foam and a side table made of carved aluminum.
The white aluminium ceiling grid extends across the entire store, covering all the freestanding elements, with integrated lighting in the back to create futuristic glowing spots.
22RE was founded by Principal Dean Levine in 2021 and has since completed a number of interior design projects across the United States.
The studio recently completed the offices of a creative music agency in Los Angeles, which include a sunken 1970s-style boardroom and a Miami golf apparel store lined with pale green stucco.
Photography by Eric Stackpole Ondehen.
