When we decided to create our first pop up shop, we knew we wanted it be a pop up like no other. In order to bring the KITRI world to life and create a shop that was a cut above the rest, we enlisted the help of talented creative duo Campbell-Rey. 

We sat down with Duncan Campbell and Charlotte Rey to pick their brains about the inspiration and concept behind the store, their design process and ask the question on everyones lips - why pink?

"We didn’t want it to feel like a pop-up shop, we wanted it to feel like a transformative experience, so we pushed the envelope a bit"

Duncan: We often try to bring a sense of playfulness and colour into our work, often with a nod to trompe-l’oeil, geometries and perspective, alongside material explorations and surprising juxtapositions. Colour was key from the start, and we wanted something that was fun, optimistic and visually striking like the black and white striped floor. Custom pieces were always going to be an important part of the design, throughout the store we have placed some pill-shaped mirrors with lacquered red frames. The most striking one is a triptych dressing mirror that really creates an event out of trying on clothes downstairs, while being practical and showing every angle. We also conceived a family of hexagonal display plinths inspired by the Giant’s Causeway in County Antrim, Ireland, in a highly reflective finish used to divide the space downstairs and also provide surfaces for product and decorative touches. Downstairs, we covered an entire wall in thick undulating pink velvet, which creates a fantastic contrast to the strong metallic lines of the plinths, and also provides a beautiful backdrop to the triptych mirror.

Charlotte: I think we would never feel that a space was complete if it only featured new furniture and we were thrilled to work with Béton Brut, a design gallery specialising in mid-century furniture for a few key pieces in the store, including a Ruud Jan Kokke slatted armchair, a beautiful architectural desk by Cees Braakman and an Alvar Aalto chair to sit at it. For us the history and patina of these pieces really bring something to the space that would be missing if everything were new. Finally, we created a special one-off edition of our Thierry side table, originally launched at the Salone del Mobile in April. The table takes its colour inspiration from the scheme of the store, with one side in Rosso Levanto burgundy marble, and the other side in Rose Aurora pink.

Campbell-Rey's Thierry side table available for purchase at the pop up
Photographed by Parveen Narowalia  for Vogue.co.uk

What were your main sources of inspiration?

Duncan: We looked at the reflective surfaces of John McCracken’s sculptures, Ettore Sottsass’s playful designs, as well as the mixture of patterns in places like Taschen’s recent Ingressi di Milano book and Verner Panton’s interiors for the Spiegel building among many others. The space is quite long, so we thought it would be fun to visually “stretch” it using a very strong graphic black and white floor element. Contrast was another key element that we felt was important – contrast between colours, between matt and gloss finishes, between soft fabric and hard metallic edges, and between graphic architectural elements and soft organic ones. The result is that the first floor looks a bit like a liquorice allsort which we love! While the downstairs has more of a salon feel which suits the more evening-focused styles that will be shown there.

 

Image sources: 1stdibs // Pinterest // Sig Zinc and Copper // AtraFloor // Carlson Arts

What is your design process like?

Charlotte: At the start of any project, we both have lots of ideas that we play around with. Inspiration can come from anywhere – architecture, typography, nature, images we both collect. Obviously every project is different, but largely it’s about establishing from the start what we are trying to achieve and then we edit away until a few ideas remain and then we decide on what goes where and how. With a space, even more important that how it looks can be how it makes people feel, and we had this in mind from the start with the KITRI store.

Both floors have a slightly different look and feel. How did you approach the design of each floor?

Duncan: We wanted the ground floor to be very striking from the street. It’s the first impression the customer is met by, even before they step inside the store, so we felt it was very important to paint the façade of the store in an eye-catching colour like burgundy and the stripy floor is a way to really draw people in. The upstairs space is more for daywear and it feels much brighter because of the natural light, so the design probably a bit more playful. Downstairs, we wanted to create something that was a bit sexier, slicker perhaps and a little surprising. The soft undulation of the fabric and split carpet contrasts with the metallic geometry of the plinths which also reflect light in all directions. The clothing downstairs is slightly more focused on the evening, so it feels like a good fit.

Ground floor

Basement

What was the most challenging part of the project?

Charlotte: Most often, our design work is informed by natural materials and handcrafted elements but it has been interesting to work with the limitations of a temporary space, and we found this pushed us to find solutions to create high-impact, polished finishes without turning to traditionally luxurious materials. 

What’s your favourite element or design feature in the store?

Duncan: I’m very happy with the way the mirrors turned out. We looked at lots of options to buy them in, but creating the custom pill-shaped mirrors for the large triptych downstairs, for the dressing rooms and for the single mirror upstairs allowed us to create a design language that linked both floors of the shop. The shape is echoed in the fluted dado rail, and the lacquered frames contrast beautifully with the soft drapes of the velvet on the walls.

Charlotte: For me it’s the hexagonal plinths. I’m obsessed with the colour, the shiny finish and the shape. I want them for my house!

It’s certainly not your average pop up…

Charlotte: Today people are questioning the relevance of physical shops, but we believe it’s important that you provide customers with an impetus to come and see you, nothing really beats meeting someone face to face, listening to their thoughts, and sharing that experience. We wanted to create a unique space where the KITRI spirit lived and where customers could come and in and meet Haeni and the KITRI team, to feel the fabrics and to try on pieces from the collection. Thankfully it is no longer acceptable to create the same thing over and over again like many flagships or hotels of the early 00’s, but we felt it’s especially important for a brand that exists primarily online, that it’s physical space is exciting acknowledging that people have taken time out of their day to come and see us.

Finally, why pink?

Duncan: Why not! It’s a colour we have always been drawn to and used a lot in our work. It’s versatile, it’s optimistic and people seem to love it. Let’s call it the pink elephant in the room…

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Want to see it for yourself?
Come down to 35 Thayer St, Marylebone, London W1U 2QX and say hello!