Shopwatch: Escada, London

Escada, London

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The German luxury womenswear brand has given its London flagship a plush and contemporary revamp.

Escada's newly refurbished flagship store on Sloane Street in London's Knightsbridge is the sort of place where customers like to linger.
As a smartly dressed member of staff opens the door to the luxury womenswear brand's store, which features a new fascia made from cut sandstone and polished stainless steel, customers are greeted and welcomed into the intimate and plushly comfortably space.

The store concept has been designed to reflect the more contemporary route that the brand has taken for its autumn 08 collection. Arranged over three floors – basement, ground and first – shoppers first come into contact with Escada's mainline collection on the ground floor, where high-shine and matt-black granite flooring offer a cool contrast to the warm, plum-coloured carpet.

The store is lit by imposing chandeliers and more subtle, indirect spotlights. The walls – either corrugated black wood or hung with grey or black silk – add to the sophisticated feel of the new look store, which is a million miles away from Escada's previously all-white interior.
White still plays an important role in the design of the store, but now works in monochrome contrast with black, with off-white leather chairs positioned outside the changing rooms, which are arguably the highlight of the new concept.

The spacious changing rooms allow customers the option of changing the light settings so they can view their outfits under different lighting conditions, such as natural daylight and lower "night" lighting. Shoppers can also give themselves a squirt with the brand's signature fragrance while trying on the clothing.

Back on the shop floor, an accessories wall runs vertically throughout the store across all levels. Specially designed by Escada's in-house design team, it is split into light boxes that display each piece – from footwear to handbags – individually under a spotlight. Facing the accessories wall, but tucked away at the back of the store, are the tills and staircases leading to the basement and first floor.

In the basement Escada has introduced its more affordable Escada Sport line into the store for the first time. The area features lower ceilings than the other floors and is adorned with orchids in tall, black vases – a floral display that is changed each time a new collection hits the shop floor.

Up on the first floor, Escada displays the eveningwear from its mainline range. Individual pieces are given prominence with front-facing fixtures that show just one dress. While the same decor and colour palette is used throughout the store, the first floor makes more use of the shimmering grey silk panels and chrome fixtures, creating a brighter, shinier environment, with free-standing platinum and black tables used to display co-ordinated ranges.

Essentials:
3,200sq ft: The square footage of the Sloane Street store
400: The total number of Escada stores worldwide
60: The number of countries with an Escada presence