Art & Retail: Refining the Experience Economy Louis Vuitton Business & Strategy The alignment between retail and art is closer than ever, as brands seek to differentiate themselves and engage experience-hungry consumers with new art-focused concepts.
Analysis The worlds of art and retail are becoming increasingly intertwined as the experience economy continues to grow. Where retailers once looked to artistic collaborations and gallery-inspired merchandising for inspiration, now they are tapping into the culture economy through their own branded galleries, bringing artists into stores for live artwork creation, or selling art alongside core product selections. As well as art-infused spaces and interactive installations, retailers are also commissioning artists to use colour in impactful ways within their stores. Artful colour applications and Chroma design can help to create a more engaging in-store experience that drives footfall. Art installations are also a powerful way to drive engagement on social media and raise brand awareness: the more Instagrammable the piece, the more likely it is to be shared. adidas Originals
The selfie opportunity The popularity of the art selfie shows no signs of slowing, with exhibitions such as Yayoi Kusama's Infinity Mirrors still proving so popular that LA gallery The Broad put a 30 second limit on selfie-taking visitors. Louis Vuitton Brands are increasingly using art to capitalise on the selfie phenomenon by working with artists to create eye-catching installations that will go naturally go viral on Instagram. Spanish artist Coco Capitán's scrawled, towering messages for Gucci's Art Wall project have become synonymous with the brand itself and one of the most- Instagrammed installations of 2017. "This is a very popular spot for selfies," said Louis Vuitton CEO Michael Burke of the large-scale golden sun installation by Faye Mcleod on the façade of the brand's new Paris flagship. The store has seen throngs of visitors capturing selfies outside the front since it opened in October. Normann Copenhagen has also become known on Instagram known for its colour-infused installations, which make for eye-catching photo-ready visuals from all sides. Normann Copenhagen Gucci
The art of colour Colour whether in accents or all-over applications has become a key way for retailers to make physical stores stand out, as well as to create Instagrammable visuals. Ace & Tate Calvin Klein Gucci Some brands are working with artists to use colour in impactful and creative ways. Raf Simons commissioned American artist Sterling Ruby to completely transform Calvin Klein's Madison Avenue flagship, creating an immersive floor-to-ceiling, bright yellow installation. With artfully arranged scaffolding, hanging sculptures and the visually arresting shade, the new interior fuses the worlds of art and fashion. Gucci also used colour to fuse fashion and art. Four artists created an immersive installation in the brand's Tokyo store, filling the store with 28km of red yarn that was wrapped around Gucci accessories. Visitors could interact with the artwork both in-store and online. Eyewear brand Ace & Tate has used primary colours and artist canvasses in its Copenhagen store to evoke the experience of entering Danish cubist painter Franciska Clausen's studio.
Branded art spaces Once the realm of luxury brands, streetwear labels are increasingly branching out and opening their own stand-alone galleries and art spaces which sit apart from their retail stores. Danish brand Soulland has opened an affordable art store in Copenhagen called Got it for Cheap, aimed at democratising art while increasing brand awareness in a cultured way. The store showcases wellknown artists alongside emerging names: every piece is an original and is priced at 300 DKK, or $50. Spazio Maiocchi Streetwear brand KITH has opened its own gallery in order to combine art with the brand's lifestyle experience. Located above the brand's new New York store, works on display including Haroshi sculptures made from skate decks. Different artists will be featured every four to six weeks. Carhaart WIP and iconic streetwear store Slam Jam have teamed up to open a coowned art and design space in Milan called Spazio Maiocchi intended to shape new cultural experiences. Kith Soulland
Selling Art & Fashion With consumers spending on experiences rather than stuff, some retailers are beginning to sell artwork alongside their fashion and lifestyle offerings. Not only can this help to entice people into physical stores, it also helps retailers to offer a more meaningful, cultural experience that resonates with today's shoppers. Browns East In October 2017, London multi-brand boutique Browns opened a new concept store in East London's Shoreditch. As well as an updated brand selection and a café, the store is innovative in other ways: the staircase serves as a mini art gallery, with a curated selection of multimedia works by Polly Morgan, Juno Calypso and Lauren Baker available to purchase at a range of price points. Phillip Lim's new concept store in LA's Arts District blends into the area's spirit of creativity and community by selling artworks by local creatives alongside Lim's collections. Beyond luxury, the new Marie Claire store in New York also sells affordable artworks alongside athleisure, beauty and clothes. 3.1 Phillip Lim 3.1 Phillip Lim
Art infusion Galeria Melissa Zadig & Voltaire Stores which blur the boundaries between retail space and art gallery have evolved from purely gallery-inspired merchandising towards brands and retailers increasingly seeking out artists to display their work instore. At Virgil Abloh's newest Off-White store in New York, called Empty Gallery, exhibitions and artworks play a key role. The brand is not just about buying the clothes, says Abloh: the point of the store is more about the experience of Off-White than it is shopping the items, with the designer referring to the concept as "the crescendo of the Off-White language". The merchandise assortment will change every two months as the displayed works of featured artists are rotated, with product to be curated and displayed to complement the art. All works are by unknown or rising artists selected by Abloh himself. As with its stores in London and São Paulo, the new Galeria Melissa store in New York has its own gallery space that houses a regular rotation of multimedia art exhibitions. Keeping the space fresh and relevant, exhibitions are scheduled to change three to four times a year, and it will also host bi-monthly art-focused events. Zadig & Voltaire is also enhancing its retail experience with a new generation of flagship stores that combine gallery spaces and pop-up exhibitions featuring young designers alongside its core collections. At the brand's new Paris location each of the three floors are interspersed with paintings and sculptures by leading artists, while a separate gallery displays work by young talent. "We re bringing something highly physical to the physical retail experience. You can t appreciate art online," says brand founder Thierry Gillier. Zadig & Voltaire is a lifestyle brand, and art has always been part of lifestyle. Sometimes we have to animate fashion, and this is a good way to do that. We re trying to create meaning. Off-White
Facilitating art Brands are increasingly becoming cultural facilitators by funding artistic endeavours and supporting young artists who are just starting out in the industry. Herschel Supply Co In July 2017, backpack brand Herschel Supply Co. opened a pop-up lemonade stand in Vancouver to support local charity organisation ArtStarts In Schools, which seeks to improve arts education in Canada. A quirky and Instagrammable way of demonstrating both brand storytelling and a connection with the arts, the bright pink pop-up was fitted out to resemble a modern-day lemonade stand, and sold Herschel daypacks and totes alongside cold-pressed lemonade by The Juice Truck. Historic jewellery brand Tiffany & Co. is also making sure it stays modern and relevant by supporting the arts and emerging creative talent. In London, Tiffany has just launched Outset, an artists support programme that will see seven London MA graduate artists receiving rent-free studio space and the chance to work with Tiffany & Co. on pieces for its stores in the future. Tiffany & Co
Creating art in-store The rise of the experience economy has led retailers to rethink their physical space and offer more interactive, engaging in-store experiences. Topshop offers a number of art-focused initiatives at its Oxford Circus flagship, including bringing illustrators in to create customised products, or offering in store art classes and creative workshops as part of a collaboration with London-based collective The Indytute. adidas Originals Adidas Originals Seoul flagship marked the release of the 50-colourway Superstar Supercolor with special crowd-sourced art in-store. The second floor was transformed into a blank canvas which customers could use paint markers to decorate. Muji also brought art into the store in June 2016 for the launch of its Tatazumai range, which celebrates traditional Japanese craftsmanship. To celebrate the collection, the artists behind it from textile artists to glass blowers and ceramics makers made exclusive handmade pieces on the spot in Muji's New York flagship. Topshop Muji
Interactive installations Installations that work with human interaction are a great way for retailers looking to use art in more engaging or statement-making ways in-store. Visually striking installations are also more likely to be shared over social media, generating a buzz around brands. Just Decoration by Kissmiklos In May 2017, the Mom Park shopping centre in Budapest commissioned Hungarian artist Kissmiklos to create an interactive installation. Called Just Decoration, the piece was made up of 4,000 fake clothing tags, with real tags hidden among them. Shoppers were encouraged to reach up and grab them in an attempt to win the item on the real tags. It eventually transpired that this was a hoax and the installation was actually a statement about excessive consumption and greed. Apple's new Dubai Mall store features one of the world's largest kinetic installations. Called Solar Wings, the piece is made up of 18 carbon fibre panels that open and close with the sun's movements to provide either daylight or shade. Just Decoration by Kissmiklos
Action points As retail continues to fight for consumer mind share as well as market share, look to artistic events and cultural collaborations to resonate better with experience-hungry customers. Take note of global sell-out art exhibitions that offer an immersive and sensory experience. For example, TeamLab's Transcending Boundaries drew record visitor numbers to Pace gallery in London. Immersive exhibitions also provide a great opportunity for the increasingly popular art selfie, often shared on Instagram. Don't forget that people remember experiences long after products. When purchasing is combined with an interaction that feels more worthwhile, such as buying a piece of art or experiencing the work of a new artist, shoppers are more likely to share that experience and engage with the brand again. Consider using culture as currency by offering art-focused initiatives like in-store creative workshops or crowd-sourced retail installations to appeal to new mindsets. Gucci
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