The fashionability of change : a focus on the ephemeral nature of fashion retails interiors

Abstract

In a climate of mobility, technological advancement, competition and fast-paced living, architecture is increasingly and continuously being redefined to mirror our needs, developing into a new language which defies permanence and introduces ephemerality as the new standard. On this basis, this dissertation explores the spatial translation of ephemerality through fashion retail interiors. This interplay of permanence and change defines the relationship between the realms of fashion and architecture, and conjures an inquiry on how the latter caters for the transient nature of the former. Furthermore, the architectural significance of fashion retail spaces is experiencing an escalation in importance through the rise of experience design as a counteractive technique towards internet shopping. The research investigates the design of fashion retail spaces and their demand for flexible, changeable and stimulating spaces by studying various techniques towards ephemerality and reinforcing theories through expert perspectives. This study leads to a new architectural typology and cultural phenomenon: one delving into experiential design and invoking new challenges of creating meaningful retail space taking up the role of stabilizing and destabilizing uses and spatial meanings. It has thus become the architect’s task together with the retailer to endow these spaces with an atmosphere that is both appealing and memorable providing the customer with an unparalleled experience.