Elle - So French, so chic

Elle, the leading international brand with French origins, unveiled a new signature store in Bangalore that flaunts the quintessential features of the brand. Positioned at the 100 feet road Indiranagar, the store occupies a carpet area of 800 sq ft, while showcasing a store front which has essentially incorporated two signature elements, the Elle pattern wall and the haussmannian door and frames which generates a French boutique look to the store design. The store signage uses steel letter cuts with flush backlights to live up to the premium positioning. Coming to shades, deep red is used against white to light up the look.
 
"The store facade brings to life the concept of the store while serving to highlight the collections presented and also to elevate the visual appeal of the store in keeping with the Parisian High Street appeal that we were creating,” shares Mohita Rastogi, Head of Design and VM, Arvind lifestyle brands- ELLE. Along with the façade, the store window also brings out the French aura. "The window itself recreates the quintessential Parisian look that is a trademark in an interpretation that highlights the brand's latest offering - the Botanical collection, which is symbolized by the current season's tag line "Go Floral, Fruity and Fun”. The garden replete with the white picket fence, watering can and wheel barrow throws one back to a French garden in summer while the floral and fruit arrangements complete the picture with trailing vines,” explains Mohita.

Talking more about the design concept, Arnab Mukherjee, Head of Retail Operations -ELLE, Arvind Lifestyle Brands Ltd says, "The strategy was to ensure that the customer gets a French connection in all the spaces they experience in store environment and communications. Every element in the store is carefully chosen to deliver the same message of French, feminine and chic. A sparkling white store with haussmannian frames was mainly built-in to get the sparkling Parisian look while use of ELLE pattern tiles and ELLE magazine wall paper print is used to associate the French magazine and fashion.

 An unification of deep red and white tint add glamor to the space wherein whites are mainly achieved in the form of various textures like unique Elle pattern panel as the back ground for merchandise, haussmannian style frames as an enhancer and strong outdoor wooden pattern on the floor. The fixtures were conceived to be a sleek, minimal yet modular. Clean white mass with stainless steel brush finish that invites the customer to touch and displays the Merchandize in a right position.”  
 
In a quest to enhance the French aura in the boutique, the lighting is infused with false ceiling and is kept as a neutral element which further acts as a background to the merchandize. Lighting in trading area is out of two sources. CDMT Wall washers or down lighters are implanted to generate a sharp light and better color rendering while CFL down lighters has been infused to support on an emergency. "Lighting in show window was out of CDMT Spots and washers to achieve the great flexibility, right cone, sharp and better light on the story that are created,” adds Arnab .

The store is carved up into four sections, the trading zone, fit and ease zone, billing zone and stocking zone. The trial rooms decorated with ELLE red colored curtains along with puffy seats with the magazine wall paper print all around. The lighting used is warm white to get the true tone color of the garment and an elegant Victorian mirror inside the trial room giving the French touch. The brand has planned to deploy the concept across major markets in high streets with an objective to bring to life the international fashion edge of the brand to the young, urban Indian woman.