A unique expression of Miss Sixty's retro-chic persona, this store reflects a passion for the ‘60s and ‘70s held by Wichy Hassan and Renato Rossi, co-founders of the trendy upscale Italian brand. Designer Giorgio Borruso started with the company's inspiration from Verner Panton designs of the 1960s, translating the concept into a futuristic space leading shoppers on a journey culminating in cocoon-like dressing rooms, from which they may emerge as “butterflies” wardrobed in new merchandise.

Inviting shoppers inside is a sculptural element jutting into the mall. The 7- by 14-ft. polished stainless steel mirrored piece, weighing more than 900 lb., pivots to close the shop at night. During operating hours, its 12 portholes establish left-brained order and symmetry, an impression that gradually gives way to right-brained loss of control as shoppers follow curves on the floor and ceiling.

A display wall of pressure-formed MDF finished in high-gloss lacquer features symmetrical niches whose panels open for access to lighting. The cashwrap, formed of one solid piece of MDF finished in high-gloss lacquer, has a free-form cutout emphasized by a backdrop of backlit red Starphire glass with shadowy discs suspended behind.

Shoppers' ultimate destination, the dressing rooms, resemble a cluster of cocoons suspended from the ceiling. The impression is created by a flame-retardant nylon tensile fabric, developed inhouse by Eventscape, stretched over spherical aluminum framing that doesn't quite reach the floor. Achieving the desired look—translucent enough to execute the design vision, yet not so much as to scare the target demographic—took experimentation, says Gareth Brennan, president of Eventscape. Borruso, a transplanted Italian himself, knew he was taking a risk bringing such a concept to U.S. consumers, who tend to be more modest than their European counterparts, but he considered Miss Sixty's trendy young adventurous female shoppers.

“The most important lesson is that we do not design for the client, but for the shoppers. We know the store's customer, and people have reacted well to it,” Borruso says. (The occasional shopper who acts hesitant is directed to a “cocoon” at the rear of the store, where her silhouette is not on display, store personnel noted.)

The dressing-room frames of aluminum tubing in various diameters were powdercoated white to “disappear” underneath the fabric. Their light weight enable each to be supported by a single point on the ceiling. Eventscape also incorporated sealed ball bearings into the custom-made mechanics of the dressing-room doors for smooth gliding. The manufacturer sent an installation supervisor to the site to ensure proper installation.