Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/193668
The architect Joseph Dirand's design-forward retail projects include stores for Chloé, Balmain, Alexander Wang and Rick Owens. MODERN REVIVAL Seeking something modern yet still lovingly reverential, Laudomia Pucci enlisted Paris-based architect Joseph Dirand to craft its Miami Design District concept store. The result, which debuted this summer, is an expert blend of playfulness and glamour. "A lot of the color palette and material of this new concept came from what I discovered at Palazzo Pucci in Florence," Dirand says. "My wish is always to try to continue a story rather than reinvent a brand, especially when we talk about a brand that has so much heritage." A panel of purple-veined breccia medicea marble stands upright on the white, wood-paneled floor; oversize marquee-like letters scream PUCCI in lights; and high-gloss brass fixtures and pedestals achieve a certain polish throughout. "The idea is a combination between classic Italian palazzo and '70s glamour—I tried to extend the notion that Emilio Pucci was dropping off his luggage for the summer in another solar destination," adds Dirand, who has become increasingly well-known for his design-forward retail work. Recent projects include Chloé and Balmain in Paris, Alexander Wang in Beijing, Rick Owens in London and Pucci's own Madison Avenue flagship. Dirand has also generated buzz as of late for his chicly understated, Art Deco-inflected Monsieur Bleu, a new restaurant in the contemporary art haven, Palais de Tokyo in Paris. "In my point of view, a project succeeds when you feel that you cannot remove or add anything to the space," Dirand notes. Bien sûr, Monsieur Dirand—we wouldn't touch a thing. CULTURED 107