Changsha YISHION Flagship Store | Li Xiang

‘No matter how dramatic of an image I wish to create, I still have to be restrained under the demands of product presentation and functionality. The combination of the consumers’ subtle emotions and behaviors and the unpredictable huge variety of products manipulate my interpretation of the past and future of "YISHION".

However, ultimately, it is necessary to keep a low profile and return to shaping an atmosphere of belief, finding an original inspiration that naturally emerges from the harmonious unity of spatial layout and scene segmentation. I try to start from a continuous visual and emotional experience, and blend the vision and ambition of the brand’s future into the colorful halo of the space, and build a unique brand aesthetics that belongs to "YISHION".’

Only using one color to describe the temperament of the brand is far from enough to express the diversification and inclusiveness we wish to present, in response to the rich brand subset under YISHION. Therefore, the "light" that contains various colors is introduced into the design. It runs through the main body of the three-story building with a wonderful flow.

Climbing up along the central traffic box, the atmosphere changes with the transition of colors, presenting the visual impression of the next continuous space, which gradually spreads and smudges on the same floor. Different clothing areas such as leisure, business, and trendy brands with different textures and styles are represneted by different colors, which also cleverly serve as guidance for each partitions. The colorful ‘boxes’ are nested together, so that the long and odd-shaped plane spaces are connected together, creating a clear division of areas without blocking the circulation or hindering the view.

Overall planning of functions and partitions cannot fully satisfy the designer’s imagination of an idealized retail space. Therefore, the creation of several shared spaces are proposed by the designer, including moving inside the playful atmosphere of ourdoor skate park, and turning the area beside the escalator into cinema-themed photo spots. The designer boldly integrates trendy culture and popular topics into shopping experience of the retail space.

A person's appearance is the projection of their heart and soul, and one’s self-dressing can be regarded as the process of a dialogue with their inner self.

The designer derived the concept from this clothing philosophy, and compared the establishment of the inner self starting from the appearance to a process of "Personal Journey" - which not only corresponds to the leisure shopping experience, but also alludes to the interoperability of the search for clothing style and self exploration.

The construction of colors enclose various atmosphere fields, attracting all kinds of people, and the aggregation of people subtly changes the magnetic field of the space.

The experience of walking and shopping in the space has become a metaphor: in the colorful world, we keep passing by each other, occasionally colliding with one another creating sparks of fate, and sometimes focusing on searching for our respective territories. The metaphor adds a touch of artistic atmosphere to the commercial place, which is in line with the comprehensive brand upgrade.

In terms of functionality, the keynote of the design is to use simple design language to carry out flexible and practical functions. The hangers are assembled in the form of components, which is convenient for operations and replacement. The designer uses wallpapers to create 3D- effect showcases and wardrobes which created interesting multilayers that bring people a pleasant surprise through the visual illusion.

In the women's fitting room on the third floor, the designer turned the area into a teenage girl’s romance style fashionable living room. Combining the form of artistic diplay, the old furniture with the charm of old Changsha city are renovated with exquisite black and pink tones, thus creating a renaissance of the old time. It breaks through the old format of the fitting room, allowing customers to try on clothes in a more comfortable state and mood.

The project as a whole has created an immersive experience of spatial composition, forming differentiated symbolic styles and tones in different areas, and unified and converged into a unique powerful aesthetic for the brand YISHION. The designer adeptly incorporates a sense of local identity and blends the old with the new, creating a sense of fantasy alternating between imaginary and realistic, which is also a dreamy innovation promoted by YISHION. Just as at the entrance of the project - with the introduction of a ray of light, YISHION leads visitors to a start of a magical journey.