YMS Center hair salon | Kitsch Nitsch

Ljubljana / Slovenia / 2012

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Mič Styling is the leading brand of hair salons in Slovenia, with all their franchises they have about 50 salons. The main brand Mič Styling is aimed at business people with salon interiors designed in a very minimalistic, elegant, monochromatic style - think higher priced, up to date hair stylings. They also run a second brand called Simple, aimed at the general public, with more relaxed interior design settings that is dominated by the color yellow - think: I just need a nice looking affordable haircut. Last fall they decided to start an new story with new salons aimed at the younger crowd - called YMS (Young Mič Styling). We were commissioned to find a visual style that goes as far away from the existing brands as possible and teens and people in their early twenties can relate to. We wanted to avoid the main mistake that is usually made when designing for youth, where one takes the symbolism of a subculture and tries to buy acceptance by photoshoping it all over their own image. Such attitude always comes out pushy and patronizing and you rightfully get just the opposite result. So we turned to our favorite source of inspiration, the 70s and 80s brilliance of postmodernism, that has a wonderful way of speaking against functionalism with the use of strong graphics and over the top furniture. It's nonconformist, just as youth is (or at least should be) and that was the common ground they could relate to. We also felt that by introducing a style that is directly nonexistent in any of the teen subcultures right now, we can equally speak to all of them. More importantly we tried to conceptualize a perfect hairstyle salon, which is in its essence an overproduced and over designed place, a bit fake and with appearance overweighing the substance - but with a lot of human warmth and affection. Well, it was either that or decorating the walls with nailed up skateboards that someone suggested we should do. We believe we made the right choice, since none of us skate. Since the beginning of the project 2 salons were opened, the first one in the centre of Ljubljana and the second one in a vast shopping centre called City Park on the outskirts of the city.
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    Mič Styling is the leading brand of hair salons in Slovenia, with all their franchises they have about 50 salons. The main brand Mič Styling is aimed at business people with salon interiors designed in a very minimalistic, elegant, monochromatic style - think higher priced, up to date hair stylings. They also run a second brand called Simple, aimed at the general public, with more relaxed interior design settings that is dominated by the color yellow - think: I just need a nice looking...

    Project details
    • Year 2012
    • Work finished in 2012
    • Client Mič Styling
    • Status Completed works
    • Type Showrooms/Shops
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