virgil abloh and AMO open off-white's flagship miami store

virgil abloh has teamed up with AMO, OMA’s research and design studio, to design a flagship store in miami for abloh’s fashion label — off-white. located at the heart of the city’s design district, the project represents an ongoing dialogue between abloh and AMO, led by samir bantal, that was sparked by the jointly developed exhibition ‘figures of speech’. externally, the opaque polycarbonate façade features a number of distinct markers. directly above the entrance, a bright orange ‘X’ overlays the word ‘SHOP’ indicating that the venue is not simply a retail space.

all images © off-white, unless otherwise stated

the façade also includes off-white’s new visual marker — a pair of hands extended upward. this motif is replicated on the floor where visitors enter the space. internally, instead of creating a conventional retail environment, virgil abloh and AMO developed a platform for off-white’s diverse identity, driven by abloh’s multidisciplinary engagement. ‘the flagship store explores the idea of the modern fulfillment center, by offering visitors a physical community space for interaction and brand engagement,’ explains off-white. ‘the multiplicity of activities and experiences to be explored, is facilitated by the flexibility of the space.’

the venue has been designed to be as flexible as possible. a floor-to-ceiling movable wall, which serves as a secondary façade, can be pushed back to invite people on the street inside the footprint of the store. as such, a public space is created to host a variety of functions, such as public art displays, mini catwalks, and musical performances. customizable elements are found throughout, with transformative fixtures that can rapidly change a retail floor into a multi-use event platform. in addition, all furniture — custom made in italy — features wheels for easier rearrangement.

lightly stained concrete floors are found throughout, while stainless steel shelving is complemented by rails in black marquina and white carrara marble. elsewhere, a centerpiece staircase — finished in an electric blue — pays homage to miami’s association with neon colors. corrugated metal walls, mesh ceiling panels, and tubular ceiling lights have been included to ‘amplify off-white’s industrial-blank canvas impression.’ off-white’s miami location is now open to the public.