new york diesel store by wonderwall / masamichi katayama

twenty years after the opening of the first ever diesel store on new york’s lexington avenue, the brand has again chosen manhattan to debut its latest retail design concept. located at 625 madison avenue, the 2,800 square feet store has been designed in collaboration with japanese interior design firm wonderwall, headed by masamichi katayama. in partnership with diesel artistic director nicola formichetti, wonderwall developed a simple yet unexpected concept: the idea of an apartment space to serve as the brand’s symbolic new house.

concrete flooring contrasts wooden ceilings

upon entering the wonderwall designed store, customers travel through different areas, reminiscent of a foyer, a living room, and, at the back of the store, a space influenced by the intimacy of a wine cellar. this is where denim, diesel’s core product, is presented inside a stainless steel and glass installation. further design features include steel fixtures paired with persian rugs, concrete flooring with wooden ceilings, antique furniture with technologically advanced materials, and high-definition screens displaying custom digital artworks from art collective, field.

the store has been imagined as a series of apartment-style spaces

the three dimensional pattern of the store’s façade is also a tribute to denim, with a design that references the back ‘V’ stitch of the brand’s distinctive 5-pocket. not only does this cement mortar façade capture light to accelerate the surrounding air’s natural oxidation, it also helps decompose polluting elements in the atmosphere — a process called photocatalysis.

denim is presented inside a stainless steel and glass installation

‘I’m enthusiastic about the future-forward change the brand is spearheading in retail,’ comments renzo rosso, founder of diesel. ‘my only advice to the brand’s fans is: go visit the madison store and live the brand’s new shopping experience.’ considered an alternative to luxury positioning, the store is the first example of diesel’s new retail strategy, which will see several locations opened around the world — either relocated or refitted with the new design concept over the next three years.

the design includes steel fixtures paired with persian rugs