The new Viktoria & Woods Boutique in Mosman, North Sydney, has been designed by Melbourne-based studio Golden. In harmony with the intimacy of its village streetscape location and the surrounding harbour side views, the design of the boutique successfully elevates the retail experience by marrying brand ethos with local authenticity. Golden’s signature restraint heroes refined detail and a conscious material palette, while mimicking the relaxed movement of luxurious yet sustainable textiles paired with precision tailoring. This beautiful, considered curation results in a spatial manifestation of what it feels like to wear the brand.
Inspired by architectural gallery spaces and in keeping with the Viktoria & Woods philosophy, enduring design is enriched by natural materials and carefully sourced, locally produced furnishings. Angular lines and curved fluidity are highlighted with a variation in textural elements against a recessive colour palette. Stone, wool and jute come together to evoke an understated sophistication – quintessentially Sydney.
The interior includes focal accents that guide the customer journey, such as walls rendered with a fine grade grit, and a coffered ceiling in the back that draws the eye. Exaggerated geometric forms feature recessed lighting, casting shadow and light that invites further exploration. The sculptural repetition of a monolithic piece of G-Lux quartzite sits centre stage, sleek luminosity and unique green hue beckoning the outside in for a tactile point of sale.
Custom cork plinths paired with unfilled silver travertine for accessory display provide further texture, while natural ochre hues and the subtle movement of the latter’s characteristic veining working in harmony. The curve of a nearby table top is echoed in adjacent plush upholstery, while the sharp lines of its legs can be seen in the angular forms of the front desk and ceiling.
Honest, minimal joinery provides a metallic contrast to the warmth of natural materials and layered texture. Custom James Howe shelving is inspired by ceiling trusses in Woolloomooloo’s Finger Wharf building. Paying homage to Howe’s Rushcutters Bench, and one of my favourite features, each shelf was hand-woven in Adelaide using traditional Danish paper cord techniques.
Designed for intimate reprieve, large private change rooms are draped with eco-friendly mock suede curtains on blackened steel. Woollen looped carpet with a secondary jute woven backing provides a plush and cosy element to the change rooms; a refined nod to raw materiality and sustainable practice. Additionally, a styling suite at the rear of the boutique allows for a tailored, personalised customer experience, including the placement of a secondary, private, point of sale.
A space imagined for seamless customer journey and brand experience, from crossing the threshold to the donning of cloth, Golden’s design narrative exemplifies Viktoria & Woods’ effortless approach to modern wardrobe staples.
Images courtesy of Golden