The shoe is firmly on the other foot in this luxury retail project where one design icon has deferred to another to create their lavish boutique in London.
May 30th, 2013
When French shoe designer Christian Louboutin sought to make his mark in a crowded retail space in London’s Harrods department store, he turned to British wunderkind Lee Broom.

As Brit design’s poster boy, baby-faced Broom is famed as much for his product design as he is his rich, award winning interiors for residential, retail and hospitality.

Observing Louboutin’s convention of launching boutiques that reflect the flavour of the city they inhabit, Broom has proved an inspired appointment. A champion of the UK’s trades and manufacturing, Broom’s collections consistently express a contemporary take on traditional British typologies – his Harrods concept is no exception capturing the flair and spirit of Christian Louboutin whilst giving the space a quintessentially British twist.

Drawing on his own fashion training (and time spent working for Vivienne Westwood), Broom has fused drama and tradition into a signature space that marries moulded staccato ceilings and red carpets with Covent Garden inspired white fanned arches, etched glass clock faces reminiscent of Big Ben and glazed tile walls, suggestive of early 20th Century finishes synonymous with the London Underground.

Showcasing his own part played in Britain’s design story, Broom’s handmade Crystal Bulbs make numerous appearances in the fit out; offsetting the contemporary light-boxes and his vibrantly upholstered Salon seating collection.

Sumptuously staged, the new boutique delivers on both brand’s inherent values. The sense of “Best of British” is indisputable and the boldness of Louboutin is afforded all the drama it deserves.

Lee Broom
Christian Louboutin
Images © marcuspeelphotography.co.uk
INDESIGN is on instagram
Follow @indesignlive
A searchable and comprehensive guide for specifying leading products and their suppliers
Keep up to date with the latest and greatest from our industry BFF's!
Developed by bangdesign for Stylecraft, Kinn is an Australian-made collection of seating and occasional tables, shaped by modest proportions, practical detail and the changing demands of shared interiors.
In the last instalment of our three-part performance seating series, Alex Bain from Architectus explains why sitting well shouldn’t feel like sitting at all and explores an unexpected success metric of the hybrid workplace: the grounding power of emotional support.
As Woven Image celebrates 40 years, it introduces a new collection developed in collaboration with Australian artist Ben Goss, inspired by his original artwork Where the Kookaburra Sits into a vibrant collection of digitally printed EchoPanel® murals and patterns.
To celebrate Laminex’s new collection of 17 decors honouring the Australian landscape, the team hosted an exclusive dinner event.
It’s bold and very blue and stands out from the crowd. Veneziano Coffee Roasters is making its presence felt, one expertly barista-made short black at a time!
The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed
Presenting a sound and light event in Melbourne’s CBD, Autex Acoustics and DARKON showcased their exemplary products and raised the bar for better design.
For The Eye Piece’s fourth store, Ricci Bloch brings general optometry and a dedicated Lindberg shop-in-shop together within a double-height tenancy at Sydney’s EY Centre.
A wander around a BACHLI showroom reveals a tapestry of captivating furniture designs, curated precisely and craft-led. Thanks to its longstanding partnerships with iconic designers, BACHLI has become a go-to for discovering the most exciting established and emerging Australian and international brands. Initially based in Melbourne, BACHLI have recently expanded into Sydney with their Surry Hills showroom, increasing their presence and opening their invitation to the design-savvy and curious nationwide.