Designing for a company that has sustainability at its very heart, X+O has achieved a stellar outcome with its latest project for Nudie Jeans Co’s new Brisbane store. Located in Fortitude Valley, the new premises are on-brand and demonstrate sustainable design at its best.

Many stores come and go, with retail interiors constantly updated to keep in step with trends. However, the Nudie ethos is setting a cracking pace, practicing what it preaches to keep the planet healthy with sustainability integral to all that it does – including the design of its stores.

As a retailer, Nudie Jeans obviously sells jeans; however, its products are made from 100 per cent organic material, the company offers repairs for their brand of jeans, and also provides financial incentives for trade ins of old jeans when purchasing a new pair. Following on with these ideas, project lead Rebecca Vulic, Principal at X+O, and Senior Designer, Krisitne Vibar, have ticked every box to create a most environmentally friendly and inventive design.

Wherever possible X+O has re-purposed materials – the flooring, lighting tracks and even the facade, and also sourced local sustainable products such as Hoop pine, which is harvested from sustainable plantation forests and FSC-certified. Tiles have been made from old, traded-in Nudie jeans and construction waste, and then affixed to the counter of the Denim Bar, counter, repair station and walls, while Hard Wax Oil has been applied to ceiling panels.

While these sustainability initiatives are generally over and above those incorporated into retail design, it is the interior aesthetic that attracts customers to enter and enjoy the shopping experience.

The floor-plan is concise, with no wasted space, and products are displayed for optimum visibility. A wall of shelving to the side of the large, floor-to-ceiling window facing the street is filled to the top with jeans and, below, there is hanging space and fascia-tiled cupboards for extra storage. Opposite is a geometric slimline black hanging rack for shirts and shorter items, and colourful images of product and people have been hung on walls around the store.

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A centrally positioned unit includes storage and with space on top, there is the opportunity to showcase product. Belts and socks hang from a perforated timber board with toggles that can be re-configured to meet the size and quantity of these smaller items. There are two change rooms at the side, and these are delineated by soft beige drapery, while point-of-sale is located in front of the glazing that allows staff visibility back across the room.

While Nudie Brisbane is a small store, it makes a big impact through its design. Understanding that resources are finite and should be carefully chosen, used and re-used, X+O has created a template for better living that not only provides the experiential for shopping but generously showcases that icon of all clothing: jeans.

X+O
xpluso.co

Photography
Andrew Porfyr

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