High and low fashion have become indiscernible, and the blending of streetwear in more and more designer collections reveals a willingness on the part of luxury brands to engage with these fluid times. This hybrid aesthetic has been adopted by contemporary image-makers to mock the once disparaging gap that spread between expressions of pedestrianism and luxury. With the pairing of high and low now flattered by parody, the creation of a market for high-fashion sneakers is one of the purest examples of this hybridization, which is in turn reflected in the design of Sivasdescalzo’s newest storefront.
Tucked into a tree-lined street, Barcelona-based Antoni Pallejà Office has created a sneakerhead’s dreamscape. The store is located in what used to be a mechanic workshop – a source of inspiration for the many industrial materials confidently used throughout the two levels of the space. The use of indulgent materials such as rich velvets and thick glass play off anodized aluminum and fabricated concrete. The areas carved out for product display are brightly lit, pushing forward the contrast between lush midnight-coloured curtains against roughly textured walls.
The focal point of the store is a large platform installed with a material which seems to belong to neither the industrial nor luxury worlds. The iridescent crystal glass flickers, evoking the texture of water and internet glitch-art all at once. As the climax of Antoni Pallejà Office’s symphonic use of materials, the iridescent glass steps in as the perfect narrator for the space’s fluid nature.
