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Past and future come together in Dickies’ first flagship in Seoul

BOOKMARK ARTICLE
A timber table stands central, inviting visitors to gather around, put things down and interact with one another. - Choi Yong Joon
Dickies’ first Korean flagship store, located in Seoul, occupies the concrete shell of an old leather goods store in the capital’s Seongsu neighbourhood. - Choi Yong Joon
Upstairs, the designers took advantage of the available roof space by introducing benches made from the same timber and metal found on the ground floor. - Choi Yong Joon

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Dickies has opened its first Korean flagship store in the capital of Seoul. Its design communicates the history of the brand as well as the neighbourhood within which it sits.

Key features

Dickies’ first Korean flagship store, located in Seoul, occupies the concrete shell of an old leather goods store in the capital’s Seongsu neighbourhood. Oftn Studio left the upper half of the façade untouched, allowing its characteristic red and brown bricks to communicate the industrial history of the site. Below, the concrete structure is left exposed, its rough texture contrasting with supporting steel panels. The glazed entrance sits slightly recessed from the street, providing shelter for those wanting to peer at what’s on offer.

Inside, metal rails, timber shelves and mirrors line the exposed concrete walls, encouraging unrestricted movement through the store. A timber table stands central, inviting visitors to gather around, put things down and interact with one another. The fitting rooms at the back of the store are enclosed by metal surfaces and mirrors, building on the space's contemporary feel. At the same time, old Dickies collaboration pieces are on display here, putting the brand’s past and future in direct conversation. Upstairs, the designers took advantage of the available roof space by introducing benches made from the same timber and metal found on the ground floor. Modular in construction, these furniture pieces can be stacked and arranged in myriad ways, giving the store’s merchandising more flexibility over how items are presented while opening the possibility for community-oriented events.

FRAME’s take

Seongsu was originally built as a semi-industrial zone – a past that can be read from the various shops, warehouses and factories making up its streets. Conceived as a workwear brand, Dickies has a lot to gain from connecting with this history. By allowing the building’s weathered concrete to act as a backdrop to new timber and metal interventions, Oftn Studio communicates the Texan brand’s ambitions which pivot on durability and longevity. At the same time, simple design moves, like placing furniture pieces in specific places or – on the contrary – leaving them as mobile features, reprogramme the space in a way that shapes a social yet relaxed shopping experience. Workwear is trendy, and Dickies knows this. While Oftn’s reuse of an existing building certainly has its environmental benefits, it also serves to spatially narrate the brand’s story – one firmly rooted in the past while looking to the future – and this is a strategy that is likely to resonate with local communities.

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