The founder of LOOKNOW commented in an interview he wishes the brand could be ‘custodian of cool fashion’. When working together with LOOKNOW and interior designer SuperCloud Studio, we rethinked about fashion, especially fast fashion, in the era of global pandemic. 

If comparing fast fashion to fast food, which is neither delicate in flavor nor rich in nutrition, but inexpensive, available and provides instant satisfactions. I suppose we all need some form of comfort in life, however the excessive hunger for fast food has led to obesity for many. Can we shift people’s desire for fashion towards the healthier, more sustainable direction a little, through design of the retail space?

Ralph Lauren once said, I don't design clothes, I design dreams. And that’s what we wanted to achieve with LOOKNOW Chengdu - creating a place where you can daydream, with lighting and visuals. It is cheerful, hopeful, futuristic and out of the daily experience. 

The entrance is surrounded by an ‘o’ shaped installation made with LED screen and stainless steel, a modern take on the rabbit hole, signals the starting point of an unusual experience. The interior concept is about interstellar travels. The aurora of a planet is translated into rings of light and louver in the ceiling on the first floor. In the center of the space, a black metal plated staircase, the wormhole as we call it, is lit with soft mysterious light from the floor, takes guests to the second floor.

The 2nd floor resembles a planet similar Mars – with clear signs of human colonization such as the industrial style fluorescent like lighting (but we used LED light sources for better efficiency) and the linear lighting integrated into the metal structure above the cashier. 

In the end, together we created LOOKNOW Chengdu, a retail place that is fun to walk around. We hope the customers buy because they feel connected to the brand and space, and even if they don’t buy, they could still enjoy their time spent in the store.