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MLH BOUTIQUE
project team: Adelina Cucoranu, Bogdan Ciocodeica
photo: Vlad Patru
location: Bucharest / 2024



When fashion brand Maria Lucia Hohan commissioned us their first physical store our first thought went to the sculptural volumes and the intricate stitching that define their evening ware gowns. With garments deeply rooted in the history of theatre costume and with a great focus on craftsmanship and perfectly executed details, the brand's new space needed to act as a backdrop, a playground for all the actors taking centerstage in this fashion play, thus the idea of a theater stage was born.
The arch of the stage in straight, art deco volumes, covered in the same carpet as the floor, becomes together with the horizontal surface a monochromatic model of the theatre in juxtaposition with the fluid volumes of the other elements. The space is in fact a still image of a specific moment caught on camera: the instant when the curtain rises and the show is about to begin. You can almost feel the air filled with anticipation, and the curtain half way up further strengthens the idea.
The center of the stage is defined by an element meant to cut through the monochromatic space, to disrupt, offering a different background. Once again the reference is embedded in the performing arts. Inspired by Full Moon, the dance play of Pina Bausch, the silver curtain represents a stream of splashing water.
The mirrors, also with a strong art deco influence, covered in lipstick colored velvet, are the volumes in positive of the changing room entrances. The hanger bar is in silver chrome, very slim hanging from the ceiling disappearing in the folds of the velvet curtains that adorn the walls of the space all around.
The windows are covered in curtains, leaving exposed only the top part of the stage, a gesture meant to entice and arouse curiosity. The furniture pieces are few and geometric, with heavy volumes in California Burl and mirror. To further accentuate the look and feel of a 1:1 scale model, even the reclaimed vintage Camaleonda sofa has been upholstered in the same hue of velvet.
A play between harsh, masculine lines and curvy, feminine silhouettes, the space is a testimony of how architecture, theatre and dance can come together creating an inner universe, inspiring and influencing one another in order to create something new.