The Daily Paper store is an amalgamation of heritage and looking to the future; it draws on Amsterdam-style architecture, Dutch townhouses and African beadwork.
GREAT RETAIL DESIGN TELLS A COMPELLING STORY
Founded in 2012, the Daily Paper brand and its retail stores are realised through masterful storytelling by founders Hussein Suleiman, Abderrahmane Trabsini and Jefferson Osei. Drawing upon their upbringing in Amsterdam’s Old West neighbourhood and their African heritage, the trio launched the fashion brand via a blog they started as children. Their flagship store in New York is no different; the exterior features elegant gables reminiscent of Dutch townhouses. The eye-catching exterior also uses between 13,500 to 14,000 manually cut and compressed recycled Arizona Iced Tea cans glued or screwed to panels to achieve the African beadwork lattice effect on the outside of the store.
Upon entering the museum-like retail space, customers are greeted with a marble mosaic depicting a constellation.
Partnering with the interior architect Heather Faulding from 4plus Design, the commitment to story-telling is carried on throughout the interior design. The store subtly references both the Dutch and African cultures; the spectacular circular mosaic in the store’s entryway drawing upon African cosmology, using small lights to chart the constellation of stars visible in the Amsterdam sky on the day Daily Paper was established.
GREAT RETAIL DESIGN IS A NATURAL EXTENSION OF THE BRAND
With a mindset that “stores can’t only be retail spaces”, the NY-based retail store is designed to be a space that promotes community, creativity and collaboration. The ground floor display fixtures, coupled with bright white lights; all elements arranged to appear like a museum. Unique decorations throughout the interior utilise found materials, such as a map of the U.S. made up of old NY Times newspapers. The sense of community is strengthened with the addition of a coffee lounge on the first floor and a relaxed rooftop area. These communal areas present an opportunity for the previously Amsterdam-based brand to invite visitors in and learn from the locals, whilst guests are encouraged to meet other like-minded people.
After stripping the interior of the building, Daily Paper used many upcycled or recycled materials to decorate the retail space; including a map made of old NY Times newspapers.
The Daily Paper brandmark appears throughout the store and reinforces the brand’s fusion of the contemporary and the ancient. Inspired by its founders’ African origins, the logo is a modern interpretation of a Maasai shield. As co-founder Hussein Suleiman explains, the shield is a symbol containing a multitude of meanings; it is representative of both art and a utilitarian object, of protecting what you love no matter the cost, the founders’ African heritage and a philosophy of being a modern nomad in a world of scarce resources.
The Daily Paper brand message is inspired by Afrofuturism, the movement of African people throughout history and the founders’ origins from Ghana, Morocco and Somalia.
The Daily Paper’s encouragement and cultivation of community takes retail space design to a new level. Through unrivalled storytelling and a compelling brand purpose, the Daily Paper’s NY store presents an inspiring example of innovation in the brick-and-mortar retail space.
THE FUTURE OF RETAIL REPORT
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