Tucked in an intimate corner space of the Mandarin Gallery, local fashion label Beyond The Vines‘s store has been given an elegant redesign.
Inside, the space feels intimate, dainty and almost meditative, much like a powder room (of an expensive hotel suite). Outside, the open-backed glass façade intentionally renders the store’s well curated layout and contemporary aesthetic open to the public—almost to tease.
The plush powder-pink backdrop, the bespoke brass clothing rails with individual nests of grainy white pebbles at its foot are simply genius, and the botanical installations by local artist Charles Loh (known for his enchanting terrariums) suspended on both sides of the store’s glass exterior, reflects a brand that is self-assured in its branding.
In an age where minimalism has become the go-to Zeitgeist, what Beyond The Vines has achieved in the genre of minimalistic branding feels very much authentic.
In a brief conversation with co-founder Daniel Chew, it became apparent that there is an alchemic approach in the creative process of BTV. The team is fervent about going beyond the vine (a slang for clothing) to create newness in their brand experiences—one informed by other creative worlds such as art, interior design, landscaping and botany.
The collaboration with Charles Loh is an obvious example of how new language is added to BTV’s story telling. The use of dry and fresh leaves in the installations are a metaphor for the dichotomy within the collection: functional in design but yet fashion forward in taste. In similar vein, one could also view their store as a terrarium: a glass container pregnant with a palpable sense of grace and elegance—and oh-so-true to the brand’s identity.
Shop the collection and experience the store for yourself at Mandarin Gallery, 333 Orchard Road, #02 – 21.
By James Lennon Chuang
