The trajectory of retail has once again shifted course. Where previously, physical retailers were racing to establish themselves online, now e-commerce sites are expanding into the physical world. Latest to join the trend is Everlane with a lovely permanent showroom inside of its open plan offices in San Francisco.
To design the showroom, Everlane tapped L.A.-based designers BROOK&LYN, who sought to bring the brand’s pared-down aesthetic into the design. “We used a neutral palette of grays and whites punctuated by natural tones to complement Everlane’s product lineup,” says Mimi Jung, who runs the design studio with her husband Brian Hurewitz.
The space doesn’t just reflect the brand aesthetically. Even the transparent, utilitarian ethos of the the company–which made a name for itself as one of the first companies to cut out the middle man and offer affordable, designer-quality clothing–is manifested in the design. “In the spirit of the brand, we didn’t just focus on colors and textures, but also on functionality and user experience,” Jung says. Smoked glass panels hanging from the coated steel racks mark the showroom off from the office without breaking up the space. And a fabric fitting room collapses into the wall when not in use.
The aesthetic reflects a broader trend for retailers who were born online and are now setting up physical shops. For those companies–Warby Parker, Blue Nile, Birchbox, and Indochino among them–minimalism was the aesthetic of choice when they decided to go brick and mortar. Which makes sense: by offering direct-to-consumer products, purchasable with a click, these companies were founded on a mission to filter out all of the messiness and difficulty that come with shopping for quality goods. Now their physical outposts are carrying on the tradition.
As for Everlane’s next steps in offline expansion? The company says while it doesn’t yet have concrete plans to open up brick-and-mortar stores, they will be incorporating a smaller showroom into their new New York offices.
All Photos: courtesy Everlane
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