The fashion world moves quickly and rewards adaptivity and flexibility. However, a sense of stability is also needed to garner brand recognition and confidence. This rings particularly true for a multi-brand retail outlet such as Above the Clouds, which seeks to attract big names to its range.
Based in Sydney’s Surry Hills since its conception, the outfit has moved between small spaces that struggled to keep up with its owners’ ambitions. The owners wanted to create a destination where people could discover the variety of brands in stock. They also wanted a space that could grow and evolve as they did – one that would inspire events and foster collaborations with local designers. So when a larger space became available, the owners approached Pattern Studio to design a fitout that matched their aspirations.
Their brief asked for a refined space that could evolve as quickly as the 105-odd brands they stock. Above the Clouds co-owner Jean Paul says they have no fixed metric for which brands they take on – they have taken many risks and adopted a habit of saying yes more than not.
A sky-blue point of sale counter is a joyous counterpoint to the polished steel seen throughout the store.
Image:
Traianos Pakioufakis
This optimism translated to trust in Pattern Studio, who took this joyful and outgoing approach to business and made it physical. A collection of exuberant and carefully crafted objects sits against the simple white backdrop of the tenancy. Bespoke metal display bars hang on thin bars throughout the store’s two storeys. Among them sit bright stacks of pale timbers that form long benches and desks. These two core elements can be rearranged as needed.
Bright islands of furniture dapple the spaces between hangers and seats. They are exuberant custom pieces defined by primitive shapes and pastel colour blocking. Each piece provides an anchor for browsing and gives point-of-sale functionality. Uniquely assembled shelving acts as a backdrop to help define each area. Downstairs, eyewear is displayed within fine metal boxes, while green-stained timber delicately hovers on steel bars to present colourful accessories. Upstairs, folded-plate shelves frame one space – while the final room, deepest within the store, is illuminated by a grand sneaker wall.
The sneaker wall is conceived as a reverent shrine. The immense wall spans eight metres and glows softly, showcasing the sneakers with a serene elegance.
Image:
Traianos Pakioufakis
This sneaker feature wall, often the street-facing drawcard of multi-brand stores, is hidden away at Above the Clouds. The green-stained timber reappears here, held in mid-air by shining acrylic. More of a destination than a flashcard, customers repeatedly return to explore the ever-shifting product range.
At first, these elements seem eclectic and spontaneous within the fan-shaped tenancy. The underlying intentionality becomes clear, though, as visitors are guided through the store – and between brands and styles. The fitout offers clues to where things are, where to browse and where to try things on.
The change rooms themselves, at once luxurious and temporary, highlight the key question that this store answers: how do you create spaces that embody the quality and permanence required to attract discerning customers and brands – but can also adapt to pop-up shows, changing layouts and weekly brand rotations?
Downstairs, eyewear is displayed on butter yellow circles that are themselves set in metal boxes.
Image:
Traianos Pakioufakis
The beauty of this design is in the way it holds both temporary and permanent qualities. Each piece within the store can be described equally well by transient words (like leaning, draped, or balanced) and rigid words (like heavy, grounded, or bolstered). Hanging systems that merely clip together rest with joints so refined they seem welded in place. Benches of stacked timber seem tenuously balanced yet are strapped with metal bands that convey heft. Canvas curtains loosely loop around scaffolding props but reveal bespoke hangers and backlight mirrors fixed to fabric walls within. In other words, every element Pattern Studio has installed in this space feels casual yet enduring, relaxed yet refined.
Above the Clouds embodies the joy of the brand and the richness of its offering. It has the standing and permanence of a high street retail icon, yet it retains the freedom to create its own unique future. The cleverness and quality of the fitout has given the store owners a space in which to succeed and innovate.
