Country Road’s newest store features some unusual design elements for a luxury fashion brand.
Throughout the flagship, which opened in Chadstone shopping centre on Thursday, are old yoghurt containers, fishing nets and recycled paper – though not in any form you would recognise.
The items have been upcycled into carpet, wall cladding and fixtures, and are helping to reduce the store’s environmental impact. According to Country Road, the store is the first fashion retail store to receive a 5 Star Green Star Design Review Rating from the Green Building Council of Australia.
This follows the launch of Country Road Group’s state-of-the-art warehouse facility in Victoria, which also received a 5 Star Green Star rating, in 2015, and the introduction of sustainable fashion ranges, including traceable merino wool, jeans made from recycled denim and swimwear made from recycled nylon, in recent years, which are all part of the fashion brand’s aim to become a leader in sustainability in Australia and overseas.
“Our Chadstone flagship revolutionises the retail experience, maintaining our commitment to quality while demonstrating our connection to the environment,” said Country Road managing director Elle Roseby in a statement.
“It shows that sustainability in fashion extends into retail store fit-outs, as well as garment production.”
Alongside the yoghurt containers, fishing nets and recycled paper, the new store’s fixtures include Australian parquetry flooring recycled from old buildings, fitting room hooks revitalised from ocean plastic and store fixtures and tables crafted from recycled plastic.
Country Road’s store design team worked with London-based retail design experts, HMKM, on the project, which took over a year to complete. Together, they carefully considered the benefit of each and every material used, and worked with many local and international suppliers.
The brand is planning to open more 5 Star Green stores around Australia in future, replicating the design features and materials of the Chadstone flagship.
To mark the launch, the store is hosting a pop-up exhibit, Country Road Sustainable Design Hub, from August 15-18, which will provide an immersive and education take on the recycled elements featured in the store.
