All Insights

News, press coverage and other thoughts.

Gucci Cosmos @ 180 Studios: How to Make an Exhibition Feel ‘Luxury’

In recent years, the world’s top brands have made brand exhibitions their go-to when seeking to create deeper connections with consumers. Gucci Cosmos, fresh from Shanghai, is an immersive dive into the 102-year history of the brand. Designed by the legendary Es Devlin, known for multi-disciplinary stage and set designs, the exhibition feels special. It’s... Read more »

The changing face of luxury retail: freedom, customer-centricity and no more queuing

Luxury retail strategies see brands continue to refocus their priorities on evolving customer expectations to stay in favour. There have also been some significant statistical shifts in the luxury market – Gen-Z are the fastest growing consumer group, and at least 1/3 of all luxury purchases are now made online. The old paradigm, (including queueing outside... Read more »

News Opinion Trend

Iris the Restaurant: a Case Study in Destination Dining

In the middle of the stunning Handangerfjord in Norway, new restaurant ‘Iris’ has opened, claiming a unique gastronomic and educational experience. Housed in the futuristic ‘floating art installation’, ‘Salmon eye’ – part aqua-culture centre, part charitable foundation, Iris is not your standard eatery. With the rise of destination dining, (or ‘expedition dining’, as Iris refers... Read more »

Why luxury beach club takeovers were THE retail trend of the summer

Linen, rattan, social media’s obsession with aesthetics and curated identities collided with luxury fashions exponential quest for authentic experience to create THE definitive retail trend of the summer: beach club takeovers. Top influencers social media feeds have been transformed to visions of la dolce-vita inspired bliss. (Credit: @kyliejenner, @haileybaldwin and @wolfiecindy on instagram) Tomato-girl summer... Read more »

We Need to Talk About CGI Marketing Campaigns…

CGI marketing content has evolved – aiming for a striking level of realism, and imitative of organic content (for example, made to look as if shot on an iPhone). Often quirky, playful, and engineered for virality, these CGI marketing campaigns have made waves on social media. But does it matter if they’re ‘real’ or not?... Read more »

The Barbie Movie is a Lesson in the Power of 360° marketing & World Building.

Is Barbie an unlikely sell for a 2023 audience? Some might think so, considering the feminist and renewed values of the plot and screenplay aren’t obvious through the Barbie movie marketing strategy or casting choices. Nostalgic revivals can be risky, as they could risk reinvigorating outdated values with them. After all, Barbie’s world centers around... Read more »

3D Printing in Retail & it’s Unique Aesthetic

3D printing has been an exciting technology for the design landscape with its wide-ranging capabilities and applications. From whole bridges to individual components, 3D printing has unique selling points with the potential to revolutionise product lifecycles, particularly when applied to 3D printing in retail. A process that often goes hand in hand with environmentalism, the... Read more »

Why Hospitality Loves Retro-Nostalgia

Nostalgic design, retro interiors and their sun-soaked pastel charms have remained increasingly popular in the hospitality industry and beyond. Today, the version we often see is a mashup of various design styles from the 20th century, creating a unique, eclectic blend that appeals to our collective cultural memory. We take a look at where these... Read more »

Breaking the Mold of Dubai Interior Design: Myriam K Salon

Myriam K, a Parisian-born, female-owned hair salon, approached Formroom to design their new salon location in the heart of Dubai. The aim was to create a space that catered to the demanding and fashion-forward clientele of Dubai while breaking away from the traditional salon Dubai interior design styles commonly found in the city. Understanding the... Read more »

Are Retail Interiors Ready to Catch Up With “Quiet Luxury”?

Its 2023’s latest style buzzword and Vogue has crowned it the “trend of the year,“ – “quiet luxury” is EVERYWHERE. Searches for “quiet luxury,” “old money aesthetic,” and “stealth wealth” have skyrocketed, with a increase of up to 568% over the past year alone. Tiktok and Instagram feeds are showcasing quiet luxury outfit inspo, with... Read more »

15 Minutes With: Waugh Thistleton Architects (Sustainability 3/5)

(Image credit: Waugh Thistleton Architects) We were overjoyed to interview Dave Lomax, Associate Director at Waugh Thistleton Architects (WTA), a London based practice renowned for their pioneering use of timber in large-scale buildings. Large-scale timber buildings provide sustainable benefits by storing large amounts of carbon, reducing energy consumption, and promoting renewable resources. With a focus... Read more »

15 Minutes With: Marshall Blecher (Sustainability 2/5)

For the second installment of our sustainability series, we had the pleasure of chatting to award winning architect and co-founder of Danish maritime architecture studio, 'MAST', Marshall Blecher.