Living in the UAE is definitely something that needs to be celebrated, and UAE National Day which happens on December 2nd is the perfect day to do it. It is a day to appreciate the great nation that we live in and that has provided us with safety and opportunities, as it is the land of all!
As retailers, we need to consider this special occasion and integrate it to the visual merchandising strategy of all brands in the UAE. At Albex, this year we worked with Majid Al Futtaim to bring this celebration into reality for two of their concept stores, Something Like That at Mirdif City Centre and at Mall of the Emirates, which are part of our fit-out project’s portfolio as well. For this special date, we added the national colors – black, red, green and white – in a way that aligns with the concept of the brand, being it unexpected, abstract and urban.
For the store at Mirdif City Centre, we created a chandelier using ribbons in the mentioned colors, but it had to be special, reason why we changed the structure of the traditional chandelier and made it into a geometrical shape that aligns with the brand guidelines of Something Like That.
For the shop at Mall of the Emirates we worked on the following:
- A geometrical structure using yarn that adds perspective to the front view of the shop on its different levels.
- Rails in funny shapes that look sophisticated while adding a fun touch!
- Lights at the entrance of the store on a pilar that is 9m high which needed extra support at the bottom to guarantee safety
- A ceiling area covered with crossed ribbons which adds dimension
- A giant banner covering three floors
As in any other project, there were a few challenges like the timeline, since everything needed to be completed in one night. Also, as much as we can plan, once we are on site there will always be something that will need to be adjusted and this time was no exception. For example, working in areas that are too high is always challenging, but with the right team it is possible.
We love fit-out projects and working with this client is always amazing since their concept allows us to experiment with unexpected materials and to come up with creative solutions and high-quality execution. Visit their stores and let us know what you think about this installation! Don’t forget that you can contact us to implement any concept in your store!
