Paul Lewis Design

River Island

Case Studies

Background

River Island has been reinventing itself for years – ever since it started life as Lewis Separates in the 1950s. And when its recent design format started to feel dated, they turned to PLD.

Challenge

The brief was simple: to create the most exciting fashion retail environment in the UK. One that would appeal to its core audience of young men and women intent on working hard, playing hard and looking great while they did it.

Solution

Working alongside River Island’s small internal creative team and their longstanding store design partners, we developed what has since been acknowledged as one of the great retail hits of the decade. Our key ideas included developing super-sized in-store graphics, striking window concepts, modernist and retro props, adventurous surface materials such as quirky wallpapers and tiles, brand photography and brochures.

Results

The results were superb, with increased turnover, greater brand visibility and a clutch of major industry awards including the Drapers Record “Best Fashion Retailer of the Year”.