Manolo Blahnik Opens New Display Space In Selfridges

Luxury women’s shoe brand Manolo Blahnik has opened a new dedicated boutique inside of Selfridges, according to reports.

The 560 square-foot space in the London department store will offer some of the iconic footwear brand’s most classic styles, and have modern looking furniture in bright purple, yellow and turquoise colors.

“We developed a concept of crafted minimalism inspired by Manolo Blahnik’s love of the French designer Jean-Michel Frank,” said architect Nick Leith-Smith, a longtime collaborator. “Our intention was to deliberately pare back the design to focus on simple forms and exquisite materials. We wanted the space to evoke that of a serene and contemplative living room space.”

Blahnik said that living room aesthetic is what he’s striving for.

“I saw it as a young man and decided it was one of the most beautiful rooms I had ever seen. I still do,” the designer said.

The brand has been expanding more into retail lately, and has opened spaces Paris, Singapore and Geneva.

The move is similar to a recent announcement by Macy’s that it’s launching a new themed shop called Story At Macy’s. It was launched on April 10 and it boasts 400 unique items on display.

“When you think about department stores in general, they’re very much about intent, a consumer going to the store for a specific thing,” Macy’s Brand Experience Officer Rachel Shechtman told Fortune. “This is where you find what you weren’t looking for, but what you wanted.”

The first theme, which lasts until late June, is color. Fortune got a sneak peek at the 1,200-square-foot Story At Macy’s in Short Hills, New Jersey.

Shechtman explained the retailer wants Story At Macy’s to be an “evergreen gifting destination,” with current products including a bicycle repair kit in a bright red metallic box, a sneaker cleaning kit, Levi’s denim jackets kids can personalize, Crayola socks, reusable straws and individual palettes by MAC, which had previously only been sold to professionals.

The rotating inventory of products aims to entice shoppers to stop in often to see what’s on display and make a purchase, as the items they like might not be available on their next visit.

“Brick-and-mortar retail can no longer just be transactional,” explained Macy’s CEO Jeff Gennette. “We need to increase ‘experience’ and, with that, frequency of shopper visits.”