Oakley London Flagship Store Sneak Peek
are finally re-opening their London flagship store, with a stunning fitout that includes a 12ft tall, 800lb metallic angel, a Custom Lab, 3D experience, etching machine and an amazing chandelier made from 4000 paris of Frogskin sunglasses! We ducked into the West End showpiece for a look before the gala April 15th opening night… have a squiz below!
FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif., April 4th, 2011 - Oakley, Inc. today announced the grand reopening of its O Store® in London, England located in the Covent Garden district. Completely redesigned to enhance the consumer's Oakley experience and present the brand's increasing product technologies, the retail outlet features some of the most intriguing visual creations ever conceived by a company renowned for the art of innovation.
"One of our core design philosophies is ‘deliver the unexpected,' and the redesign of our London O Store takes it beyond the limits of uninspired minds," said Oakley CEO Colin Baden. "The idea of just piquing people's interest wasn't even on the drawing board. We wanted visitors astounded and awestruck. The end result is absolutely iconic. It's a destination in itself, ready for the tremendous influx of tourism expected over the next two years," Baden concluded.
A centerpiece of the redesigned store is a 12-foot tall, 800 lb metallic angel. Constructed with carbon fiber wings that span 25 feet, the sculpture is suspended from the ceiling of the open two-story space. With a sizeable portion of the English population putting faith in guardian angels, Oakley took the idea to the extreme with a quasi-android motif that demanded seven months of CAD/CAM prototyping and meticulous construction. Early design inspirations ranged from seagull wings to the landing gear of commercial aircraft.
Another stunning visual in the remodeled London O Store is a chandelier made of 4000 Oakley Frogskin sunglasses, the iconic 1980's eyewear design that defined a generation. Placed in the center stairway of the second floor, it features a massive light array of changing colors.
The retail location has a complete Oakley Custom lab where customers can design their own sunglasses and goggles, and an onsite etching machine is available for custom engraving. Oakley revolutionized 3D glasses with HDO-3DTM technologies, and the London O Store offers a 3D experience that showcases the company's 3D innovation. The store also includes a complete O Lab that utilizes lasers and impact rigs to educate customers on the unbeatable optical performance and impact protection of Oakley sunglasses.
O Stores provide a vital link between Oakley and its customers while augmenting the company's valued retail partnerships around the world. The outlets fuel all retail channels by educating customers and stoking excitement about Oakley innovation and style. Offering the most comprehensive selections of products, O Stores give customers a unique opportunity to preview new generations of the company's performance inventions, as all new breakthroughs receive their initial public exposure via the Oakley Store platform.
In the heart of London's West End, Covent Garden is a crown jewel of tourism. Famous for its shops, street performers, bars, restaurants, theaters and the Royal Opera House, the area is recognized as the capital's premier entertainment and leisure destination.
The redesigned Oakley Store in Covent Garden will celebrate its grand reopening on Friday 15th April with some of the brand's most successful and iconic athletes including cyclist Mark Cavendish, double Olympic gold sailing medallist Iain Percy and Britain's most successful professional snowboarder Jenny Jones.