A CLOSER LOOK AT THE LUNAR ARCHITECTURE OF THE JOHN LOBB STORE
From Paris to New York and Los Angeles, by way of Tokyo, Lobb boasts 19 stores worldwide. It all began in 1851, the year the company was founded, when its founder walked from his native Cornwall to London, where he began his career as a shoemaker . He then traveled to Australia during the Gold Rush, where he created a shoe with a hollow heel , designed to allow miners to hide gold nuggets inside. Upon returning to his homeland, he became the official shoemaker to the Prince of Wales.
A century later, Hermès acquired the brand. Since June 1, 2021 , the Lobb fashion house has had a boutique on Rue François-1er in Paris's 8th arrondissement . The architectural collective Ciguë was entrusted with the design of the store's three spaces: ready-to-wear , made-to-order, and bespoke. The bespoke creations are made in the Parisian workshop on Rue de Mogador. The 100-square-meter space has a lunar feel; the boutique is adorned with plaster walls and shelves, and circular shelves of white enameled lava, a central capsule in walnut and steel, and illuminated recesses in the ceilings give the space its unique character. One could almost live there, as it resembles a Parisian apartment: a large Azul Bahia bluestone table sits on a beige carpet and echoes the cream felted wool curtains. The midnight blue velvet upholstery warms the room while evoking the cosmogonic feel the architects intended. The lighting, the white and beige tones, and the touches of silver and gold recall the colors of that beloved night sky. The table, crafted from gilded brass and solid walnut, contrasts with the blues and whites of the room. The boutique-workshop becomes a timeless space, as if from another galaxy, leaving one feeling transcendent.
John Lobb Shop
51, rue François-1er , Paris 1er
