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Elevated Elegance – Viktoria & Woods’ Armadale Store
Australian fashion label Viktoria & Woods’ reimagined Armadale flagship store provides a sophisticated backdrop to the brand’s elevated offerings.
Australian fashion label Viktoria & Woods will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2024. It seemed an auspicious time to reimagine its flagship store in Melbourne’s Armadale, and the brand collaborated again with interior designer Annabel Kerr, who has already created four Viktoria & Woods stores. Her brief was to create a “sophisticated and feminine look and feel to align with the high-end nature of the locale,” says the brand’s founder and creative director, Margie Woods.
Viktoria & Woods is celebrated for its pared-back design and a deep consideration of sustainability, an ethos that has been beautifully translated in the Armadale store, both through the subtle aesthetic and the reuse of existing forms. “We approach every site in the same way,” says Margie. “And that is to hero the bones of the building as best we can. In this case, we retained both sets of stairs, the existing skylights and the concrete flooring. We then brought the space back to its original shell and opened it up to hero the volumes.”
Soft, neutral hues in a variety of subtle, textural finishes act as a clean canvas for the label’s effortless wardrobe staples, which encompass premium denim, tailoring, outerwear and lounge and occasion wear. “I think there is restraint in a neutral palette, allowing the product to be the hero,” interior designer Annabel says. A curated collection of furniture, lighting, objects and art, many by long-term collaborators of the brand, elevates the space. “It is important that Australian artisans are celebrated within Viktoria & Woods boutiques to reflect our heritage and ethos,” Margie adds.
Stand-out pieces include a bespoke display table by Melbourne artisan Zachary Frankel, a custom ceramic vessel by Elena Strohfeldt and glass and metal artist Anna Charlesworth’s Canoe Wall Light.
Stand-outs include a bespoke display table by Melbourne artisan Zachary Frankel, a custom ceramic vessel by Elena Strohfeldt and glass and metal artist Anna Charlesworth’s Canoe Wall Light. These artisanal pieces are complemented by luxury furnishings – plush Tulla Armchairs from MCM House, a low-slung Molly Coffee Table from Jardan and the fluid sculptural Claude Lounge from Merci Maison. Rugs and carpets from Hali Rugs ground the space.
Vintage pieces – including a Pierre Paulin for Artifort’s classic 1965 Tulip swivel armchair –also star. “Sustainability is a key pillar of the V&W ethos,” says Annabel. “In specifying vintage pieces, we celebrate circularity as well as enduring designs.” Modern artworks provide an interesting contrast and include The Deep End, a large abstract piece by Sydney’s Sara Mugnes, and Danica Firulovic’s serene, small-scale White Squares.
“Sustainability is a key pillar of the V&W ethos. In specifying vintage pieces, we celebrate circularity as well as enduring designs.”
This newest flagship – located at 1040 High Street, Armadale – perfectly embodies Viktoria & Woods’ 20th anniversary theme, “Reflections of Light”.
“The theme [of 20th year] pays homage to our most enduring muse: the Australian landscape,” says Margie. “Much like the eternally evolving terrain that has long inspired us and the planet we’re ever mindful of protecting, light has been our source of creativity, vitality and expansion.”
