In the heart of Parisian denim country, on the Rue Pierre Lescot, is the new Levi’s Women store. Design consultancy Checkland Kindleysides’ creation spreads over two storeys and aims at
a more mature customer than the traditional Levi’s-clad teen, according to the designers.

The proposition employs pared down oak cupboards and drawers, with the stock piled high on the available surfaces, allowing the garments to take centre stage on the colour-neutral blank canvas. Lines are left clean and simple, free from fuss, mimicking period domestic interiors.

Overall, the effect is uncomplicated with the cupboards and drawers appearing to be fashioned from old furniture, in a nod to the current vogue for recycling. A visual contrast is provided by the exposed brickwork and the minimal palette is reinforced with the use of steel and glass to form the
mezzanine level.

High ceilings and basic lighting combine to keep the shop bright, airy and clean – a move away from Levi’s grunge-led associations. The grey shopfront continues the in-store theme, with an understatement that allows the stock in the windows to do the work.

Levi’s is one of those denim brands that seems to have been around for ever and to an extent it has. And during that time its stores have morphed in tune with the times on a very regular basis. However, this latest iteration probably has as much to do with its location in the Gallic capital as with any rough, tough Wild West sensibility. It is worth a visit nonetheless.

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