Comfort, Cool and Sophistication are Fore-most at
New Massimo Bizzocchi
Boutique
A Design team inspired by a unique setting and a rare “Force of Personality”
NEW YORK - The gritty-chic setting of the city’s Meat Packing District, the personality of owner Massimo Bizzocchi, and the artisanal products on display and for sale were all inspirational forces in the design of the new Massimo Bizzocchi store at 433 West 14th Street.
The store, which officially opens May 1, was a collaborative effort by a few very talented designers, fabricators and builders, according to Bizzocchi. “I’m very pleased with the result,” Bizzocchi says. “It’s a designed setting that’s distinctive without being overwhelming. Our team understood from the start that we place a premium on showing the merchandise which we believe is unique.”
In an era when store build-outs can last more than a year and costs can be prohibitive, the team proceeded expeditiously through planning, design, fabrication, build-out and opening. Bizzocchi retained interior designer Libby Langdon of New York and Sag Harbor and the Baltimore-based design and fabrication house of Gutierrez Studios.
“The Massimo Bizzocchi store is an exciting place because the Meat Packing District is the hottest retail corridor in the country,” Langdon says. “And because Massimo’s passion for what he does is contagious.
As the design team began work on the 20x100 foot space, they actually discovered cork insulation behind walls, confirming that the space - true to its neighborhood roots - had originally served as a meat locker.
“We have a sense of where we are,” Gutierrez says. “We wanted to capture a sense of the work that has defined the Meat Packing District without being clichéd.” Says Langdon: “It wasn’t about making the design so incredible or so precious. We want to make the customers feel comfortable and welcome and say, ‘What great clothes. What great taste. What great items.’” John Gutierrez, principal of Gutierrez Studios, was a quick study. A design and fabrication specialist, he and Bizzocchi met last fall to see if Gutierrez could not only execute Bizzocchi’s vision but refine it further.
“We wanted to create an environment that was not too warm and not too cool,” Gutierrez says. “The goal is to show the unique and original products.
“Given the fit and finish of their clothing and sportswear lines, we needed to put forward something that was original and practical that would let the clothing be the primary element. So what we designed is important and beautiful but secondary and sometimes tertiary. You want the customer to forget that they’re there and think the products just float.”
Taking the lead from Bizzocchi, and collaborating with Langdon to develop a color palette and an overall sensibility, Gutierrez used a combination of lighter wood finishes and matte-finished metals. He and his team of more than a dozen artisans then applied old-world techniques to render them simply and cleanly. The result is that shoppers will have a clear view through the 2,000-square-foot emporium, able to take in a total fashion lifestyle statement in a few moments. The wood component is a blond bird’s eye maple veneer. Flat and contoured display tables have a laminated edge grain. Theater-style track lighting with ceramic metal halide lights are used. The floor is the original concrete slab, diamond polished to create a terrazzo finish with zinc terrazzo strips in the seams. “We took the fixtures and married them to the space,” Gutierrez says. “Before the clothes went in, it was just an interesting space. Their products are super-refined detailed clothing and really considered in their design.
“In that situation, if you put something rustic around it, it has to have the right kind of soul. We wanted some craft in the setting without being crafty. “In the end, I think we were able to strike a balance and to capture Massimo’s vision.”
The store hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 12:30 to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Phone number is 212-675-4055.
For further information, please call: Dan Wolman at 917-553-6746