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Exploring the wonder years

By Elke Moebius | Vjmedia Works | February 26, 2015

Located in Bangalore, Wonder Years from Arvind woos its younger audience in space that spells the joy of childhood.

Living in a world dictated by the adults, kids are ecstatic to anything that caters to their imagination and their world of exploration. And catering to the little ones, Arvind decided to club all their kids wear brands and bring it under a single roof.

With an imaginative world of their own, kids are drawn to fantasies like a moth to the flame. Animations, toys, cartoons and stories are all a part of their fantasy world. Brimming with curiosity, a child's imagination goes beyond the ordinary. It is a world of exploration. This thought was chosen as the theme to design Wonder Years and the concept of'Wonder Of Exploration' livens up the store.

The store feel is an eclectic mix of a language, communicative to kids and the soul of Arvind Brands. Restore Solutions, the design firm behind Wonder Years, observed a pattern running through most Arvind brands which included the use of an American route to convey their idea of style. Hence, the design team decided that the store identity would come across through popular American symbols of stars and stripes and the theme would be dominated by elements representing the idea of exploration - much like in a child's mind. The niche style of Arvind Brands blends with a fusion of an animated'kiddish' mood.

The design outcome is very global in nature and can prove chic in any part of the world. The colour palette itself is enough proof expressing the global nature of the store. White and light wood dominate the aura of the store. While the treatment of the walls and wall displays exude a superior vibe. The toned down colour palette also serves as an apt canvas for the merchandise colours to express their vibrancy.

The store concept adopts an open façade as the format is designed for malls. It also portrays a very inviting entrance for its customers and opens all its cards at the storefront itself. For kids, this idea is more convenient as there is no break in their movement. The American flag colours red and blue lead the plethora of props on display and constitute the identity colours.'Wonder Years' spelled out in 3D letters employs a casual font implying the nature of the store. The letters as if dancing, connect with the target audience as well. The same language continues inside with the words'Wonder of Exploration' and hereby begins the adventure.

Wooden blocks of letters stack up to emphasise the idea of a kids' store. They have a multipurpose function and can be used as displays, props and even seating elements. Planes, boats, cars, trucks, bikes, globes and other props reminiscent of travel and exploration float through the space. Planes suspended from the ceiling draw eyes upwards hence taking the focus to the graphic ceiling. The ceiling is done up in grayscale to avoid loss of focus from the merchandise, yet it forms a strong continuing element for the theme of exploration. It builds on the idea of travel and represents it with fine animation. The flooring layout is a clear indication of the movement pattern. Clear division of zones is marked with the white and wooden flooring. The displays - nesting tables and walls- are anthropometrically sensitive to the target consumer and hence the low-height tables and wall display stand way below the usual.

On the subject of consumer sensitive design, the display shelves and racks have rounded edges for safety. Large full size mirrors help aid basic trial of clothes

The design vocabulary continues inwards to the trial rooms as well. The signature colours blue and red liven up the space through the curtains. A playful nature is accentuated with little cars as hooks inside the trial rooms. And the theme of exploration continues in this space with custom crafted lampshades. The alphabet blocks from the store manifest as seating spaces in here.

Wonder Years cleverly brings out the persona of Arvind, topped with the cheerful spirit of children. Indeed, the store and its elements take us back in time to the most fun-filled and happy childhood days. Wonder years truly!

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