Introducing the AETHER Outpost

We have officially opened our fifth retail store in the US, the AETHERoutpost, located at 1082 Madison Ave (between 81st and 82nd streets). The 1,000-square-foot store is a temporary space that will be open through January 31 and is our second AETHER location in Manhattan (the other is located at 13 Crosby Street in Soho).

We have once again teamed up with Paris-based designer Thierry Gaugain to create unique displays that are both aesthetically beautiful and easily movable. This traveling and packable retail concept came to us as a response to the currently troubled state of the retail scene. We decided to capitalize on the plethora of prime retail spaces available with this mobile store, further building brand awareness with a pop-up concept that stays true to the brand's thoughtful, minimalist aesthetic.

Together with Gaugain, we created six custom flight cases that display the product on both shelves and faceouts and were designed to be packed up and shipped around the world. Each case has a ring of LED lights on the inside and an adjustable center track for moving the shelves and rods. One of the flight cases transforms into two tables which can be used around the store as a cash wrap or for clothing displays—the same case holds two full-length mirrors. We also worked with Neal Feay in Santa Barbara to come up with textured aluminum T-stands, and Gaugain created a balance rack using one piece of wood and two twisted aluminum legs to form a visually stunning way to showcase the collections.

The Upper East Side is the first location for the AETHERoutpost concept, after which it will be packed up and move on to the next destination.