forte_forte new boutique in Paris, a store for the desire

Description of project by forte_forte

Each eye, a path. Emotional, timeless classicism, sculpted by hands and feelings. The space is conceived as a story told through materials that define atmospheres and sensations. As in a saga, the narration initiated with the milan boutique continues: the spirit is the same, the interpretation absorbs and shapes the genius loci.

The space, positioned slightly below street level, is delicate and welcoming, feminine yet strong. Doing more with less amplifies the emotional outcome of the project, curated by robert vattilana and giada forte. The narration starts from the sculptural staircase that functions as a threshold, a display, a seat and a support. A monolithic step made of pink onyx touches the floor, disclosing the storytelling. The space is permeated by the lyrical warmth of the imperfect human touch, which is always palpable in the treatments and finishes.

The feel of the hand–made gives everything presence and character. The balance of contrasting elements defines a harmony full of surprises, in which delicacy and assertiveness fade into one another.

Granite takes the leading role: on the floors, on the boiserie and in the furnishing elements. It is granite crossed with luminescent traces of quartz and with brass insertions, or laid in geometric patterns that warm up and morph the stone’s masculine solidity. Pink onyx is a feminine and precious presence that punctuates the spatial discourse: a small table, a part of the cash desk, the entrance step.

The harmony of lines and curves, of gray and pink, of white and metal is a defining character. A curved wall covered with gold leaf hides and contains the warehouse area; the welcoming dressing rooms are closed by frosted brass hinged doors. Sofas and vases add a homely touch; plants are a presence that further enriches the layering of textures. Mirror triptychs, white full–length linen curtains, chandeliers wrapped around columns add further nuance. A solitary and abstract figurative presence is an emotional sculpture by franco–israeli artist achiam: it depicts the sinuous silhouette of a seated woman.

Brass is the calligraphic signature that harmonizes the story. Akin to a light freehand sign drawn in space, it defines the display elements, the shape of the mirrors, the portholes and the silhouette of the dressing rooms, the suspended shelf of the display cabinet.

The juxtaposition of materials is a play of light and density: the transparent impalpability of the curtains, behind which lightboxes create lantern effects, alternates with the voluptuous density of the capitonné velvet of the dressing rooms, the serenity of the granite with the metallic warmth of the brass and the firm delicacy of onyx. Ancient stones collected during a journey, small jade stones and an afghan stone stalactite look molded by time. The leather seats – light–colored and perforated like old gloves, studded like an ashlar – are an assertively classic presence.

The space mixes tangible echoes, from a touch of bauhaus time to jean prouvé and carlo scarpa, transforming them into suggestions and hints. One feels like entering a dreamy non–place, in which the known and the familiar obey a non–prescriptive logic. The point of view becomes a point of departure.