It feels almost disrespectful (and inaccurate) to call Yu Mei’s new retail space merely a ‘shop’. Located in Newmarket, the luxury leather accessory brand opened its inviting, Knight Associates-designed brick-and-mortar lounge to pave the way for a new kind of shopping experience — one that also acts as a place to host Yu Mei’s community, and to channel the brand’s sensibility, holistically.
This is beautifully achieved through furniture, objects and even appliances that are in keeping with its wider principles of refinement, comfort and ease, and enduring emphasis on considered materials. New-season bags are displayed at the entrance portion of the space, while through glass doors is a gallery space housing a display of contemporary artworks and shoppable past-season styles.
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The residential-like feeling is solidified by timeless pieces like a Mario Bellini Camaleonda sofa and Frank O. Gehry Wiggle Side Chairs, both from Matisse, Nonn’s Journal coffee table by Cameron Foggo, from Simon James, and large, natural-fibre Nodi rugs adorning the floors.
A lounge area at the rear of the sizeable space is well-appointed too, housing a kitchen with brand new Fisher & Paykel appliances — all-in-all, creating a destination to return to for far more than just the beautiful accessories sold within.
