Victoria Quarter is Leeds' upmarket shopping destination, known for being the premium retail go-to in the North of England. Bringing together brands such as Ted Baker, Vivienne Westwood, Karen Millen, French Connection, Diesel, Space NK, Hobbs, All Saints and Jigsaw, the location was also home to the first Harvey Nichols store outside London.
Built around 1900, Victoria Quarter was originally designed by architect Frank Matcham using rich marbles, gilded mosaics, cast and wrought iron, as well as carved and polished mahogany, to create two streets, two arcades and Harvey Nichols.
A much more recent addition to the premium retail destination area in Leeds is the expansion of Victoria Quarter, Victoria Gate.
Victoria Gate is the new home to the largest John Lewis department store outside London and a range of luxury and designer brands, including 17 that are new to Leeds including Anthropology, COS, Tommy Hilfiger and T2. The design of this £165 million development is based on the Victorian arcades of Victoria Quarter for which Leeds is renowned. The opening of Victoria Gate on 20th October 2016 means Leeds jumps up to the third largest shopping destination in the UK outside London.
The use of materials and colour in these retail destinations provide me with inspiration for the Bond Street Brand Directory publication. They clearly showcase how materials and design decisions can be selected to create a perception of luxury, class and wealth. The black and gold signage that runs cohesively from one destination to the other establishes a classic luxury aesthetic through the drama, distinction and ostentation that the combination creates, whilst supporting materials further enhance the splendour of the space. Luxury is created through the finer attention to detail, which must be considered to produce something truly dignified.
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