When The Conran Shop’s historic store in Michelin House closed in February this year, it left a hole on the Fulham Road and in the hearts of many design fans. Luckily, we don’t have to wait long for the brand to return to Chelsea – its new Sloane Square site is set to open in September. And, ahead of the doors opening, the historic design brand has revealed its new visual identity.
Created by design studio Pentagram, the rethink of The Conran Shop’s aesthetic is much more than a new logo (the newly pared-back T C S. that, it is hoped will aid brand identity in the many new markets that the brand is breaking into – Japan, Korea, Asia and, soon, the Middle East). In fact, a whole new typeface has been painstakingly created. It’s a move that shows the kind of attention to detail that The Conran Shop’s founder, the late Sir Terence Conran, would surely have appreciated.
‘Sir Terence Conran and his legacy have been the biggest source of inspiration for us,’ explains Sascha Lobe, partner at Pentagram. ‘Many years ago, whenever we visited London as tourists, The Conran Shop was a must-visit stop. Then, later, during the Bauhaus centennial, our personal experience of meeting Sir Conran and seeing his relentless passion for design up-close was truly invigorating. We had a genuine conversation on his legacy – how he sought for the new, how he curated and selected. For us it was clear that the new brand identity should reflect this notion.’
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This year, The Conran Shop celebrates its landmark 50th anniversary. A lot has changed. But also, many things remain the same. ‘The Conran Shop is undoubtedly the authority in design and modernism and, unequivocally, that has been the case since the 1970s,’ says branding strategist and creative director Kimberly Lloyd.
For now, The Conran Shop’s new logo is most prominently displayed on the façade of its soon to be opened London flagship. For those eager to take a peek inside, we are told that the townhouse-style layout, with curated room sets arranged across three floors, promises to represent, better than ever, The Conran Shop way of living. Plus, adds CEO Peter Jenkins, ‘it’s on the same road where Sir Terence lived in the late 2000s and early 2010s’. A fresh start and, fittingly, also a coming home. conranshop.co.uk
