Kick Pleat

Kick Pleat is a clothing, shoes and accessories boutique in Austin, Texas. The owner asked Chioco Design to put her brand at the centre of the retail experience. Her fashion aesthetic is neutral, natural and subtle, and that brief shaped a materials palette of white stucco, white oak panelling, concrete tiles, blackened steel, marble, with copper and brass accents.

The site was an existing retail building, completely re-envisioned inside and out. New display windows draw the eye in from a busy intersection. The exterior finish is white stucco applied across smooth, medium and heavy textures, varying from plane to plane so the brand's restrained palette still reads with depth.

Inside, custom fixtures fabricated by local craftsmen lean against the perimeter walls, held in place by heavy, rough marble blocks. That contrast between rough stone and the refined plaster behind it is part of the language. The sales counter and jewellery displays are strong rectilinear marble volumes cantilevered from white oak bases. Shoe displays form their own presence as stepped, white-stucco surfaces that extend the adjacent walls.

Natural light was central to the design. Given the length of the existing building, the team introduced new windows and skylights to draw daylight as deep into the plan as possible, while keeping the lighting balanced to avoid glare.

Architect: Chioco Design. Photography: Lars Frazer.