Huge praise is owed to the late Naomi Leff of Naomi Leff & Associates. She was a formidable woman, but as with most formidable women I’ve known, I learned amazing things from her. It was an honor to work with her on this project.

Naomi was the first to call attention to the graphic communications work I was doing and encouraged me to pursue it further. Her advice changed my life. -K2

A|X Armani Exchange

Story by Kevin King :: Retail Presentation :: A|X Armani Exchange (in-house) :: 1991-1995
Role: comprehensive
Date: Fall 1992

This was a breakthrough role for me and was my first true experience in comprehensive design. I got to collaborate directly with industry leaders in fashion, retail, and interior design, gaining more real-world creative insight in a single meeting than one would find in a semester of college. I also had some awesome responsibilities, working on nearly every aspect of the project:

• Concept development
• Branding
• Fixture design and engineering
• Materials and finishes
• Lighting
• Sound systems
• Custom air fragrance development
• Music programming
• Packaging development and sourcing
• Equipment design (e.g., the hangers above)
• Staff training
• Training materials (e.g., the flashcards above)
• Merchandising
• Visual display
• Signage
• Stationery
• POS collateral
• POS systems
• Store roll-out

Our key Influences were:

• Pierre Charreau’s Maison de Verre: overall style, translucent wall panels, materials and details
• Pierre Carreau’s Quonset Studio for Motherwell: space and form
• Panteleria: lifestyle and weathered finishes
• Army Post Exchanges: organization, presentation, and eventually the name of the store
• Milan: overhead cables and lighting (real Milan streetlights were imported for the early stores)
• Green grocers and butcher shops: bins, butcher-wrap and stickers

We even won some awards:
ISP/VMSD Interior Design Awards 1992, Store of the Year
ID Magazine, 1992, Gold Award (for my hangers),

After almost 20 years, I think this work holds up surprisingly well.

For more on Quonset huts, check this out.