Galeria Melissa, London

The glorious Galeria Melissa Flagship is proof of how the ‘Push for Posh’ is turning retail into an avant garde art form and transforming the shopping experience in the most playful and charming ways.

The Brazilian plastic shoe brand, which launched in 1979 and is now sold in more than 50 countries is in the process of expanding its physical presence with a series of high profile ‘Brand Embassies’.

Its original gallery flagship on Sao Paulo’s Rua Oscar Freire was joined with a second store in New York in 2012.

This store, which opened in October 2014, on the site of the old LK Bennett and Ralph Lauren Rugby stores in Covent Garden, is the third.

The beautiful, Grade II listed Georgian interior has been lovingly preserved, with beautiful, Classical panelling and cornicing.

The entrance is an LED multimedia installation with 65 screens which play constantly changing patterns and colours.

The brand design is a series of digital installations which combine sculptural forms with high tech innovation.

The design is a collaboration between multimedia artist and interior designer Muti Randolf and Melissa Creative Director Edson Matsuo.

The Kinetic Structure is a series of 21 acrylic boxes, each filed with a single Melissa shoe. These rise and fall slowly and softly, in a variety of computer controlled patterns. Designed by Engage Productions.

Architecture was from IDL, with shopfitting by Towns Wadey. Lightworks were the lighting consultants.