Cúpla Embraces Colourful Maximalism in London’s Rixo Flagship

“Joyful” is the word that first comes to mind when stepping into the colourful Rixo flagship on London’s King’s Road. Multicolour-glass globes hang from the ceiling, bright striped wallpaper by Salvesen Graham adorns the interiors, and golden, blue, and maroon stone make up the terrazzo floors. It’s a place that is unapologetically loud and all the better for it, embracing maximalism for a retail experience that’s fun and energizing.

Rixo is the cheerful incarnation of the creative musings of two twin sisters—who better to capture the whimsical and retro-yet-contemporary vibes of the womenswear brand than co-founder Orlagh McCloskey’s sister, Gemma McCloskey, who’s behind multidisciplinary creative studio Cúpla.

For the King’s Road store, Cúpla was tasked with creating a space to show off the brand’s colourful and patterned pieces and create a place for its fans to gather. Sustainability was a priority—many design components were made from recycled, deadstock, or natural materials, and the furniture is antique.

The colourful invitation begins before guests even enter the 5,000-square-foot interior, with a sage-green tile exterior, scalloped red-and-orange-striped awnings, a rainbow of stained glass, and wrought iron seating. Inside, the large square footage is broken up into multiple rooms that flow into one another for an intimate retail experience that feels like going through someone’s well-curated closet.

Shoppers enter beneath a massive chandelier of colourful circles suspended from the round recessed ceiling. Underfoot, Palladian terrazzo floor made from recycled stone makes a striking walkway. A coffee bar to the right, accented by sea-foam-green wall tiles, offers a caffeine kick for weary shoppers. Overhead, a vintage-inspired neon coffee sign complements the gilded alterations sign in the next room, both designed by Cúpla. Through a short, arched hallway, a cheery-yellow room holds a custom fiery-red alterations desk, inspired by laundromats from days of old, by London-based Touchwood Joinery. Around the corner, preloved items hang on carousel rails, an elevated take on the ones at thrift stores, and a leopard-print rug with rounded corners was inspired by an old Rixo pattern. Vintage pieces hang in wall alcoves illuminated by a row of swirling ceiling orbs, part of Cúpla’s Caramella lighting collection.

Rather than tucked into a dark and windowless back room, the dressing rooms are in a bright plant-filled atrium, which Cúpla calls the orangery. Each of the eight fitting rooms is named after a person or place significant to the brand, its name and an accompanying mural hand-painted in the arched space above each room. Striped curtains, each in a different colourway, are made from recycled bottles by Colours of Arley.

In the back, a more private room displays Rixo’s bridal collection, the soft whites popping against the romantic Matisse-inspired pink and teal gardenscape wallpaper by de Gournay. A pale-pink kidney couch, found at an Italian antiques fair, and matching rug add to the more subdued but no less fun room.

At the centre of the space is a circular room with high open ceilings where the Smokey Kudo bar is now located. Cut-outs in the perimeter wall, covered with white-and-pink-striped wallpaper, hold Rixo’s ready-to-wear collection. Two pairs of preserved palms mark the entry and exit points, and large globes of speckled Murano glass complete golden street lamps designed by Cúpla. A round stone bar serving cocktails is encircled by a moss-green banquette, burnt-orange and blue tables, striped bolster pillows, and retro-patterned stools for a comfortable and stylish place to pause for a drink amidst shopping.

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