Swedish eyewear model Chimi goes international, opening its first retailer in New York Metropolis at 110 Grand Road.
“Launching Chimi in America displays not solely our model’s journey but in addition a bigger cultural second,” mentioned cofounder Charlie Lindström. “At Chimi, we mix influences from throughout the design spectrum, our frames problem conference; they’re daring, colourful, and unapologetically playful, very like the postmodern architectural icons that dared to reshape skylines and views alike.”
Based in 2016 by Lindström and his childhood good friend Daniel Djurdjevicin in Stockholm, Chimi has garnered a little bit of a cool-kid following with Hailey Bieber, Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye, Kendall Jenner, Billie Eilish and Beyoncé all sporting the frames. In line with the model, its philosophy is one in every of “futuristic simplicity” with a imaginative and prescient to translate the pursuit of stability in merchandise and experiences. Each product — primarily eyewear, but in addition furnishings and a small edit of ready-to-wear — is developed in Stockholm.
Chimi NYC at 110 Grand Road.
Courtesy Chimi
“At the moment, eyewear isn’t only a purposeful accent — it’s an architectural piece for the face, a press release of particular person fashion. We took cues from deconstructivist beliefs, breaking down conventional shapes and creating frames which can be structurally compelling but wearable,”Lindström mentioned. “There’s additionally a rawness in our design that’s aligned with Brutalism: a love for honesty in supplies, like acetate in its purest, most expressive kind, whether or not in translucent tints or deep matte.”
The brand new SoHo retailer places them on a world stage with their tackle Scandinavian design, that includes parabolic shapes prominently all through, with curved partitions making a prism-like impact to boost the expertise at key factors inside the house. Utilizing flowing but distorted components — from the partitions to the furnishings and even the outsized round gentle fixture — the shop is supposed to reflect the signature curves of the model’s eyewear.
“Once I first visited New York in 2012 with my mother, we wandered by each road in SoHo, absorbing the neighborhood’s artistic vitality. I turned obsessive about this vitality and wished to be part of it, to contribute to it. That’s why it’s been so essential to me that this retail expertise is one thing past the unusual. I need folks to stroll previous or into our retailer and really feel as impressed as I did again then,” Lindström mentioned.
Chimi NYC at 110 Grand Road.
Courtesy Chimi
Eyewear ranges from $165 to $260 and Lindström’s model has partnered with H&M, Ameila Grey and composer Jacob Mühlrad on a mixture of tasks, increasing past eyewear.
“This new flagship retailer isn’t just a retail house for me — it’s an extension of Chimi’s design philosophy. This interaction of kind, shadow, and light-weight goes hand in hand with the model ethos — the place progressive design meets timeless enchantment,” Lindström mentioned.
