BONELESS:They are young, their destination is of little concern to them.
BONELESS, also known as BLS, was established in 2018 in Guangzhou by a group of independent designers, with a focus on the street culture. Apart from the literal meaning, BONELESS also refers to a skateboard trick where you grab the middle of the board with your hand, plant one foot on the ground to pop the board up, and then land back on the ground with both feet on the board. This trick, representing the attitude of free will, is interspersed in the brand value and its design.
The BONELESS concept store is located on the fourth floor of TX Huaihai Youth Energy Centre in Shanghai. It is the first time for the brand to reach outside its birthplace Guangzhou. As the first shopping mall in China that integrates immersive visual artworks in retail spaces, TX Huaihai has always had its eyes on the younger crowds, striving to create a curated retail space that conveys multiculturalism as a community for the young consumers in China, which sets a perfect platform for the BONELESS conceptual store to shine.
DUNE: The story takes place in the distant future
The inspiration behind the BONELESS concept store comes from the must-read classic science fiction work - The Dunes. In 1967, Frank Herbert completed The Dune. He crafted a Dune universe that is as fascinating as George Lucas’ Star Wars, with intricate storyline and consideration on ecology, religion, politics, and philosophy. This is a significant accomplishment in the history of science fiction. The tale unfolds in the distant future when humans have advanced to the extent that even computers are no longer needed. Interstellar journeys are achieved instantaneously through telepathy and human presence is widespread across the galaxies. The universe is immense and intricate, while humanity is small but mighty.
Over half a century since its creation, Dune has become a global cultural phenomenon - it spawned the creation of the first real-time strategy game; it have been made into movies and TV series countless times, and its narrative has been widely referenced in films such as "Star Wars" and "Avatar". Denis Villeneuve's interpretation of "Dune" hit the cinemas in 2021, showcasing a distinctive "sci-fi retro" visual style and constructing a world that sets itself apart from other science fiction films.
The mood setting of the BONELESS concept store is based on the atmosphere in "Dune". The story takes place in the distant future, a time of chaotic and meaningless. Elements such as desert, whetstone, caves, metal, and retro colonnades were incorporated in the design. A staged "Dune" scene was constructed in the L-shaped store space out of the elements, with the pieces from BONELESS incorporated in between, transcends the shopping experience to another galaxy.
Scenery: Wrinkles in time, built.
The more realistic the details and textures, the more powerful the emotional transmission.
Day & Night: Recurring cycles of light and darkness
The temperature varies drastically in the desert. This creates a distinct scene that is not present in urban environments. The lighting design in the store reflects the alternating scenes between day and night - during the day, sunlight floods in through windows, while at night, dynamic visions arise from the darkness, evoking a completely different ambiance.
- Interiors: Supercloud Studio
- Photos: Xia Zhi