Photography by Hans Neumann for Club Monaco

From Store Interiors to Design Direction, Club Monaco is Switching Things Up This Fall

Date September 7, 2018

Fresh starts are traditionally linked to January, but there’s something about September that stirs the winds of change. Maybe it’s dropping temperatures or the leaves transforming from green to gold. Whatever it is, Club Monaco seems to be feeling it too. The company debuted a brand new direction today, complete with an updated vision, capsule collection, and redesigned store concept.

What is that direction? Well, the new collection hopes to blur the divide between men’s and women’s clothes. Club wants to promote the two as halves of the same whole. They want a more cohesive look and dual-gender design. The colours, patterns and prints are fluid and Club Monaco wants you to feel comfortable shopping in both sections, regardless of your gender.

“When we design pieces, they’re never intended for just one woman or man,” says Steven Cateron, Club Monaco’s New Head of Design who helped build the collection. “With the Fall 2018 Collection, we’ve created pieces that are versatile, open to interpretation, and capable of allowing each customer to express her or his unique perspective.”

The new campaign will incorporate both print–and for the first time–video elements. Many brands–Sephora, Nordstrom and Aerie, to name a few–are bypassing traditional models in favour of “real” people. Club Monaco has climbed aboard, featuring a cast of ten regular people, each hand-selected by the company. The cast worked with Cateron closely, and he made sure to capture each of their unique styles during the shoots. From the host of a podcast, to an illustrator, to a novelist, these models come from all different backgrounds and walks of life.

The sales floor will also change with a brand new store concept. The new redesign debuts September 27th at their Forum Shops location in Las Vegas, before spreading to Miami’s Aventura shopping mall in October. The goal of these new spaces is to make the Club Monaco shopping experience more intimate. Everything will be centered around a communal hub in the heart of the store. “We want that experience to be personal and warm, not rushed and transactional,” says CEO Francis Pierrel.

The interior design will, in turn, be modernized and given a more sleek look. “The aesthetic inspiration has evolved from a French provincial home to a space more reminiscent of an open city loft,” the brand said in a press release. A lounge area with refreshments and phone charging stations will also be incorporated into the new stores.

The campaign, dubbed “No Ordinary Life”, launches today along with the exclusive collection. It’s available to shop both online at ClubMonaco.com and at the New York City Soho location.