Four IV creates interiors for Harvey Nichols Istanbul

Four IV is creating interiors for Harvey Nichols’s first Turkish store, a 7300 metre squared space that will open in Istanbul this autumn.

Situated in the upmarket shopping mall The Canyon, the three-floor site will offer Harvey Nichols’s usual mix of cosmetics, womenswear, menswear and a café.

But, according to Four IV creative director Chris Dewar Dixon, the customer demographic in Turkey differs to that in the UK, and the consultancy had to consider cultural differences in shopping approaches.

‘The target audience is very particular about the brands they like and people in this audience also like to be seen shopping. Unlike the UK, where people prefer it to be more discrete, in Istanbul it’s almost like belonging to a club. We’ve adapted the circulation – the café is very open to cater for this,’ says Dewar Dixon.

He describes interiors at the store, which feature glass, mosaics and a high-tech signage scheme that uses computer animation, as ‘very opulent and decorative’.

The group has also introduced ‘unusual Turkish imagery’ to graphics around the store. ‘We’ve used typically Turkish images, such as the Flower of Life, but made them more contemporary,’ explains Dewar Dixon. ‘That, along with the signage, makes the store feel very modern.’

Lead creatives on the project are Dewar Dixon, graphic associate Richard Clayton and interior associate Michele Barker. The group was appointed on the strength of its existing relationship with Harvey Nichols.