Portland restyles Arcadia outlets

Portland Design is revamping interiors for Arcadia-owned high street fashion retailers Dorothy Perkins and Burton, to create more consistent personalities for the two brands.

The interiors will be unveiled in September in two pilot stores ‘in prime [undisclosed] locations’, says Portland managing director Ibrahim Ibrahim. A national roll-out is scheduled to follow ‘almost immediately’, he says.

The consultancy has been briefed to reinforce the brand identities for Dorothy Perkins and Burton. The former suffers from relative anonymity compared with its Arcadia stablemates Top Shop and Miss Selfridge, and Burton needs ‘better differentiation and more confidence’, Ibrahim says.

Work for both brands includes the wholesale redesign of shopping area, changing rooms, cash areas and individual departments, as well as new brand language, in-store graphics and materials. The brand marques remain unchanged.

‘We want to establish a unique personality for Dorothy Perkins, and introduce some big gestures,’ Ibrahim says. ‘The Burton brand needs more confidence in its design and interpretation.’

The project is being overseen by creative director Rodney Fitch and led by creative director Lloyd Blakey. Portland won the work without a pitch after approaching Arcadia with its credentials before Christmas, says Ibrahim.

Fitch has worked previously with Arcadia and has contacts at the company, Ibrahim adds.