Songzio Opens Paris Flagship Store

by Anna Barr

5 Dec. News.

Songzio has opened the doors to their first boutique in Paris bringing the Korean House’s distinctive aesthetic to the heart of the Marais found at 10 rue Charlot, 75003. Creative director Jay Songzio designed the shop alongside renowned architecture studio Hypnos XP, based in Paris, creating a space that invites us into the Songzio universe where brutalist aesthetics protrude from the concrete façade among the Haussmannian street incorporating Korean modernism alongside classicism. The creative concept of duality in the brand extends to the Paris physical space as the transformative shift invites people to embrace a forward-thinking viewpoint as they enter the room.

The boutique is aggressive yet peaceful, minimalist yet complicated, and classical yet avant-garde. At the same time, the modernist architectural design is met with raw materials alongside a calculated use of reflection as seen in textured concrete combined with elegant black oak. The ground level features immense columns, sculpted alcoves, and indirect lighting, all joined by raw steel bars. An angular, slanted wall cuts through the space, offering support to a suspended jewelry drawer.

The five spaces dispersed across the building were unified through the spatial design creating a cohesive flow. The ground floor, the large basement retail area, and the private office on the first floor are all connected by a 7.5-meter cast-in-place concrete staircase. A shared hallway connects two more annex areas inside the building, allowing private visitors to view unique items from Songzio’s runway collections.

Drawing on art has been in the DNA of the house since its founding by Song Zio thirty years ago and continues with his son Jay Song who injected a significant emotional charge into boutique’s stoic space which is met with a striking collection of Songzio’s artworks. Segmented mirror panels reveal the designer’s sketches, adding a powerful emotional component to this somber space. The Songzio boutique in Paris captures the creative process behind the collection, from the artist’s initial works that begin on a painted canvas of inspiration for the season furtherly drawn and shaped into the pieces that we find, wear, and love.