Letting the Stock Do the Work. Alexander McQueen, Macau

If you’re fortunate enough to be able to stay in a luxury hotel in the Far East the chances are good that you’ll wander past an in-hotel shopping arcade filled with brands that are deemed to be appropriate to those with very deep pockets. Many of these are somewhat poor imitations of the brands’ standalone stores and tend to be given a wide in consequence.

That is unlikely to be the case for those staying at the Four Seasons Hotel in Macau where Alexander McQueen has recently completed the renovation of its store. The primary material used in this space is wood; walnut and oak. This gives a warmth to the interior that the current trend towards metallic palettes signally does not and the manner in which this has been used from front to back also lends a consistency to the store, rather than making it a ‘zoned’ environment.

Just as importantly, wood is a neutral material and while it can be appreciated, it does not attempt to dominate the stock, meaning that the ready-to-wear collection in this store really can shine.