Millies: Creating a Cozy Shoe Closet Experience

Award-winning retail design by Natalie Chan and Cherry Ho

The designers, Natalie Chan and Cherry Ho, have crafted three distinct functional areas within the boutique: shoe display, storage, and an experience zone. These spaces embody simplicity, minimalism, and functionality, creating a unique and inviting atmosphere for customers.

The design of Millie's Shoe Boutique stands out with its emphasis on comfort and coziness. By incorporating 30 different materials, including fabric, artificial stones, timber, and metal, the designers have created a visually stunning space. The centerpiece is a specially designed carpet featuring a mixture of pastel colors, enhancing the overall comfortable ambiance.

Throughout the interior, curved edges are used to achieve a soft and smooth finish. Each "Shoe Cabinet" is designed with its own unique style and display system, showcasing the products in an artistic and eye-catching manner.

The Asia-Pacific Uni Concept was implemented for all Millie's Shoe Boutique locations, with shop sizes ranging from 70sqm to 150sqm. This design concept has been successfully adapted to various architectural needs, allowing for the creation of boutiques in different locations.

The project began in early 2019 and was completed in late 2019. The first Millie's Shoe Boutique with this concept opened in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, and since then, more shops have been opened throughout Hong Kong and China.

The design process involved extensive research into the brand's history, comparing its unique characteristics to competitor brands and sister brands. The goal was to extract the core brand identity and enhance it with something unique while staying true to the brand's original concept.

One of the main challenges faced during the design process was ensuring the concept's adaptability to a wide range of shop locations. The designers successfully overcame this challenge by creating a design that could be implemented in various architectural settings.

Millie's Shoe Boutique has received recognition for its outstanding design. In 2021, it was awarded the Bronze A' Design Award in the Interior Space, Retail, and Exhibition Design category. This prestigious award is bestowed upon designs that demonstrate creativity, resourcefulness, and technical excellence, contributing to improvements in quality of life.