ØLÅF Hussein store by Carbon Studio

Having worked from a young age in retail, Olaf Hussein (1985) more or less conditioned himself for the role of fashion entrepreneur. It fact, it was the inability to find a perfect pair of jeans that eventually nudged him into his current role as the founder of an eponymous fashion brand. Whimsically stylised as ØLÅF Hussein, his company has gone leaps and bounds since its inception in 2014, managing a standalone store in Amsterdam‘s scenic Canal District, while an additional number of leading stores across the planet stock its collections. In full expansion mode, the Somalia-born entrepreneur has recently relocated his retail space to bigger premises in an emerging shopping and hospitality area just outside the historic heart of the Dutch capital. Occupying two joined 150 sqm. (1,615 sq.ft.) units on the ground floor of a red brick residential structure built in 1902, the location accommodates both ØLÅF Hussein‘s store and office.

A continuous horseshoe-shaped wall of cardboard tubes connects the two spaces, showcasing apparel pieces both on the inside and outside. Interestingly, it’s punctured by displays and cabinets, but also by a spatial connection with the courtyard, allowing natural light to permeate from the back of the premises. The courtyard itself also enabled the creation of the fitting rooms. A blue tiled volume at the end of the store serves both as a display and seating. Each item incorporates a curved shape to match the contours of the horseshoe. Additional furnishings and fixtures include custom-made sleek metal clothing racks, a large metal display table with mesh legs, wall-mounted metal shelving units, and matching stools. The design has been executed with sustainability in mind, keeping the carbon footprint as low as possible, using materials that were locally sourced and/or easily recyclable, and steering clear from hazardous coatings, paints or finishes.