Shade of Brutalism

“If you don’t love it, you hate it” — that’s a perfect phrase to describe Brutalist architecture without actually naming it. For many, its geometric forms and raw concrete feel unfinished, harsh, and cold. Yet, for those drawn to it, these lines convey an undeniable strength. The unadorned concrete embodies a stark beauty, a coolness, and a sense of timelessness.

Born after World War II, Brutalism flourished from the 1950s to the 1970s, primarily in government and cultural buildings. However, its popularity faded as it became seen as an urban blight, a symbol of decay often featured in dystopian films.

Over the past few years, Brutalism has experienced a significant resurgence in the retail design of many prominent fashion brands. This time around, Brutalism is often blended with other styles, leading to a new definition refer to as Contemporary Brutalism.

The Saint Laurent store on Bloor Street in Toronto serves as a fascinating example of Brutalism integrated with other aesthetics. The building’s exterior features grey concrete walls with a ribbed, corduroy-like texture. The entrance is framed by smooth concrete, set within a geometric alcove. This grey concrete theme continues inside the store, but Anthony Vaccarello, Saint Laurent’s Creative Director, and Canadian architects dkstudio have paired it with other materials. The incorporation of wood and cream-toned, brushstroke-patterned marble creates a warmer, more artistic ambiance.

The Swedish footwear brand, Axel Arigato, also features a shop in Copenhagen where concrete plays a starring role. Beyond the raw concrete’s substantial presence and geometric lines, a grand staircase commands attention in the center of the store. Equally striking, amidst the bare concrete backdrop, co-founder Max Svardh and architect Christian Hallerod chose to punctuate the space with vibrant, shimmering Jesmonite display podiums. This bold choice extends to the prominent ‘#SilverDerriere’ butt sculpture, a collaboration with artist Kiri-Una Brito Meumann, adding another layer of unexpected artistry.

Though not explicitly merging Brutalism with other design styles, Cate Holstein’s vision for the luxury fashion brand Khaite’s retail space in SoHo warrants a closer look. Inside, the walls are finished with a trowel-applied grey plaster, intentionally showcasing the subtle imperfections inherent in the process. Raw concrete display tables and sleek black steel clothing racks combine to form a minimalist and serene backdrop, effortlessly highlighting each individual product.

Many designers chose Contemporary Brutalism precisely because it creates a perfect backdrop for their fashion products. This is quite ironic. Initially, Brutalism’s use of inexpensive materials, geometric forms, and minimal, unembellished aesthetics was a solution to post-war scarcity of funds and resources. Yet today, Brutalism serves as a powerful stage for high fashion, where its minimalist, robust, calm, sleek, raw, and cool qualities enhance the luxurious beauty of the products, making them stand out even more.

However, the brand that has embraced Brutalism’s style so completely that it almost directly translates from the French root word “Béton brut” (meaning raw concrete) is Balenciaga. They’ve boldly called their retail design theme “Raw Architecture. Demna, the brand’s creative director, aims to use a stripped-back, virtually undecorated style to disrupt the conventional aesthetics of luxury fashion retail. Since its debut at the Sloane Street store in London in 2021, and continuing through locations in Hamburg, Miami, and SoHo, New York, Balenciaga’s retail spaces consistently look unfinished. They feature exposed concrete, polished cement, and visible factory-style ventilation, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of abandoned buildings or active construction sites, like old warehouses or parking garages. Beyond that, the concrete walls intentionally display cracks, dark stains, and even seemingly damp curtains, while aluminum tables bear scuff marks. It’s a raw, almost defiant aesthetic, seemingly unconcerned with the price tags. The humor lies in these “imperfections” not being natural wear, but deliberately created to achieve the desired raw concept.

This is 21st-century Brutalism in fashion. While its look is still raw and cool, this Contemporary Brutalism isn’t born from past functional limitations. Instead, it’s a purposely designed rawness, crafted to forge a distinct style and communicate brand identity.

It makes you wonder if “If you don’t love it, you hate it” still applies.