From Sway Chic Owner Jason Knight

Sway Chic is a chain of stylish, fashion-forward yet affordable women’s clothing and accessories that first opened in 2003 in Berkeley, CA. Sway Chic features apparel and products from brands such as Peppermint, Lush Clothing, Many Belles Down, Audrey 3+1, Final Touch, Sole Mio, Mono B and Cotton + Candy.

In September of 2008 I wanted to remodel one of our three women’s apparel stores. We needed a system to display clothing that wasn’t cookie cutter, and wouldn’t break the bank of our small operation. I happened to be reading design magazine and saw one of the small ads in the back describing an affordable modular and yet modern racking system called Rakks.

I went to their website and I studied it. Then I called.

I had questions about how it would look, so David gave me two local places to see the system (Asian art museum and a local retailer). I checked out the local retailer and was sold. We placed our first order.

We have used Rakks to build out seven additional stores since then (five new and two remodels). Working with David’s team has been great. They know us, and they know what we want. Our orders are pretty standard now, but the nuances of retail space mean we sometimes need new custom fixtures. With Rakks you have the ability to imagine one off displays, describe it them over the phone, and then get back a rendering in hours – truly amazing. Then they produce it the next day.

The foundation of our retail experience is delight. We want our customers to come in, and experience affordable luxury. Rakks is the cornerstone of the luxury experience (the clothes are affordable).

 
From impressive skyscrapers to stunning eco-friendly architectural designs, the Rakks Style Spy has featured the most eye-catching buildings in the world of architecture. This week, we spotlight a beautiful residential design.
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Courtesy of Peter Gluck and Partners

Over the years, we have had the opportunity to work with some of the most talented architects in the profession. They welcome our collaborative approach, and we respect their talent and vision. The process simply works. Often our collaboration starts with a conversation that includes a description of the project and a preliminary architectural rendering of the space.

Last year we were sent a rendering that used Rakks shelving in extraordinarily creative application. The architectural firm of Peter Gluck and Partners was renovating a townhouse in Manhattan. Creating a visually stunning and elaborate structural component of the renovation, Gluck envisioned using Rakks shelving and shelf components from the first floor through the top floor.
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In today’s world of electronic communication, it is easy for companies to become impersonal. Thankfully, there are a few exceptions to that rule, and here at Rakks, we believe we are one of them.

Over the years, we have developed great relationships with architects, designers, museum curators and even scientists who share one thing in common – they love our shelving. They contact us and we work with them to make absolutely sure they get exactly what they are looking for. We get to know them, and not just by name. Our customers become friends – we learn their favorite books, the types of art they collect, where their kids are looking to attend college and so much more. As a company, our business doesn’t stop the minute an order is filled. Customers send us pictures of the shelving they have installed in their offices or their stores or their homes, and we post those photos on our website. It makes sense because we take great pride in the products we manufacture and nothing is better than seeing the finished project.

Our corporate culture will always be the same, but we realize that there are new channels for communication in this very modern world. So we encourage you to follow us on Twitter , Like us on Facebook and read more from our blog to share your Rakks shelving stories and photos. Of course, you can always call!

Custom Brackets – Thomas Juul-Hansen, New York

With Rakks shelf brackets, retailers can create a display design that perfectly meets their merchandising needs. With infinite adjustment, you can precisely position shelves to fit your merchandise. In addition to the many standard sizes and configurations, our make-to-order capabilities allow us to quickly and efficiently supply custom brackets to your exact specifications. By adding accessories including face-out brackets, slanted brackets, shelf lips, hang-bars and more, Rakks brackets can be configured to meet any merchandising or display application you can imagine.
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Turbulence House, Photo Property of Steven Holl Architects
 
A great way to kick off this new year is with style and this great article about architect Steven Holl from Architectural Digest. Steven Holl was born on December 9, 1947, in Bremerton, Washington. He is an American architect and watercolorist, perhaps best known for the 1998 Kiasma Contemporary Art Museum in Helsinki, Finland, the 2003 Simmons Hall at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the celebrated 2007 Bloch Building addition to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Missouri and the praised 2009 Linked Hybrid mixed-use complex in Beijing,
China. Enjoy!

From Architectural Digest
“Steven Holl is known the world over for his always-original approach to architecture. In China, his firm’s mixed-use megaprojects are changing the landscape; in the U.S. and Europe, his educational buildings have shaken up college campuses while his museums have become groundbreaking vessels for art. He brings the same spirit of innovation to the houses he designs. Holl’s 900-square-foot Turbulence House, for artist Richard Tuttle, was constructed atop a desert mesa and is made of 32 prefabricated aluminum panels and local materials; other dwellings feature tilt-up concrete slabs or façades sheathed in cartridge brass. For a Long Island, New York residence, Holl drew inspiration from a Jackson Pollock painting. In the architect’s words, ‘The site and the circumstance set up a reality that becomes unique.’”

To read the complete article, visit Architectural Digest.

All of us at Rakks would like to take this time to thank our customers, suppliers, business partners and friends for making 2011 a record year. This year we have been privileged to work with many talented and creative architects, designers, and end-users on a wide variety of projects, some of which have been featured here on our blog. Over the past 40 years, loyal customers and enthusiastic word-of-mouth (including mentions and recommendations through social media like Facebook and Twitter) have been a huge part of our success. We appreciate and thank you for your continued support and look forward to a healthy and rewarding 2012!

The new Natural History Museum of Utah’s at the Rio Tinto Center design by Ennead Architects includes the museum gift shop, complete with Rakks products! See how Rakks D and C standards with Rakks heavy duty brackets create staggered shelves and hangbars and wire faceouts create ideal display installations for hanging apparel and accessories.
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Photo Courtesy of Joe Porteous

When planning a remodel, the country’s oldest family owned and operated bookstore, Warwick’s, turned to Rakks to offer innovative display options to showcase the store’s expansive inventory of products. Founded in 1896, this La Jolla, CA icon is currently run by the 4th generation of Warwicks and sells everything from books to collectibles and apparel.

Photo Courtesy of Joe Porteous

Photo Courtesy of Joe Porteous
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Featured on Design Taxi
New Lucasfilm Campus is an Eight-Storey Sandcrawler

© Lucasfilm 2011

“For Lucasfilm’s new campus in Singapore, the studio is building a massive eight-story building in the shape of the iconic Sandcrawler vehicle from the Star Wars franchise.

“Lucasfilm commissioned the architecture firm Aedas to design the building, which had to abide with several strictly defined guidelines that restrict the property’s height and mass.

“Due to the restrictions, the familiar Sandcrawler oblong is sliced on one end to form a horseshoe-shaped footprint, which Aedas said will boost the building’s efficiency.

“The campus will house Lucasfilm’s production facilities, office space, retail outlets and a 100-seat theater, among others.”

© Lucasfilm 2011

© Lucasfilm 2011