Christopher Bates Studio

Showroom or office? Creative studio or fashion runway? VIP event space or warehouse? All of the above - either, and, or; blending, blurring, separating of functions - in a 1000 square foot box. Christopher Bates Studio is a flexible multi-use space for an established yet rising Canadian fashion designer, located in the mezzanine offices of a shopping mall in downtown Toronto.

Without a traditional storefront, the Studio relies on the client’s reputation, clever marketing, and a wow factor when the door from the undistinguished workplace hallway is opened. All visitors enter and step right onto the glossy white runway reflecting the zigzag lighting above. An oversized 3-dimensional logo wall forms the backdrop for the runway. The changing room is tucked “backstage”. Customers try on clothes and take the stage, walk the catwalk, and snap a selfie, experiencing a synergy of fashion and architecture; brand and design.

The design for the Studio straddles the gauntlet between high fashion and urban industrial minimalism. A stark black and white palette recalls the craving for chiaroscuro - the play of light and shadow enveloping the spaces and designer apparel. The urban presence is felt with the exposed concrete floor, raw exposed ceilings, and street-style metal mesh partitions. Angles and geometries add dynamism to the space and echo the bold hexagonal form of the brand logo. Almost everything is moveable and dismantlable, including the logo wall, ready to move to a pop up store or the next studio. The design reflects a strategic economy of means, with optimism and anticipation of near future expansion and growth, and a desire to honour timeless design and minimize waste. During the covid pandemic era and with the precarious future of previously coveted high fashion runway shows, this Studio Runway came not a moment too soon.