LONDON — Read the room.
That’s exactly what Harrods wants customers to do when they visit its designer women’s wear space, which is undergoing a multi-year refurbishment that started last year and will run until 2026.
Harrods has collaborated with David Collins Studio to create a warm, beautifully lit environment. Our in-house team also thinks creatively, grouping brands and designers by theme and editing the sales floor for easy reading.
Simon Longland, the store’s director of buying and fashion, said, “It’s a difficult building to understand. It’s different from a shopping street with straight lines.”
He said the first floor, which houses the designer’s womenswear collection, has grown organically over the years and expanded in all directions. “So what we’ve done now is reorganize and group like-minded brands and give them the proper breathing space,” he said.
Yves Salomon Space in Harrods’ new Designer Collection Room.
The new space is also very customer-focused, he added. “We want customers to come in here and just read the room,” he said, snapping his fingers. “We also want to give them a sense of choice and discovery.”
The latest area to be renovated is the Designer Collection Room, which will feature a mix of big luxury brands such as Hermès, Brunello Cucinelli, Ralph Lauren and Yves Salomon, as well as shop-in-shops for more specialized niche brands.
Near a row of shop-in-shops, there is a room that has the feel of an elegant town square. Here you’ll find small brand spaces and pavilions such as Aniona, Colombo, Eleventi, Sa Su Pi, Nomadicem, Wolke Morais and Johnstons of Elgin.
Longland said that while these brands may have different identities, they also have a lot in common. It’s “ageless, timeless, seasonless” and focuses on tailoring, knitwear and fabrics like cashmere and silk. He also sees them as manufacturers of wardrobe components.
The newly refurbished space is a mix of wholesale and retail, and Harrods opened with a range of UK-exclusive products including Aniona, Colombo, Walk Morais and Nomadicem.
The new Agnona space in the Designer Collection Room at Harrods.
The brand considers this new area an ideal showcase. Stefano Aimone, Chief Executive Officer and Creative Director at Aniona, said: “We are delighted to be embarking on our expansion in the UK region with such a great partner.”
Aimone designed the Harrods shop-in-shop himself. It features white marble walls, antique Venetian tile techniques, and handcrafted glass. At the center of the room is a wooden counter inspired by the wooden crates once used to transport fine wool collected from various continents.
The sale at Harrods is a milestone for Wolk Morais, a Los Angeles-based tailoring brand inspired by Old Hollywood style. Until now, the brand has been stocked in small specialty stores and commissioned for private clients and red carpets.
“This is our first major department store,” said Brian Wolk, who co-founded the brand with Claude Moret. He added that it was Longland who “discovered” them during Fashion Week at the Palais Royal in Paris.
One of the fitting rooms in Harrods’ new Designer Collection Room.
They filled the Harrods space with cocoon double-faced coats, capes and bolero-style jackets in a variety of colors, from burgundy and brown to lipstick red and hot pink. The brand can be used by both men and women, and is available in a wide variety of sizes.
Although the overall space hasn’t been open long, Longland said tailoring has been the biggest seller, with customers buying “multiple items from multiple brands.” He added that Colombo, an Italian brand specializing in cashmere, is number one in sales.
This area is similar to Harrods’ other newly renovated rooms: Lingerie and Lounge, Evening and Occasion, and Holiday and Swim.
The palette includes sage, taupe, cream, and burnt orange. There are gold and silver rails, and the floors are finished in parquet and two-tone marble. The walls and panels are covered in fabric, and the dressing room has soft lighting and a three-way mirror.
More events are planned for the new year, with Max Mara and Moncler opening large shop-in-shops near the timeless luxury rooms.
Eleventy Space in Harrods’ new Designer Collection Room.
The final phase of the designer collection room will open in April, featuring prints, dresses and other trend-driven style themes. Brands include Roksanda, La DoubleJ, Missoni, Etro and Erdem.
Harrods’ superbrand rooms, including Prada, Gucci, Dior and Loro Piana, will be renovated next autumn. The International Designer Room, featuring names such as Givenchy, Chloé and Alaïa, is scheduled to be renovated in early 2026.
