For Immediate Release

Travel Retailer Flight 001 Lands In Chicago

Before you set off on your next journey be sure to mark your itinerary with a stop at any three of the Flight 001 retail spaces. Four years from its inception, Flight 001 has opened three retail stores; the first prototype store on 96 Greenwich Avenue in NYC. The second, San Francisco store on 525 Hayes, is more playful with exaggerated zones and the latest addition is in uptown NYC inside Henry Bendel titled Flight 001 Shuttle, a smaller boutique version.

It’s no surprise that store owners John Sencion and Brad John hired retail and furniture designer Dario Antonioni as the innovative design force. With an aerospace engineering and industrial design background from University of Michigan and Art Center College of Design, Dario came equipped to do some serious design damage with enthusim to spare.

“Working on Filght 001 is like a fantasy, I’ve been having a blast!. The clients John Sencion and Brad John had a vision but needed to turn that vision into an experience. The inspiration for the retail concept was born out of the historic Pam Am 001 Flight.” says designer Dario Antonioni.

For almost 40 years, Pan Am Flight 001 ruled all westbound air travel with a flight that originated in San Francisco and then hopped around the globe, stopping in Honolulu, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Delhi, Beirut, Istanbul, Frankfurt, London and finally landing in New York; 46 hours after its first take-off.
“Flight 001 was a seamless experience. My goal was to design an experience that recreates the thrill of international travel during an era when it was chic and glamorous. Taking cues from airport terminals and aircraft interiors and combining them with sexy materials Flight 001 came to life.” states Antonioni.

Keeping the “seamless experience” theology in mind, Dario set out to design the spaces inspired by the high-style airline travel of the fifties. Beautifully curved white ceilings and fuselage like walls are accented with a brilliantly edited selection of cosmetics, carry-on bags, guidebooks, aromatherapy products, stationary, electronics and travel accessories. Embedded flush with the ceiling, between the designed implied overhead bins, are matte light boxes beaming down on the Pirelli-tiled aisle. “To create a clean and inviting space, I utilized matte white surfaces, walnut paneling, opaque plexi-glass and illuminated the entire store with soft lighting,“ explained Antonioni.

Each Flight 001 store has defined zones with clear iconic graphics marking the different designated areas.
A map wall behind the cash wrap, which mimics a ticket counter, displays the difference time zones and actual times of each location (San Francisco store). A feature wall highlights the newest products on window-like discs and suitcases are cleverly displayed in a baggage claim zone. Even the reminiscent storage bins are tucked neatly away in the sophisticated, curved shelving units. Moving comfortably throughout the store, the space has a natural flow through each zone, showcasing the entire collection of travel products.

With the winning combination of innovative design and the eclectic selection of products, Flight 001 is an all inclusive, one-stop travel shop that redefines style on the go. With talks of a future store in Los Angeles and Chicago, rest assure Dario Antonioni will continue to push the boundaries of the Flight 001 design in pursuit of the “seamless retail experience.”

For more information about Flight 001, Orange22 or its founder, go to: www.orange22.com

ORANGE22 Design Lab LLC
Dario Antonioni / founder
125 West 4th Street
Studio 102
Los Angeles CA 90013

Main 213.972.9922 ext3#
Fax 213.972.9923
Email: info@orange22.com