Stefanel Mannequin
A bespoke family of mannequins designed to bring movement, craft and character to a global retail rollout.
As part of Stefanel’s global retail repositioning, Sybarite developed a bespoke family of mannequins and display accessories to support the rollout of more than 750 stores worldwide. Designed specifically for the brand’s knitwear collections, these elements became a defining component of the retail concept, creating continuity across every store format while reinforcing Stefanel’s renewed visual identity.
- Key Info
-
- Location
- Worldwide
- Client
- Stefanel S.p.A.
- Services
- Product Design, Visual Merchandising, Display Design, Retail Fixtures
- Year
- 2008
- Photography
- Marco Zanta
- Location
- Worldwide
- Client
- Stefanel S.p.A.
- Services
- Product Design, Visual Merchandising, Display Design, Retail Fixtures
- Year
- 2008
- Photography
- Marco Zanta
Expressive Forms
Developed in collaboration with fashion photographer Mario Testino, the collection comprised nine female and six male poses. Dynamic, athletic and highly sculptural, the mannequins were designed to move beyond traditional retail displays and bring greater energy and personality to the collections.
A specialised flocked finish allowed knitwear, scarves and layered garments to grip naturally to the forms, creating greater flexibility for visual merchandising and allowing the collections to be styled in more expressive ways.
A LESSON IN CRAFT
What began as a digitally modelled collection quickly revealed an unexpected challenge. While the forms could be designed digitally and CNC fabricated, achieving the correct fit for the garments proved far more complex.
The entire collection was reworked through traditional clay sculpting, with each pose refined by hand alongside Stefanel’s visual merchandising team. Garments were repeatedly fitted, adjusted and tested until every silhouette felt natural and effortless.
“The human body is one of the most difficult things to replicate in three dimensions. It was a humbling process, but an incredible lesson in craft.”
— Simon Mitchell, Co-Founder, Sybarite
THE HANGER
Extending the same design principles to an even smaller scale, Sybarite developed a bespoke hanger specifically for the Stefanel retail concept. Defined by soft curves and fluid geometry, the object translated the architectural language of the stores into a functional customer touchpoint.
Like the mannequins, the hanger was conceived not simply as a retail fixture, but as an extension of the brand experience — demonstrating how even the smallest details could contribute to a cohesive and recognisable identity.
MICRO TO MACRO
From sculptural mannequins to bespoke hangers, the Stefanel display system reflects Sybarite’s belief that design should operate seamlessly from the micro to the macro. Together, these elements transformed everyday retail objects into an integral part of the wider architectural narrative, reinforcing the brand at every scale.
