RUN! A Journey to Free the Self
"RUN TO THE FUTURE" is a gender-neutral fashion brand founded by independent designers, aimed at expressing an inner rebellious spirit through minimalist yet unique designs. Attracting countless young people eager to break traditional boundaries, Chengdu COSMO, known as the "Youth Magnetic Field," combines fashion, art, and lifestyle as a curatorial commercial space. "RUN TO THE FUTURE" is not only a fresh force in this magnetic field but also a pioneering expression of trend narratives, where the two resonate harmoniously.
The First Stop: Where Retro Meets the Future
As the brand’s first nationwide offline store, One Fine Day Studio & Partners has orchestrated an artistic experiment on fashion retrospection in Chengdu COSMO. The 1980s, rich in experimental spirit, were a golden age for self-expression and rebellious culture. The theme of the first store, "Run to the 1980s," is not merely a look back but also a tribute to the era’s spirit of freedom and liberation. More than just a retail space, it offers an immersive sensory journey through time. Every corner tells a nuanced story, as if stepping into a dream that transcends both past and future. The brand’s ethos is brought to life here: exploring oneself, breaking conventions, and embracing freedom.
Let’s Run! A Journey Back to the 80s
At the entrance, visitors are greeted by Matt Hope, a British artist’s futuristic installation— the Escape Detector— inviting guests into this temporal voyage. Its shape resembles a futuristic probe or ecological creature, brimming with a blend of retro-industrial cybernetics and modern technology. The interplay of crystals and green light seems to explore an unknown future, blurring the lines between reality and illusion.
The Escape Detector aims to fuse classical and futuristic aesthetics into a new hybrid. Its shape echoes that of a futuristic probe or an organic species, packed with a retro-industrial cybernetic vibe in stark contrast to modern technology. The intertwining of crystals and green light appears to explore unknown realms, evoking images of utopian paradises, mysterious dreams, retro futures, cyberpunk worlds, or Gaia’s reality.
The Escape Detector is not only an art installation but also a physical manifestation of the brand’s core philosophy. In a fast-paced, pressure-filled era, every "escape" is a journey toward self-discovery and freedom. Through minimalist and retro designs, Escape to Chigangxi redefines the everyday wardrobe, creating a utopia for personal expression and rediscovery.
Time pauses at the end of the corridor. The buffer zone, designed to break the tunnel’s tight rhythm, serves as a lounge-like space where each stop is an opportunity for interaction between the visitor, the space, and the brand’s spirit.
The fitting rooms are no longer mere functional spaces. Divided into four unique fashion narratives, they invite visitors into an intimate dialogue between themselves and the space:
- Run to the Bedroom
Metal furniture and fragmented images transport you back to a past "home." Changing outfits feels like navigating through a dream, allowing for undisturbed moments of solitude.
- Run to the Bathroom
A vintage bathtub and mosaic tiles evoke a sense of mystery within this private space, shedding daily identities to rediscover the connection between self-awareness and fashion.
- Run to the Playhouse
In this "recreational room" with an old-fashioned mahjong table, fashion and play merge, making even friends a part of the experience.
- Run to the Photo Studio
A photobooth in an independent space captures each visitor’s unique time-traveling memory, engaging in brief dialogues with fashion.
As visitors journey through this time-traveling narrative, walls feature typewriters spitting out phrases, ceramic sinks encased in metal frames, and cherry wood details populating the space. Soft, grass-like carpets line the path, guiding visitors to a final pause at the typewriter-filled wall.
Sheets of paper slowly spill from the typewriters, landing on the floor, emblazoned with glitch-like “Run” symbols. These chaotic words seem to convey the conflicting emotions of escape and pursuit: people constantly run toward the future, yet they forever glance back at the free and alluring 1980s.
A chic office infused with vintage romance stretches along the corridor, featuring archive walls covered in houndstooth fabric and brand-signature accessory details. Posters lined up in succession and burl wood shelves resembling office desks create a rhythmic pace, guiding visitors to immerse themselves in this "journey through time and space."
“Run” to Infinite Possibilities
From the futuristic Escape Detector at the entrance to the poetic conclusion at the typewriter wall, this immersive experience becomes a platform for the brand’s narrative about time, space, and self-expression. For each visitor, it leaves behind a personalized “escape moment.” Beginning with a tribute to the 1980s, the journey races toward the boundless possibilities of future fashion.
