Not only does today mark the arrival of London Fashion Week, but it also sees the much anticipated opening of the debut standalone store by McQ; the ‘younger sister’ line from Alexander McQueen. Situated at number 14 Dover Street, the new boutique – a converted Georgian townhouse – sits amongst a hub of style and luxury, counting the world-renowned Dover Street Market and Acne’s London flagship as next-door neighbours.

The three-story conceptual retail space offers womenswear, menswear, footwear and accessories as well as a selection of coveted AW’12 catwalk pieces that featured during the label’s debut London Fashion Week show earlier this year.

David Collins, the mastermind behind the boutique’s design, explains how it was important that the interiors reflected a similar signature aesthetic to that of the fashion house itself: “We looked at fetish. We wanted the home of McQ to be a parallel view of Alexander McQueen, where eroticism is part of the fabric and design that slowly unfolds throughout the store.”

Inspired by surrealism, Collins’ focused on fusing futuristic technology with time-honoured luxury: traditional Japanned lacquer lines the walls and ivory shag-pile carpeting cover the aged wooden flooring, whilst an interactive digital table displays current brand content and ‘gesture-controlled’ mirrors allow shoppers to share pictures of their new look through social media channels.

For further information or to shop online visit: McQ.com