Champs Sports® Taps Top Architecture and Design Firm to Create Customized Sports Retail Space in Miami
Bergmeyer Associates, a Boston-based and nationally recognized architecture and design firm that designs for a broad range of human needs and experiences, was specifically chosen by sports retailer Champs Sports to conceptualize and design an invitation-only retail location for American record producer, DJ Khaled. The private store was built inside Khaled’s Miami-based We The Best recording studios and serves as a space for the artist to hold inspirational and fashion-focused discussions with athletes, music artists, other celebrities and friends of the producer. Providing complementary, premium apparel and footwear to selected guests, the private store was a surprise for DJ Khaled, who is a former Champs sales associate and now serves as brand ambassador and social media influencer for the brand.
Bergmeyer and Champs have a long-standing relationship and worked closely together to create a space that combines the locker-room elements of the Champs brand with DJ Khaled’s signature style. The design kept with Champs’ trademark colors, language and style but was elevated to create a completely custom shopping experience for DJ Khaled and his guests. One of the most recognizable elements of this customization is Khaled’s use of the “key” symbol – meaning advice or wisdom, which is often paired with the key emoji. This aspect can be seen throughout the store, the most notable representation being the 1,721 hanging gold keys from the ceiling. Additionally, Sonos created a one-of-a-kind music system for the space, further enhancing its personalization.
“The “key” element of DJ Khaled’s career and personal life were very inspirational for us when coming up with the design for this truly unique space,” said Stan Kubinski, Associate at Bergmeyer. “We started with the DNA of a traditional Champs store and elevated it to a level that made it very personal for Khaled. The locker-room aspect of any Champs store is meant to evoke a feeling of the grind or the work that it takes to reach success and that’s what we drew from for this project.”
The space was revealed on October 14th, coinciding with the Revolt Music Conference bringing the industry leaders together. The surprise unveiling was supported by DJ Khaled’s close industry friends including Diddy, Jadakiss, Rick Ross, and many more. DJ Khaled shared his excitement on his Snapchat and Instagram accounts, showing the world the complete design of his personal Champs Sports store. His raw reaction was caught on camera, where he can be seen shocked and thrilled by the end result.
In the coming weeks, DJ Khaled will be hosting cloth talk and his “We Know Game” series in the space to announce new footwear and apparel styles, and converse with moguls in the industry and famous branded athletes. During these episodes, Champs Sports will film YouTube series to capture the in-store conversations and interviews between DJ Khaled and his celebrity guests. Each episode will be highlighted on DJ Khaled’s and Champs Sport’s digital and social platforms.
The store includes brands that can be found in traditional Champs locations, such as Jordan Brand, Nike, Adidas, and Under Armour, as well as DJ Khaled collaborations and other Champs Sports exclusives.
We were confident in partnering with our long-time collaborators, Bergmeyer, to create a store that captures the values instilled in the Champs brand and serves as a venue to inspire our consumers with innovative, fashion-focused announcements,” said Patrick Walsh, VP of Marketing for Champs Sports.
For more information on Champs Sports, visit www.champssports.com
About Bergmeyer
Founded in 1975 Bergmeyer is Boston-based design firm with a national presence. Bergmeyer creates experiential environments for its clients through a comprehensive offering of services, including architecture, interior design, graphic design, strategic planning, sustainability, and research. As the firm designs for a broad range of human needs, user experience is top of mind. Through in-depth research, thoughtful detail, and high standards, Bergmeyer creates unique places for people to learn, shop, live, work, and eat. The firm’s specialties include retail, restaurant, workplace, academic, cultural, hospitality, commercial, graphic and environmental design. For more information, visit http://www.bergmeyer.com.
About Champs Sports
Champs Sports, a member of the Foot Locker, Inc. (NYSE: FL) family, is one of the largest mall-based specialty athletic footwear and apparel retailers in North America. Its product categories include athletic footwear, apparel and accessories. This combination allows Champs Sports to differentiate itself from other mall-based stores by presenting complete product assortments for the sports lifestyle enthusiast. Its more than 540 stores are located throughout the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada.
