Aether Apparel, an online retailer that specializes in design-conscious technical outerwear, chose our PROXY project in Hayes Valley as the site of its first stand-alone store. Aether wanted a striking physical presence with the unconventionality of a pop-up venue. They were drawn to our use of shipping containers at PROXY as highly customized modular units that are built to be durable rather than disposable, bold instead of drab.

The three 40 foot shipping containers, stacked and staggered one on top of another craft a compelling urban edge rising straight out of the asphalt. The interior space is a surprisingly narrow 7 foot wide two-story void, created from the hollowing out of the lower two containers. The second level glass-encased cantilevered lounge / storefront window juts out over the sidewalk, drawing the gaze of pedestrians, while large-scale nature photography on the walls appears to extend the landscape in every direction. Spanning all three floors, a custom vertical dry-cleaning conveyor belt system is both front of house display and back of house storage, making Aether's full inventory of performance outdoor wear available at the push of a button.