Unabashedly inspired by the Bladerunner vibe of modern-day Bangkok, we created a visionary salon concept that not only provided the most fashion-forward hairstyling in Thailand but was also a gathering place for artists, musicians and style influencers from around the world.

Whitespace partnered with a visionary young Thai entrepreneur with a brief to create a radically new salon concept. Our scope was to look at the entire business with fresh eyes– to create something radically new.

During our research and discovery stage– we looked at salons around the world. We realised that the com-mon characteristic for all of them was the appearance of a hall of mirrors. So our first decision was to eliminate mirrors from our design.

The goal for a mirrorless salon led our creatives to the invention of the first interactive digital mirror (a true innovation in 2007). Not only did it allow us to create a completely new look for the salon– but the system afforded myriad functionality from customer entertainment to capturing the styling process for use in the on-premise stylist academy, to creating a visual database for customers’ online accounts and customer relationship management going forward.

Other innovations, inspired by Bladerunner sci-fi, included an infinity star-gazing experience for the sham-poo area using techniques from museum planetariums. Fragmented reflective metal was used as a ceiling treatment, and photo studio soft-lights were used for their face-flattering light quality as well as the visual impact on the space.