01_Scenography :
Extending the Fetish
02_The Power of Void
The Ambiguity of Void
If the dead mall is a ruin of excess, a monument to the overproduction of desire, its opposite has quietly taken form in Luxury retail: the cult of emptiness. Where malls once thrived on saturation—endless storefronts, overstimulating displays, a constant drive toward consumption—high-end boutiques now embrace minimalism, stripping their interiors down to stark, almost sterile environments. This shift from abundance to absence is not a rejection of consumerism but its evolution, an adjustment of how desire is constructed. In place of overflowing shelves, we now have vast, white spaces where rarity is staged with precision. The spectacle hasn’t disappeared; it has simply become more restrained, more exclusive. But is this emptiness a radical new language for retail, or just another mechanism for commercial seduction?
01_Scenography : Extending the Fetish
Merchandising operates as a reinforcement of the consumerist fetish, amplified by entertainment, seduction, and spectacle. It elevates products beyond their material value, transforming them into objects of desire. This aestheticization has given rise to the "white cube" model, borrowed from contemporary art galleries, where products are presented as sacred artifacts.
The "white cube" retail model, pioneered by Luxury brands, strips away distractions to highlight the product as a singular masterpiece. This is the ultimate evolution of consumerist fetishism: a store that functions as both a temple and a gallery, where even the absence of disorder is carefully curated to intensify desire. In such spaces, consumption becomes ritualistic, mirroring the ceremonial aura of sophisticated art exhibitions. Gilles Lipovetsky, in The Aestheticization of the World: Living in the Age of Artistic Capitalism (8), explores how this hyper-aestheticization has created all aspects of consumer culture. The fusion of retail with artistic presentation enhances desirability, making products feel more exclusive and aspirational. This scenography is no longer just about selling—it’s about staging an immersive fantasy, where Luxury is not just a product but an experience.
8. Lipovetsky, Gilles, and Jean Serroy. The Aestheticization of the World: Living in the Age of Artistic Capitalism. Polity Press, 2015.
02_The Power of Void
While dead malls epitomize the failure of consumerism’s excess, Luxury retail has embraced the opposite: void as an instrument of desire. Rem Koolhaas, in More and more (9), explores how voids within retail spaces operate as strategic tools. The absence of excess, the embracing of minimalism, and the purposeful sparseness of Luxury retail stores create an aura of exclusivity. The void negates the clutter of mass consumerism while simultaneously reinforcing its logic: scarcity breeds desire.
This paradox echoes Guy Debord's thesis in The Society of the Spectacle (10): capitalism absorbs its own critique, transforming opposition into a new form of marketability. The emptiness of high-end boutiques is not an anti-consumerist stance but a recalibration of desire, where what is absent becomes as powerful as what is present. Minimalist retail spaces function as both a critique of the chaotic, overpacked malls and an enhancement of the aspirational nature of Luxury. The lack of products on display suggests rarity and value, further manipulating consumer perception. Even the architecture plays a part in this deception: stark white walls, polished concrete floors, and vast open spaces are not signs of restraint but of calculated seduction. The white cube, much like the dead mall, is an empty shell—but one that still holds power over consumer behavior.
Store, Faubourg Saint-Honoré, Paris, ©Comme des Garçons / Flag Ship, Avenue Montaigne, Paris, ©Jil Sanders
Some brands like The Row, Jil Sanders, or Comme des Garçons exhibits their products in minimalist spaces, that remind us of art galleries where every object seems sacred, thanks to the absence of superficial decoration.This aesthetic, initially perceived as a reaction against overconsumption, has instead become a refined tool of capitalism. While malls failed because they were too full, too saturated, and too accessible, Luxury retail thrives by offering the illusion of restraint. The ultimate irony remains: the mall's downfall was its excess, while high-end retail flourishes by commodifying emptiness itself.
9. Koolhaas, Rem. More and More. Taschen, 2015.
10. Debord, Guy. The Society of the Spectacle. Translated by Donald Nicholson-Smith, Zone Books, 1994. Originally published 1967.