24 Jun Bringing luxury to Queen Street: Max Mara’s luxury retail fit-out with Datum
Italian luxury clothing brand Max Mara knew their presence in New Zealand belonged in the heart of Auckland’s CBD on Queen Street, nestled among the world’s top-tier names in fashion. With a high-profile launch set for 2024, the brand needed a NZ construction partner that could deliver seamless execution, impeccable attention to detail, and an efficient roadmap to completion.
Datum came highly recommended to Max Mara’s Australian team. After hearing about our strong reputation across New Zealand, with plenty of endorsements from project managers and retailers in Australia, Max Mara’s project managers for the Auckland store, Emanuel Sammartano and Chiara Cattani, felt confident to bring such an important luxury retail fit-out to Seth and the team.
As Chiara reflected, “Datum is known in Australia as one of the famous construction experts in this area of the world, suggested by many colleagues. This fit-out was an opportunity to work with the best – and we liked that Datum would have the ability to support future store developments across the country too.”
The challenge
Bringing an international fashion store to life involves a lot more than just construction and installation. It takes a deeply collaborative approach, constant problem solving, and solid communication. Not to mention you’ve got to be able to navigate the complexities of matching efficiency with the highest quality standards of the brand.
Like any major project, unexpected roadblocks did crop up. Some critical supplies were unpredictably delayed and others were involved in minor issues that could have impacted the opening of the store. Rather than allowing these setbacks to derail the opening schedule, Datum stepped up, accepted some of the responsibility, and agreed on a temporary solution to allow the store to open on time. Once the original supplies arrived and the issues solved, Datum ensured these last things were fixed to match to the original vision of the fit-out.
What makes strong collaboration
Chiara noted how Datum’s strengths were quickly visible from the start of their partnership. They were able to interpret design plans without excessive back-and-forth, helping streamline the early phases of the project. “Their experience and independence stood out right away, and made the whole process easy for us.”
What really set them apart throughout the development of the fit-out was Datum’s responsiveness and clarity. “Whenever I send them special requests,” said Chiara, “they were really willing to turn the idea into reality. They were fast, super efficient, and reactive to our needs.”
What also set Datum apart was the strength of their entire team. Chiara noted the craftsmanship, technical expertise, and dedication of Nigel and Phil, the managing installers on site.
The final result
Ultimately, Max Mara was able to open on time to a flawless standard. Despite the few logistical hurdles, the project was finished to a high standard that left everyone impressed.
With plenty of eager customers now visiting the popular storefront, Max Mara is quickly becoming a favourite in the Auckland shopping scene. When asked whether they would work with Datum again, the response was a resounding “Definitely. They have been really good, and we wouldn’t hesitate to partner again in the future.”
