
Montreal parka brand Moose Knuckles augments its new Milan showroom (which also serves as the company’s European headquarters) with an unexpected amenity: a nightclub. Mind you, the club isn’t open to the public; instead, it is designed to host special events like collection launches — plus employee meetings during the day when the bass isn’t hitting as hard.

“They believe in their tribe, and they wanted to have these spaces within the office where they can increase that idea of community,” says Cara Judd, one half of Milan design studio Cara \ Davide, which led the project in collaboration with the creative team at Motel 409. It also helps that some Moose Knuckles team members are DJs.

The club is one of three immersive areas that Cara \ Davide introduced into the 900-square-metre workspace-meets-venue. Located in Milan’s hip Tortona district, the futuristic environment is inspired by the interplay of nature and technology. An ice cave–like passageway leads to the club room, where brushed steel puddles evoke an interstellar dance floor as much as the Arctic tundra. “They really wanted the Canadian presence to come through,” says Judd. “It became this very cold, extreme type of landscape.”

A counter made from hand-beaten steel adds to the collision of geology and science fiction. “The bar represents some type of rock formation,” says Judd. “It could be a meteor, or it could be an ice sculpture.” Hanging from the floating boardroom space above, hundreds of PVC strips feature a frosted finish that allows interesting lighting effects to shine through.
The front reception zone is another site of wild material experimentation. In place of ceiling sconces, 91 LED screens broadcast three preprogrammed video effects — one of which looks like a faraway galaxy. For the Moose Knuckles tribe of intrepid explorers, it is a fitting portal to some truly otherworldly nights.
Moose Knuckles’ Milan Outerwear Showroom Moonlights as a Nightclub
The ice-y cool space of the sexy parka brand leads an expedition from the Arctic Ocean to the stars above.