THREE Glasgow art students challenged to come up with a design for a LA store have been shortlisted for awards

The interior design students from The Glasgow School of Art are in the finals of the 2016 Retail Design World (RDW) Student Awards.

Venus Pang, Aaron Hunter and Lisa Gauss were challenged to create a design for the new Topshop store in Los Angeles by Guy Smith, head of design at Arcadia Group.

In his design "Holografsion" Aaron Hunter, from Dundee, used holograph technology to allow customers to experience something extraordinary and interactive.

Features of the design include seven metre floor to ceiling mirroring and holograph screens as well as interactive outside shopping technology.

Lisa Gauss’s concept is for a machine that transports clothes over tracks throughout the store.

The student, from Cologne in Germany, said: "It takes the shopping experience to a whole new level and makes the journey of finding a new favourite outfit a lot easier and more exciting.

"The design is entertaining and theatrical reflecting the location of the store in Los Angeles."

In her design "Surprise behind the Veil" Venus Pang, who is originally from Hong Kong, begins with a façade that hides the products presenting instead the shop as a "box of surprises".

Inside the store a series of geometric shapes break up the interior space into sections for four different departments.

She said: "As the shopper stands at the entrance they get a clear glance at the overall placement of departments.

"Their attention is directed to the focal points along the main aisle displaying the newest and best items in the store.”

Patrick Macklin, head of interior design at GSA said: "We are delighted that three of our level three students have made the shortlist for these prestigious awards.

"Having a live brief to work to is vital for professional development, and to have the opportunity to create concepts for a new Topshop store in Los Angeles was hugely exciting for the students."

Matthew Valentine, editor of Retail Design Week who helped establish the awards and acted as a judge in this year’s competition added: "To be shortlisted in a national design competition is no small matter, but when the entries are of such a high standard it really is a vote of confidence.

"The work submitted by entrants to the Retail Design Student Awards this year was terrific, and genuinely impressed the panel of senior designers who gave up their time to be judges.

"And let’s not forget that the students from Glasgow were working to a real brief to one of the most dynamic fashion retailers in the world.

"To impress seasoned desgners in that context suggests that these students are truly ones to watch."

The winners will be announced at Olympia in London on March 9