In another boost to the British high street’s fashion credentials, John Lewis yesterday unveiled its highly-anticipated Fashion Pavilion, a new shopping concept that will exhibit exclusive collaborations from hot designer labels across the country.

Designed by Grimshaw Architects – the company responsible for the world renowned Eden Project, FYI – the impressive architectural installation launched on John Lewis’ fashion floor yesterday at Oxford Street, where it’ll say for two months before setting off on an 18-month journey across the UK.

“Fashion is increasingly about the retail ‘experience’ so we really wanted to add a new, exciting dimension to John Lewis fashion floors, something that would mark us out as a retail innovator,” says Susanne Given, Buying Director of Fashion and Beauty at John Lewis. “Our brief to Grimshaw was to create an inspirational space that would allow us to showcase our private collections in a market leading way and which could travel and be seen by a large proportion of John Lewis fashion customers.”

And it’s quite the focal piece, let us tell you. Created from surprisingly simple cardboard cylinders suspended in clear Perspex sheets, the structure is a striking, industrial contrast to the sumptuous dresses that sit inside it.

Those come courtesy of Osman Yousefzada who, following on from his brief collaboration with the store last year, is the first designer to create an exclusive capsule collection for the new space.

The limited edition line features three signature form-fitting dresses – one floor-length asymmetrical jersey dress, a knee-length version of the same design and a fitted shift – which display the designer’s expert eye for flattering cut, whilst a grey-blue one button wool coat that combines feminine shape with masculine tailoring might just be the prize piece.

And, with prices ranging from £179 to £250, we reckon it’s the start of something really quite special.