Graphics proposal for a high end 1920's themed restaurant: The Duchess
Concept Rendering
Elevation
Exterior Sign
Exterior Menu
The Story
In 1880, the European noble class maintained a strict hierarchy. From the highest king to the lowest baron, it was important that everyone knew their place, less they feel the piercing retribution of their ‘betters’ for daring to reach beyond their station. In this cut-throat environment, the daughter of a lowly baron fell in love with a prince. It was a whirlwind romance for the two star crossed lovers. Forbidden from seeing each other, they chose to abandon their home and their titles to live a new life in America. In secret the prince claimed as his only inheritance a single emerald from the royal jewels to fashion into a ring for his beloved. Their flight was perilous, but they did not escape unnoticed. This King, knowing he was about to loose his son forever, sent a contingent of his royal guards to tell his son that the he would permit the marriage, if he would simply remain by his father’s side. However, the King’s court had another agenda. They bribed the royal guards to kill the prince, thereby preventing such a tarnishing of the noble hierarchy. As the two lovers boarded their westbound ship, the guards arrived on the dock. Armed with bow and arrow, they mortally wounded the prince. As he lay dying, he bequeathed the yet unfashioned emerald to his love. With his last breath they exchanged wedding vows, sealing their marriage with a kiss.
Arriving in America, the baron’s daughter buried her grief and began building a life for herself. Possessing nothing but her wit and a poorly crafted ring adorned by a royal gem, She begin working at an old, second rate restaurant. Over the years she climbed the ladder until one day, she found herself the owner of a business on the verge of failure. She single handedly turned that place into the crown jewel of 1920’s New York cuisine. She renamed the restaurant, in honor of what her title would have been, had her prince and her remained in England: The Duchess. She never found love again, but instead devoted herself to her work, and giving those in love, a place to experience life together, even if for only a single meal. The emerald ring, now sits on display in the center of the restaurant she so loved, declaring to all who gaze upon it's facets a story of love, despair, and the courage to start anew.