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The Latest Boutiques: Bucherer, Céline & Rolls Royce
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The world’s largest fine watch and jewellery store opens in Paris, as Rolls Royce unveils its tenth Middle East location and Thom Browne launches in Tokyo Saint Laurent’s latest boutique…
Over the last decade, collaborations between luxury brands and contemporary artists have gone beyond mere artistic partnerships towards a new kind of luxury branding.
PARIS – Art and fashion have always developed side by side, for fashion, like art, often gives visual expression to the cultural zeitgeist. During the 1920s, Salvador Dalí created dresses for Coco Chanel and Elsa Schiapparelli. In the 1930s, Ferragamo’s shoes commissioned designs for advertisements from Futurist painter Lucio Venna, while Gianni Versace commissioned works from artists such as Alighiero Boetti and Roy Lichtenstein for the launch of his collections. Yves Saint Laurent’s vast art collection, recently auctioned at Christie’s in Paris, testified to his great love of art and revealed the influence of a variety of artists on his own designs.
In the 1980s, relationships between luxury brands and artists were advanced when Alain Dominique Perrin created the Fondation Cartier. In the Fondation Cartier pour l’Art Contemporain, a book marking the foundation’s 20th anniversary, Perrin says he makes “a connection between all the different sorts of arts, and luxury goods are a kind of art. Luxury goods are handicrafts of art, applied art.”
The Fondation Cartier pour l’Art Contemparain building in Paris
The world’s largest fine watch and jewellery store opens in Paris, as Rolls Royce unveils its tenth Middle East location and Thom Browne launches in Tokyo
Saint Laurent’s latest boutique on Avenue Montaigne, Paris, designed by Hedi Slimane
In the hyper-competitive luxury retail space, both luxury brands and retailers are pulling out all the stops when it comes to client experience and customer service.
The relationship between online commerce and the in-store conversation are becoming ever more linked, perhaps none more so than in the case of UK department store Selfridge’s, which recently announced a drive-thru click-and-collect service at its London flagship store.
The department store will adapt forecourt space off the side of its Oxford Street site so that customers can collect products ordered online without having to leave their cars. The service allows shoppers to pick which day – within seven days of ordering – they would like to collect their orders on.
Alberta Ferretti, Rome
Alberta Ferretti has opened a 100sqm boutique in Rome, dedicated to bridal and evening gowns, also featuring an atelier service. Situated within a heritage 17th century building on via Belsiana, at the beginning of Rome’s iconic luxury shopping street via Condotti, the store has been entirely realised in immaculate white.
Website: albertaferretti.com
Source: CPP Luxury
Bucherer, Paris
Bucherer has unveiled its 2,200sqm space on boulevard des Capucines in Paris, its first concept store and the world’s largest choice of fine watches and jewellery. The three level boutique features the Bucherer brand, as well as Rolex, Blancpain, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Longines, Tudor, Girard-Perregaux, Panerai, Roger Dubuis and Chopard.
Website: bucherer.com
Source: Vogue
Canali, Chennai
Italian menswear house Canali has opened its sixth boutique in India in Chennai. The 72sqm store is located within the Bergamo Shopping Mall, operated in partnership with leading local luxury retailer Genesis Luxury. The boutique will carry a selection of apparel and men’s accessories.
Website: canali.com
Source: CPP Luxury
Céline, Los Angeles
Céline has launched its third North American location with a 290sqm boutique on Rodeo Drive, Los Angeles. The store’s design features a narrow interior palette of mostly whites, greys and beiges, and a highly edited display of merchandise. In 2012 LVMH bought the roughly 650sqm building housing Céline as well as the neighbouring Montblanc store for an estimated $85 million.
Website: celine.com
Source: WWD
Chanel, Beijing
French luxury maison Chanel has recently re-opened its flagship store in Beijing at the Peninsula Hotel, Beijing in Wangfujing area, after 6 months of extensive renovations. Across three floors, the latest boutique features all ready to wear, footwear, leather goods, accessories, eyewear, high jewellery and watches.
Website: chanel.com
Source: CPP Luxury
Chloé, Hong Kong
Chloé has unveiled its latest Asia-Pacific flagship – and fifth store in Hong Kong – located in luxury shopping mecca Landmark Prince’s. Inspired by the maison in Paris, the interiors are decked out in neutral tones of oatmeal and white with a subtle gold touch.
Website: chloe.com
Source: Luxury Insider
Cindy Chao, Beijing
Cindy Chao has opened her first standalone store at the Park Hyatt in Beijing. The boutique will carry the very exclusive Black Label (of which only 36 items are produced a year) and the White Label that is found in stores like Bergdorf Goodman.
Website: cindychao.com
Source: The Gem Standard
Dolce & Gabbana, NYC
Italian fashion house Dolce & Gabbana has opened its new flagship on New York’s famed Fifth Avenue. The latest opening features the designers’ interior signature pieces such as tufted velvet ottomans, oversized mirrors with gilded rococo frames, Venetian glass chandeliers and the occasional scroll-patterned damask wall panel.
Website: dolcegabbana.com
Source: CPP Luxury
Ermenegildo Zegna, Beijing
Ermenegildo Zegna has unveiled its first Peter Marino Global Store in Beijing, the largest Zegna boutique in Beijing
covering 540sqm of luxury retail space. All of Ermenegildo Zegna’s collections can be found in individually designed areas, from the hand-made ‘Couture’ collection and the ‘Su Misura’ (tailor made) service, to an extensive range of shoes, textile and leather accessories.
Website & Source: Ermenegildo Zegna
Shanghai Global Store pictured
Giorgio Armani, Hong Kong
Giorgio Armani has opened a new store in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong, with two floors and an area of over 950sqm. On the first floor, men’s and women’s clothing and accessories, including shoes, bags and other small accessories, are displayed; while on the second floor, more fashion clothing and shoes are available.
Website: armani.com
Source: China Retail News
Graff, Macau
Louis XIII hotel and casino in Macau has secured jeweller Graff Diamonds for its ultra-premium Louis XIII Atelier where items start at US$1 million. Louis XIII Atelier is strictly by invitation and appointment only, even hotel and casino guests will not be allowed automatic access to the exclusive salon.
Website: graffdiamonds.com
Source: Luxury Insider
Harry Winston, Kuwait
Harry Winston has opened its first salon in Kuwait, in partnership with premier retailer, Kuwait Luxury Co. The new 122sqm salon is located in the exclusive Prestige District of the Avenues Mall, and houses an extraordinary selection of breath-taking jewels and innovative timepieces, from Harry Winston’s most iconic collections.
Website: harrywinston.com
Source: AME Info
Bal Harbour boutique pictured
IWC, Rome
Swiss luxury watchmaker IWC has recently opened its first flagship boutique in Rome, Italy. Covering 40sqm, the new IWC boutique in Rome is situated in the prestigious Piazza di Spagna, where a new window display concept uses moving images to illustrate the themed worlds that accompany the individual watch families.
Website & Source: iwc.com
Louis Vuitton, Venice
Louis Vuitton inaugurated its 18th Louis Vuitton Maison in Venice, the second Maison of the brand in Italy following the opening of the Maison Etoile in Rome. The Venice location covers 110sqm, housed in a former cinema dating back to 1906, featuring l’Espace Louis Vuitton Venezia, an exhibition documenting Vuitton’s connections with Venice.
Website: louisvuitton.com
Source: CPP Luxury
Loewe, Rome
Spanish luxury house Loewe has opened in Rome, its first mono-brand store in Italy. The store is located in the famous Piazza di Spagna and covers 300sqm over two floors. The store features all the product ranges of the house, including ready to wear but also the Loewe Leather Icons and Amazona Atelier collections.
Website: loewe.com
Source: CPP Luxury
Maurice Lacroix, Berlin
Maurice Lacroix has launched a 95sqm flagship store in Friedrichstrasse Berlin, featuring the entire Maurice Lacroix collection as well as the Pontos Décentrique GMT Berlin, which has been produced in a limited edition of 20. As well as incorporating a bar where customers can enjoy a drink, the boutique also houses a service centre with workplaces for two watchmakers at the back of the boutique.
Website: mauricelacroix.com
Source: Retail Jeweller
Missoni, Milan
Missoni has revamped its historic flagship on Via Sant’Andrea, with a new interior concept signed by famed architect Patricia Urquiola. The 400sqm Missoni store in Milan has been entirely re-designed to better reflect the spirit of the house and an improved modular presentation of each of the collections. Openings are to follow in New Delhi, Hong Kong, Doha and Riyadh, by the end of 2013.
Website: missoni.com
Source: WWD
Prada, Singapore
Prada has opened its first mono-brand store at Singapore’s Changi airport, situated within Terminal 3. The new Prada store covers 120sqm and features accessories, shoes and bags for women and men. Prada operates four other directly owned stores in Singapore, at ION Mall, DFS, Marina Bay and Paragon.
Website: prada.com
Source: CPP Luxury
Rolls Royce, Beirut
British automaker Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is strengthening its global presence with a new showroom in Beirut, Lebanon. The Beirut location accommodates two vehicles and a personalization lounge featuring Rolls-Royce’s Bespoke service, which allows customers to configure their vehicle to their individual taste. The new retail space is the 10th showroom in the Middle East for Rolls-Royce.
Website: rolls-roycemotorcars.com
Source: Luxury Daily
Saint Laurent, Paris
Saint Laurent has opened its Parisian flagship at 53 Avenue Montaigne, under the direction of Hedi Slimane. The 900sqm boutique is decked out in the emblematic monochrome colours of the luxury fashion house, where architecture has a modern 2013 feel with art deco references.
Website: ysl.com
Source: FashionMag
Thom Browne, Tokyo
Thom Browne has called on Masamichi Katayama and his interior architecture firm Wonderwall to realise the brand’s first free standing flagship store outside of the US, in the Aoyama district of Tokyo. The boutique features a post-modern exterior composed of sheet metal, with a minimal yet comfortable interior to house menswear collections.
Website: thombrowne.com
Source: High Snobiety
Tod’s, São Paulo
Tod’s is opening its first location in South America, at JK Iguatemi in São Paulo, Brazil. The store will offer the brand’s classic European collections for men and women – as well as pieces designed specifically for the Brazilian market.
Website: tods.com
Source: Just-Style
For more in the series of The Latest Boutiques, please see our most recent editions as follows:
– The Latest Boutiques: Berluti, Lanvin & Vacheron Constantin
– The Latest Boutiques: Patek Philippe, Corneliani & Louis Vuitton
– The Latest Boutiques: Hublot, Audi & Chanel
Creative Strategist, Digital
Sophie Doran is currently Senior Creative Strategist, Digital at Karla Otto. Prior to this role, she was the Paris-based editor-in-chief of Luxury Society. Prior to joining Luxury Society, Sophie completed her MBA in Melbourne, Australia, with a focus on luxury brand dynamics and leadership, whilst simultaneously working in management roles for several luxury retailers.
