The Latest Boutiques, Burberry, Bally & Boucheron
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 latest openings from Aston Martin, Stella McCartney, Prada and Godiva, in Shanghai, New York City and Sicily
London’s first boutique dedicated to Private Jets, launched in Belgravia with plans for locations around the globe
2011 was a rather gigantic year for retail expansion in the luxury sector. Prada were one of the most aggressive in terms of growth, opening no less than 51 stores in the first nine months of 2011, many of which were shadowed by nearby Miu Miu boutiques. By November, Prada’s total retail network included 370 direct points of sale (WWD).
Hublot’s recent openings in Courchevel and Gstaad bring the total number of Hublot boutiques to 42 – a significant expansion in just four years. In a similar timeframe, Aston Martin has taken its retail footprint in China from zero to six, with launches confirmed for showrooms in Chongqing, Shenyang and Ordos in 2012.
2012 looks set to be another year of rapid and far-flung retail growth for luxury brands. Now that brands have begun to penetrate second and third-tier cities in Mainland China, it would be unsurprising should the focus remain on China. As the laws concerning Foreign Direct Investment in India evolve, there could finally be room for stand-alone luxury boutiques – but much of that will depend on politics.
In the meantime, the holiday season played host to many a ribbon cutting ceremony, from Paris to Pudong and Stockholm to Seoul. We present a round up of the must know launches in global luxury retail.
Acne, Paris
Acne Studios has opened its second Paris location, within a converted garage in the heart of the Marais. The part retail shop, part workspace, was transformed by Jonny Johansson and Acne’s in-house architect Andreas Fornell, preserving the concrete shell and adding a sleek chrome, marble, and beige-carpeted interior with suspended LED strip lighting.
Website: acnestudios.com
Source: Style.com
Aston Martin, Pudong
Opened in conjunction with the existing Aston Martin dealer group, owned and managed by Mr Zheng Ting, the luxury British automaker has opened its seventh dealership in China, in Shanghai’s Pudong. On display will be eighteen new vehicles, alongside a café, lounge, Aston Martin merchandise display and sales area, fully equipped service centre, Jaeger-LeCoultre timepieces and Bang & Olufsen audio/visual displays.
Website & Source: astonmartin.com
Bally, Geneva
Located a stone’s throw away from Jardin Anglais, Bally has opened doors on a new Geneva boutique, spanning two floors over 280sqm. The store’s interior features white fossil stone floors and 100% pure wool grey carpet, a marble staircase and feature wall constructed from soft alcantara. The store will carry complete collections of women’s and men’s shoes, bags, leather accessories and ready-to-wear.
Website: bally.com
Source: Luxury Insider
Boucheron, Doha
Boucheron has launched its third store in the Middle East, located within Lagoona Mall, in the Doha’s West Bay community. In keeping with its global design concept, the space is decorated using its signature aubergine and gold colour palette and rich wooden décor. The Doha boutique will house Boucheron’s iconic most collections, alongside a selection of exquisite high jewellery creations.
Website: boucheron.com
Source: Elite Traveler
Burberry, Stockholm
Burberry has opened its first store in Sweden, on Biblioteksgatan in Stockholm. The store will house Burberry London, Burberry Brit, and Burberry Accessories collections, across menswear, womenswear, accessories, fragrances, timepieces, and eyewear. The three-level, 200sqm space was designed by Burberry Chief Creative Officer, Christopher Bailey.
Website: burberry.com
Source: Fashion United
DeBeers Diamond Jewellers, Hong Kong, Dalian
DeBeers has opened within ELEMENTS mall in Kowloon, its second in Hong Kong, where it will showcase a completely new store design concept of glass, light and openness over 80sqm. The diamond jeweller also opened at The Times Square Mall in Dalian, marking its third store in Mainland China.
Website: debeers.com
Source: Diamonds.net
Dior, Beijing
Officially opened by LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault, Dior has launched its latest flagship in Beijing’s Shin Kong Place, spanning 800sqm. To launch the new location, Dior invited dozens of Chinese celebrities, artists and local socialites to take part in the ribbon-cutting ceremony and viewing of the “Lady Dior As Seen By” exhibition, which presents more than 50 creations from international contemporary artists.
Website: dior.com
Source: Jing Daily
Dior Homme, San Francisco
Dior Homme has launched in San Francisco, joining existing freestanding stores in New York and Beverly Hills. The 200sqm space previously housed a women’s Christian Dior store, which has been transformed into a men’s store, spanning two levels. The boutique will showcase sportswear, casual footwear and accessories on the ground level and tailored clothing and dress furnishings on the second floor.
Eres, Los Angeles
Eres has updated its Beverly Hills location, moving from Rodeo Drive to a larger store on nearby Dayton Way. The boutique displays the cult-favourite swimwear and lingerie as well as the company’s newest expansion, lifestyle pieces such as cashmere pants and robes, cotton pyjamas and silk tunics. Eres has announced plans to launch a line of nail polish this March, and to open a Las Vegas store in early 2012.
Etiket, Montreal
A new luxury retail concept providing the best in cosmeceuticals, skincare and beauty products has launched in Montreal. Designed by Interior Designer Scott Yetman, Etiket is devoted to skin care, perfume, candles, soaps and accessories. The boutique features Italian wood floors, tufted suede, contemporary glass, cool marble and a healthy dose of mirror.
Website: facebook.com/Etiketcremesdeluxe
Source: PR Web
F.P.Journe, Buenos Aires
F.P.Journe has opened its first-ever “Espace F.P.Journe” in the world, in Buenos Aires with its partner Simonetta Orsini at Petit Palais. The retail space will house a large collection of F.P. Journe precision chronometers, and like the F.P.Journe boutiques, will have access to certain limited series reserved exclusively for them, such as the Black Label line and Boutique Editions.
Website: fpjourne.com
Source: World Watch Web
Godiva, New York City
d-ash design has completed work on the new Godiva 5th Avenue flagship boutique in New York. The concept takes design cues from the chocolatier’s Belgian heritage, using wood accents and other rich materials, which also features a backlit Lady Godiva emblem behind the cashier’s wall, another homage to the brand’s tradition.
Website: godiva.com
Source: Hospitality Design
Hublot, Courchevel
Hublot has followed an opening in Gstaad, with an opening on rue du Rocher in Courchevel, in a continuation of the partnership launched between Hublot and the renowned alpine resort. The LVMH brand will also inaugurate a giant clock at the start point of the Courchevel 1850 pistes, with more than 20 others installed at strategic points throughout the station.
Website & Source: hublot.com
Jaeger-LeCoultre, Milan
Jaeger-LeCoultre opened its first boutique in Milan last December, on famed via Montenapoleone. The boutique opening also coincided with the launch of the Grande Reverso Ultra-Thin Tribute to 1931 timepiece, encrusted with the colours of AC Milan, following a partnership between the famed Italian soccer club and Jaeger-LeCoultre.
Website & Source: jaeger-lecoultre.com
The Jet Business, London
London’s Belgravia is now home to a boutique for private jets. Clients are invited to explore the jet market using a customised iPad application to compare various aircraft types to an individual’s profiles. Information, including comparative graphic images and full size 1:1 cabin cross sections of the jets, are then viewed on the electronic floor to ceiling screens of the show room.
If clients are unable to meet at The Jet Business office, the team will travel to any destination in the world.
Website: thejetbusiness.com
Source: Luxos
MB+F The M.A.D.Gallery, Geneva
MB&F;’s M.A.D.Gallery is now open in Geneva on Rue Verdaine, a stone’s throw from its and atelier in the heart of the city’s old town. Inside the gallery, you find the complete range of MB&F;’s Horological Machines and new Legacy Machine No.1, but also carefully curated pieces – or, as MB&F; like to call them, Mechanical Art Devices – from around the world.
Website: madgallery.ch
Source: MB+F
Miu Miu, Seoul
Miu Miu has launched its tenth store in South Korea, within the Lotte World Duty Free Shop in the capital of Seoul. The space is dedicated to women’s ready to wear and accessories, and has been designed by Prada Group architect Roberto Baciocchi, in keeping with Miu Miu’s current global store concept.
Website: miumiu.com
Source: CPP Luxury
Pomellato, Los Angeles
Pomellato has unveiled its largest boutique to date, a 460sqm, two-story space on Rodeo Drive, Los Angeles. Designed by architect Raffaella Bortoluzzi, the first-floor space housing Pomellato’s fine jewellery is composed from neutral stone materials with black lacquer and gold accents, while the upstairs Dodo space features gold walls with bright red accents.
pomellato.com
Source: WWD
Prada, Palermo
Prada has opened its first Sicilian store on Via della Libertà, in the heart of Palermo. The store spans near to 200sqm across three floors, within a frescoed 19th-century building reinterpreted by architect Roberto Baciocchi. The store features marble floors with black-and-white checks at the entrance and walls enveloped in pale green toile.
Stella McCartney, New York
Stella McCartney has relocated her New York store from the Meatpacking District, to a two-level Soho space on Greene Street. The 485sqm boutique will house the main line collection as well as children’s wear and the Adidas range. In the same week, a new Stella McCartney store also opened its doors in Bal Harbour, Florida.
Website: stellamccartney.com
Source: Style.com
TAG Heuer, Wuhan
TAG Heuer continues to expand its boutique network around the world, opening within the International Mall in Wuhan, China. The 81sqm boutique is TAG Heuer’s fifteenth in China and 128th worldwide, and is framed by a 9.5 metre high bronze facade. The store will house all the brands series as well as diversification lines.
Website & Source: tagheuer.com
Vacheron Constantin, Harrods, London
Vacheron Constantin has selected Harrods’s new Fine Watch Room for the opening its first dedicated space in the UK, with an in-store boutique. To celebrate the Swiss haute horlogerie house opening in the UK, Vacheron Constantin has created a special limited edition Patrimony Contemporaine for Harrods, which has been limited to ten pieces.
Website: vacheron-constantin.com
Website: harrods.com
Source: Retail Jeweller
Young Versace, Milan
Versace has opened its first boutique in Milan dedicated to Young Versace, the children’s wear line, which debuted at Pitti Immagine Bimbo in Florence last June. Located adjacent to the Versace Home boutique on Via Borgospesso, the one-story, 50sqm store is dominated by a merry-go-round, carrying clothes and accessories for both girls and boys from infancy to age 12.
Website: versace.com
Source: WWD
Zanetti Bimbi, Treviso
A luxury specialty store for children, Zanetti Bimbi, has opened in Treviso, carrying ready-to-wear and accessories by Armani Jr, Burberry, Fendi Jr, D&G; Jr and Baby Dior. Designed by Giachi Architects, the two-level boutique spans 300sqm and has been decorated in tonalities of white and off-white, with soft textured fabrics and translucent flooring.
Website: breficom.it/zanetti
Source: Paolo Giachi
For more in the series of The Latest Boutiques, please see our most recent editions as follows:
– The Latest Boutiques, Hublot, Pomellato & Fabergé
– The Latest Boutiques, Hermès, Omega & Mercedes-Benz
– The Latest Boutiques, Louis Vuitton, Rolex & Tom Ford
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.