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The Latest Boutiques, NARS, Lanvin and Tory Burch
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An essential round-up of the latest boutique openings by luxury brands, including Jaquet Droz, Tory Burch and NARS in Hong Kong, New York and London An essential round-up of the…
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
An essential round-up of the latest boutique openings by luxury brands, including Jaquet Droz, Tory Burch and NARS in Hong Kong, New York and London
An essential round-up of the latest boutique openings by luxury brands, including Jaquet Droz, Tory Burch and NARS in Hong Kong, New York and London.
After a veritable explosion of boutique launches in the lead up to Christmas, January has proved to be a slower month for openings as brands focus on re-furbishing key locations and retail strategies for 2011. Dior upgraded one of its seven Hong Kong stores, in keeping with the elaborate new Peter Marino designed concept, unveiled recently at the Madison Avenue New York flagship. Tory Burch opened her first stand-alone store in London, joining an impressive roster of luxury houses on Old and New Bond Street. Finally Lanvin consolidated its US presence with a landmark store on Rodeo Drive.
NARS, New York City
With a global brand presence and distribution in major beauty stores like Sephora, it is surprising to learn that NARS has been without a Flagship store until February 2011. François Nars selected downtown New York for his first stand-alone retail presence, opening on Bleeker Street in the West Village. The intimate space was designed by Fabien Baron of Baron & Baron, playing on the brands signature monochrome colours with a hint of red in homage to the brand’s signature lipsticks.
Website: NARS
Source: Fashionista
Lanvin, Rodeo Drive
Lanvin adds another iconic address to its North American retail presence, opening its fourth U.S. boutique on Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills. Over 420sqm, the store houses both men’s and women’s ready-to-wear, footwear and accessories, designed as a collection of four lounge areas that constitute mini sitting rooms for each category. Shelving for accessories is made from mirrors and brushed steel and black-framed archival photos of models and Lanvin’s first Paris boutique remind shoppers of its heritage.
“It is about creating a store that is not enormous, but more intimate and friendly and personal” said Alber Elbaz, “That’s what I’m looking for as a [customer]. I don’t want to go into a megastore today".
Ulysse Nardin, Boca Raton
In partnership with East Coast Jewellery, Ulysse Nardin opened its flagship boutique at the Boca Raton Town Centre Mall in Florida, USA. The store features over 80 of the Swiss watchmaker’s finest timepieces, including a bespoke edition of the Boutique line, auctioned on the evening to celebrate the opening. Ulysse Nardin also used the event to announce plans to open its new 650sqm US-headquarters in Boca Raton, in the spring of 2011.
Website: Ulysse Nardin
Source: Day & Night
Harry Winston, Las Vegas
Beginning with its store at Crystal Castles, Harry Winston recently unveiled a new look store concept, designed to be ‘more open and more intimate than past stores’. The new concept was unveiled as Harry Winston embarks on an aggressive expansion plan to grow its retail network of 20 units to 50 within the next five years, including seven stores this year. The brand collaborated with designer William Sofield, a longstanding collaborator of Tom Ford, in updating the store concept. The 175sqm space in Las Vegas focuses on transparent glass, accessible merchandise and seeks to make Harry Winston stores a less intimidating proposition for potential consumers.
Website: Harry Winston
Source: WWD
Louis Vuitton, Zhengzhou
Louis Vuitton continues its aggressive expansion into China, now looking beyond hotspots Shanghai and Beijing, to mainland cities such as Shenyang, Hangzhou and Harbin. The brand now operates locations in 29 cities, turning its focus to the lucrative inland market in recent years. The latest Vuitton boutique is located within Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan Province, at the Yudafufu Mall, also recently home to Gucci. In preparation for the brand’s arrival, Yudafufu claims to have spent millions on remodelling, adding a VIP elevator and lounge, a floor-tile mosaic of the Champs-Élysées, and Sino-French design touches throughout the store.
Website: Louis Vuitton
Source: Jing Daily
Dior, Hong Kong
With an impressive seven stores within the city, Hong Kong is an important destination for Dior. Most recently its store in the Tsimshatsui district. Hong Kong’s equivalent of Fifth Avenue, was expanded from 600sqm square feet to almost 1000sqm and renovated by architect Peter Marino in keeping with the brand’s new concept. The expanded store now features areas for the brand’s fine jewellery, Dior Homme and the increasingly important VIP salon.
Frey Wille, Prague
Austrian jewellery manufacturer Frey Wille has opened its third boutique in the Czech Republic, opening an intimate 40sqm store in Prague’s Ruzyne International airport. The brand now operated eight boutiques within Austria, as well as stores in Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Paris, London, Milan and Berlin. Business development and operation manager Gréta Sedon commented: "We are confident the Prague airport shop will be a new wonderful show case for Frey Wille and will add the flavour of uniqueness and luxury to the airport concept.”
Website: Frey Wille
Source: DFNI
Tory Burch, London
Joining a stand-alone location in Rome, Tory Burch recently opened her London flagship as the event slowly develops a presence in the European market. The just under 400sqm space is housed in a 19th-century town house, spanning two floors. Most recently it housed a haberdashery store but was once the site one of an early Louis Vuitton store. It has been decorated opulently with a homely feel, in keeping with the brand’s luxe-lifestyle aesthetic, it has moss green floors, gold leaf mirrors, orange lacquer details and a tented ceiling with a skylight.
Website: Tory Burch
Source: WWD
Jaquet Droz, Hong Kong
Joining boutiques in Japan and Macau, Jaquet Droz recently celebrated the opening of its inaugural Hong Kong boutique on Canton Road. The boutique features sleek lines, a palette of black, enamel colours and grey as well as contrasting matte and glossy surfaces. Despite it’s foundations in 1738, this is only the fourth location to open in the Asian market and its sixth worldwide. Mr. Marc Aellen, Head of Sales of Jaquet Droz, thanked the guests for their support: “Jaquet Droz has had a long and close relationship with China. In the past 273 years, Jaquet Droz has never ceased to stun the watchmaking watch by producing distinctive timepieces that feature appealing design and professional know-how, which I believe will bring supreme joy and satisfaction to the collectors, connoisseurs and watch enthusiasts in China.”
Website: Jaquet Droz
Source: Luxury Insider
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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.
