New openings: luxury stores and pop-ups worldwide
Louis Vuitton, a tribute to Virgil Abloh in Miami
The French brand has opened its second standalone men’s store in the world in the Design District, on the corner of 39th Street and First Avenue. The 3,586 square feet of the space is a mix of pale oak and raw concrete, l stainless steel, rising glass windows, and works by local artists and pieces from the brand’s Nomadic Objects collection, as well as a series of resin statues. Virgil Abloh has contributed to the design of the store.
Swarovski, a special installation at LuisaViaRoma in Florence
For Christmas 2021, Swarovski collaborates with LuisaViaRoma to present an exclusive installation to show the new Collection II.To celebrate the Christmas holidays, the historic Florentine store of LuisaViaRoma, from the end of November to January 6, 2022, is adorned with dazzling crystals, snowflakes, gingerbread characters, and ornaments inspired by the magic of Christmas, to inspire sparkling awe. The installation involves the external windows of the store and the indoor environments, giving space to a magical and festive Christmas aesthetic, to show the Swarovski jewelry collections designed by Giovanna Engelbert. The atmosphere evokes a candy store through pastel colors, crystal decorations, and chrome sculptures inspired by pop art.
Giorgio Armani, women's wear boutique in Avenue Montaigne
After a restyling project, Giorgio Armani moved its women's clothing boutique in 18 avenue Montaigne, in Paris. The previous show located in 2 avenue Montaigne, houses the Giorgio Armani men’s clothing and accessories line. The store extends over an area of 5,489 square feet distributed on two levels. The ground floor houses clothing, accessories and eyewear collections, alongside Armani beauty and a dedicated area to highlight the label’s special collections. While eveningwear, shoes and jewellery are showcased on the first floor, complemented by a private reception area. The exterior and interior of the boutique have been designed to respect the heritage of the original structure.
Fendi, boutique in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan
The new Fendi boutique, located inside luxury shopping mall Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, in the heart of the Italian city, reinterprets the contemporary aesthetic of the Milanese buildings, mixed with distinctive geometric patterns and multicolored marbles that characterize all stores of the Rome-based luxury company.
Ami, first store in New York
Located at 77 Greene Street in SoHo, the 1,615-square-foot store includes a selection of men' s wear, women's wear, and accessories from the French fashion house. Designed by founder and creative director Alexandre Mattiussi himself, the interior of the brick-and-mortar boutique features large mirrors, a metallic mesh ceiling, and other design elements mixing the brand's relaxed, but luxurious aesthetic with pieces of American style. To celebrate the opening of its first U.S. store, Ami debuts second limited-edition capsule collection for Ami de Coeur in collaboration with New York artist Kevin Lyons.
Gucci, the brand’s first boutique in Cortina with Franz Kraler
The Italian brand Gucci unveils its first boutique in Cortina d'Ampezzo in partnership with the luxury retailer Franz Kraler, which owns seven stores in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Dobbiaco and Bolzano. Located in the heart of the city, Corso Italia 88, the new store which covers an area of 138 square meters, hosts the women's wear and men's wear collections, bags, accessories and footwear. Since its opening on December 1, the boutique is dedicated to the items of the The North Face x Gucci collaboration until the end of January.
GCDS, customized pop-up store in Milan
The 60 square-meter space is located in the heart of Milan, via Sant'Andrea 16, and is inspired by the new GCDS x Bratz collaboration, which includes two Bratz Collector dolls customized with GCDS look and a unisex limited edition collection of clothing and accessories. At the center of the store, there are two maxi-statues of over two meters in fiberglass representing the dolls dressed in GCDS, made by the artist Colin Christian. In addition to the new GCDS x Bratz capsule, the store also offers a variety of products including GCDS Moon Boots, a selection of iconic garments with a logo, and the exclusive collection of holiday gift boxes, which includes five kits designed for personality and different characters.
Mara Hoffman, retail game in New York
The contemporary sportswear designer has opened her retail boutique at 183 Lafayette Road in New York’s SoHo, close to her showroom on Centre Road. The store, designed by Hoffman herself, focuses on her passion for plants thanks to a collaboration with landscape designer Kari Elwell-Katzander of Mingo Designs and the botanical sculptor Lutfi Janania of Rosalia for a made-to-measure wooden frame mirror draped in palm fibers. The 1,600-square-foot space features the pre-spring 2022 collection.
Philipp Plein, showroom in Milan
The showroom is located in a 19th-century building named Casa Marinoni, via Burlamacchi 5. The 1400 square meters space is distributed on two floors and a rooftop, and the first exhibition area of the showroom of about 220 square meters is dedicated to accessories, the press room, and operational offices. On this floor, there is also the bistro, an area of about 60 square meters designed and projected by the architect Jolanda Sbrana of Jsc Studio.
Paco Rabanne in Paris
The 153-square-meter space at 39 Avenue Montaigne in Paris, exhibits pieces from various capsules of the French brand, in addition to items from Paco Rabanne capsule collections and exclusive pieces, such as the 1969 spray-painted bag. The flagship occupies the ground level of one of the two Paco Rabanne Paris offices, a strategic location at a prestigious corner that has been historically associated with high fashion. A space is dedicated to savoir-faire and the transmission of Maison’s history, with rotating displays ranging from heritage pieces to the more recent archives of Julien Dossena. The store’s centerpiece is a custom island in pale resin, and striated marble by award-winning Dutch designer Sabine Marcelis, whose sensitivity to form, material, and workmanship yields a functional, elegant piece with sculptural impact.
Photo: The installation of Swarovski at LuisaViaRoma in Florence. Courtesy image
