Saint Laurent announced the opening its largest flagship to date. Located in Paris’ Champs-Élysées — perhaps one of the most stylish addresses in Europe — Saint Laurent’s creative director, Anthony Vaccarello comments, “I wanted to realise one of Yves Saint Laurent’s wishes when he arrived in Paris and said he wanted his name to be written in fiery letters on the Champs-Élysées”.
Celebrating the essence of the building’s original architectural elements, the store features hard, industrial surfaces with exposed concrete walls and marble flooring. The building’s restored Haussmannian facade is Saint Laurent’s latest interpretation of modern luxury. The interiors are a collection of unique, flowing spaces with a striking, luminous feel. They were designed to create an engaging experience for the clients. By carefully placing design elements, the juxtaposition of rawness and refinement is achieved. This creates a new paradigm in luxury shopping that is typically more clinically refined and predictable.
In the white spaces, there are several Donald Judd furnishings and some neon-purples. A curved black-lacquered wooden staircase leads clients to a serene private garden, ideally after they have had a browse through brand’s collection displayed on marble frames. Another highlight is the double-height entrance foyer, which features a neon sculpture created by Cerith Evans and commissioned for Saint Laurent.
What does this mean for Saint Laurent? Well, fans of the house will recoginse that architectural structures and marble platform were seen on the background of Saint Laurent’s Spring/Summer ready-to-wear collection. If you recall, a winding staircase was also seen at Saint Laurent’s Pre-Fall 2023 imagery.
Saint Laurent’s conceptual shapes and the smattering of less obvious maximalist elements show that it is not afraid to make a statement, while at the same time not settling for a traditional boutique. Plush furniture, harsh lighting and mirrors at every corner are used to remove the need for predictability. Just like the spaces in this Champs-Élysées store, there is a depth to the clothes and extrodinary tailoring that speak for itself and don’t have to rely on an ostentatious background to make them shine.
Saint Laurent Champs-Élysées doors are open at 123 avenue des Champs-élysées.
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