Miami has seen a steep increase in luxury brands in recent years, putting the city on the map for discerning shoppers. The majority of luxury brands can be found either at the recently established Design District or at Bal Harbour Shops, the city’s original upscale shopping grounds. The latter has lost some of its lustre since the rise of the Design District, but a multimillion dollar renovation and expansion plan should reinstate it as Miami‘s preferred shopping destination for the well-heeled. It’s right here where Valextra has opened its newest outpost stateside. The upscale luggage brand is known to steer clear of generic store design, and for the new outpost it has appointed architecture practice Aranda\Lasch to create an original retail setting inspired by its Milanese roots.
The façade is covered in Ceppo di Gré, a grey-blue stone that’s abundantly used across Milan, and features a large door inspired by a palazzo’s grand entrance. The stone element extends inside, albeit in different form as the design takes cues from a classic Milanese atrium, featuring expansive Barrisol lighting, lots of marble, metal, and mirrors. Strewn across the floor are metal displays with chunky marble tops, and shelving equivalents are suspended on the wall. And speaking of which, the back wall is an absolute eye-catcher, clad in Alpi Wood, a decorative veneer designed by star architect and designer Ettore Sottsass, and comprising of geometric modules whose repetition creates an effect reminiscent of crystals and minerals. The new Valextra boutique carries the brand’s full range of men’s and women’s bags and small leather goods.
Valextra
Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Avenue, Shop N121 (Bal Harbour)
Miami, FL 33154
Telephone: +1 786 2756419
Publishers Note
Just to be clear – superfuture® is a design blog and not a political commentator. No surprise there. The scope of our content has always been global and borderless, however that can often mean covering projects in countries where we will not agree with the politics or actions of those countries. In a world that’s as screwed up as ever right now, the focus of our support is to those designers, architects and other creatives who aim to make the world a more liveable one – as opposed to people that try their hardest to destroy it. So if a project hits our desk and we like it based on its design credentials, we may choose to publish regardless of its location or creators nationality. superfuture® has always been inclusive and hopes for all current wars, aggression, violence, hate and extremism to end.
