In the global luxury shopping landscape, London has been a fixture for many decades, and for just as long, Louis Vuitton has been present here. In fact, the British capital was the very first foreign outpost of the French brand, and the Maison Louis Vuitton on New Bond Street has become one of its most prominent global showcases. Needless to say, the brand is much aware of the necessity and prestige to retain a high profile here, and following a lengthy revamp of the aforementioned store, it’s good to go for at least the next decade. At 17,500 sq.ft. (1,626 sqm.) spread across three expansive floors, it ranks among Louis Vuitton‘s biggest retail spaces in Europe, and features a new interior design by New York City-based designer and longtime collaborator Peter Marino. The updated aesthetic is signalled from afar by way of colour-infused window installations, and above all, an equally colourful and almost cartoon-like explosion of Vuitton icons which has been attached to the façade on street level. Interestingly, it’s not just a revamp, but in fact, the entire building has been redeveloped to create entirely new spaces, including three double volume spaces clad in limestone which add unprecedented grandeur to the shopping experience.
A newly installed swirling oakwood and glass staircase connects three floors, making a bold statement of contemporary chic. The spacious basement section is home to Virgil Abloh‘s hailed designs for Louis Vuitton‘s men’s collection, and on the ground floor and second floor, the full range of Abloh’s counterpart Nicolas Ghesquière‘s women’s collection can be found, in addition to a permanent collection of Louis Vuitton‘s Objets Nomades furnishings and decorative pieces, and jewellery. The latter is quite special, as this is the only Louis Vuitton Maison on the planet, apart from its equally grand equivalent on place Vendôme in Paris, which carries the brand’s fine jewellery collection. The fourth floor accommodates the store’s exclusive apartment and private shopping suites for its most discerning clientele. Adding even more edge to the shopping experience are no less than 43 works of art and design pieces by 25 leading artists and designers, and of which nine have been specially commissioned. The list of artists includes Tracey Emin, Floris Wubben, Andreas Gursky, Sarah Crowner and Martino Gamper.
Louis Vuitton Maison
17-20 New Bond Street (Mayfair)
London W1S 2RB
Telephone: +44 20 79986286
Mon-Sat 10-7
Sun 12-6
Publishers Note
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