Marie Claire UK - 11.2019

WORDS BY JESS WOOD. PHOTOGRAPHS BY GETTY IMAGES

Fusing high-end fashion with culture and cutting-edge accessories,

Louis Vuitton’s flagship address is more experiential event than store

The future of luxury

SHOPPING

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Fashion first

Is it an art gallery? Is it a couture salon? Is it a tech hub?

Withfashion brands having to be more creative to draw us into

their stores, the biggest trend in shopping is ‘experiential’. It’s all

about spaces where you can hang out and see interesting things –

andwe don’t just mean the hot new product. We all know that

LouisVuitton has become French for ‘where it’s at’, thanks to

creative director Nicolas Ghesquière, so it’s no surprise that its

reopenedNew Bond Street store delivers all the above – and more.

‘I’ve worked with Louis Vuitton since 1994, and we’ve moved

away from all the brown wood we used at the beginning,’

starchitect Peter Marino told us. ‘There’s been a real evolution

towards something lighter, clearer and, dare I say, happier. For

London, I wanted the space to have a dressier feel, to echo the

sophistication of the neighbourhood.’ Here’s a sneak peek at

what makes the new maison different...

THE ARTWORK

LVhas a long history of ties to the art world – from

the first artists commissioned by founder Gaston,

Louis Vuitton’s grandson, to create store windows

in the 20’s, to modern-day collaborations with

the likes of Jeff Koons and Yayoi Kusama. Visitors

to New Bond Street will get a mind-boggling art

experience, with a curated collection that includes

works by 3D plywood sculptor Josh Sperling and a

staircase by Jim Lambie in his iconic Zobop stripes.

THE TECH

Fancyan interactive bag? Or fibre-optic trainers?

Ghesquière’s love of all things futuristic and sci-fi has

resulted in the ‘Canvas of the Future’. A flexible digital

display screen that allows for infinite personalisation has

been incorporated into two of the house’s most popular bags,

the ‘Speedy’ and the ‘Duffle’. You can also snap up a ‘Keepall’

tote and men’s trainers that feature fibre-optics to make them

light up with the colours of the rainbow.

TheLouis Vuitton store is at 39-42 New Bond Street, London W1S 2RU

THE CUSTOM

CLOTHES

Whilethe house

doesn’t do couture

as such, the ‘Rare &

Exceptional’ service

offers personalised

versions of iconic

Vuitton red-carpet looks

worn by A-listers like

Emma Stone (right)

and Sophie Turner.

Your chosen dress is

made to measure and

personalised to your

requirements. Now we’ve

just got to find that

Oscars-party invite...