…NOW FROM GREATER HEIGHTS!
Written by, Becky Harris,
Esvie Contributor
Hopefully by mid-September, there will be a brand new shoe hall in Selfridges. After three years of planning, the retail genius has pulled together over 120 brands, from River Island to Christian Louboutin, and put them under one roof. Tate St Ives designer, Jamie Fobert, created a unique floor made up of six special “salons”. Each salon has a different style and price range. There are other quirky little rooms, including the Coco Chanel “Apartment”- designed in the style of her old abode- Topshop “Pad” and Prada “Suite.” And with any new swanky shop, it’s all about the extra little details- exclusives such as the Nicholas Kirkwood for Rodarte shoes, and a limited edition Balenciaga black-on-black pair, as well as Tamara Mellon herself picking the furniture for the Jimmy Choo Lounge.
Shoe giant Kurt Geiger have also been setting up shop with a new boutique store in Covent Garden; featuring a chandelier made up of over 250 shoes; and a luxury concept store in Liverpool, located in an iconic 1960s building. It’s not just shoes, either. Luxury brand, Acne, opened its UK flagship store in Mayfair in July, which isn’t just one of those old, boring shops you just buy clothes in, either. No, for Acne, it has to be a fiver-floor townhouse, which used to be a gallery. The entire range spans these floors, mixed in with furniture, floor-to-ceiling paintings and a piano, which is played by a professional every Saturday.
Ralph Lauren and Louis Vuitton are other big players to drop some new property in the past few months. Mr Lauren rescued an old mansion for his new Paris store, and if you haven’t seen the new Louis store, well, where on Earth have you been?! The New Bond Street store was designed by Peter Marino and cost millions. The shop holds all collections, including the collaborations with artists such as Richard Prince. Mannequins haunt the floors, showcasing the 24 collections Marc Jacobs has done for the brand since he started in 1997. Jacobs said of designing, “we create what we desire.” The stock certainly does look desirable, displayed on shelves of different sizes all stacked up abstractly on walls, and smaller goods placed in “nail bars” in which customers can pull up a stool and shop while they sit. Every little thing has been considered in order to provide the customer with the most luxurious, iconic shopping experience.
It is no wonder designers are going to such lengths these days. Since that old credit crunch chestnut, shopping has become more of a sin than a pleasurable pastime and due to a lot of us working overtime hard-core, there just isn’t the time- after a long, arduous week of slaving, slowly trudging around a shopping centre isn’t always what one wants to do. It is much easier for a customer to stay in bed and pop onto net-a-porter, which, by the way, has just sold for around 250 million. A store can influence a customer so much more, and that is what’s being pushed. The idea portrayed is that customers are not just buying a product; they are buying a timeless piece of luxury, and the brand itself. Personally, I love the new bursts of creativity, and I’m now praying that Viktor and Rolf are next to open up shop…
