Saint Laurent opens its biggest boutique to date in Paris

Saint Laurent opens its largest flagship shop to date. The new boutique is located in a historic building on Paris’ revered Champs-Elysées avenue. Inside the boutique, the House’s creative director, Anthony Vaccarello, debuts a new design concept, which seeks to fuse the building’s original architectural elements with the fashion brand’s artistic genes.

“I wanted to fulfil one of Yves Saint Laurent’s wishes when he arrived in Paris, when he said he wanted his name to be engraved in letters of fire on the Champs-Élysées,” says artistic director Anthony Vaccarello when presenting the new Saint Laurent boutique at number 123 on the world’s most beautiful avenue.

The Kering firm announces that it has installed “its largest flagship shop” in this emblematic location, in a Haussmann-style building, whose façade has been restored for the occasion, without giving details of the number of square metres. The space, all concrete, marble and dark wood, is characterised by a minimalist style that mixes raw and luxurious materials, inspired by a contemporary art gallery.

This impression is reinforced by the works of art present in the shop. In particular, the monumental entrance hall is dominated by a neon sculpture commissioned by the British artist Cerith Wyn Evans, known for his work on language and light. The furniture by American designer Donald Judd also stands out.

The space is divided into four levels. A semi-basement floor houses the men’s collections, then, on the ground and first floors, the women’s world, with ready-to-wear, bags, shoes, accessories and jewellery, while the top floor is reserved for VIP customers.

With this shop, Saint Laurent seems to be definitively moving away from the modernist and Art Deco aesthetic that Hedi Slimane gave it when he was its artistic director, towards an atmosphere that is a little less cold and with unexpected comforts that are intended to surprise the visitor. This new concept, developed by Anthony Vaccarello “aims to instil a sense of discovery… while celebrating the essence of the original architectural elements”.