Boasting a restored Haussmannian facade, Saint Laurent has taken over a historic building on the revered avenue des Champs-Élysées in Paris debuting a fresh aesthetic concept, which fuses the building’s original architectural elements with the artistic legacy of the Couture house. “I wanted to realise one of Yves Saint Laurent’s wishes when he arrived in Paris and said he wanted his name to be written in fiery letters on the Champs-Élysées,” said the House’s creative director, Anthony Vaccarello.
Indeed, having invigorated the menswear scene for the better part of the last decade, Vaccarello’s interpretation of the brand’s genes were expressed in a play between raw and refined finishes over four floors, with massive marbles shelves affixed to cement walls, and luminous light panels reflecting off of the space’s pared-back floors. The arrival of Saint Laurent in a space steeped in history juxtaposes a new interpretation of modern luxury, while the striking, luminous interior features a series of unique spaces that flow naturally and create an engaging experience for clients.
The vast space is a tension between rough textures and precise details generates a new paradigm for a luxury shopping environment. At once raw and refined, the thoughtful design guides visitors through distinct but unified rooms. Marble displays frame the brand’s collection items as precious objects while encouraging clients to engage with the products on view.
The clean minimalism contrasted amidst the maximalism of sensuous textures, patterns and materials are a tactile analogy of a spirit which has been demonstrated since its sensual profundity in amidst the sands of Marrakech. Vaccarello’s sense of super sensuality combined in a dizzy alchemy of restraint, the store to our eyes is like that moment in Mr. & Mrs. Smith where Angelina Jolie arrives all business-like in a trenchcoat sensuously cinched at the waist only to reveal a bustier and garters with thigh high stockings. Later in Berlin, for SS24, boxy suit jackets with exaggerated, make-space shoulders, as layered over crisp white shirts and neat bow ties imbued a grasp of aesthetics and masculine sexuality in a manner simultaneously debonair and relaxed. Slinky satin and see-through vests cropped at the waist and tucked into high-waisted cigarette trousers, Vaccarello named this collection Each Man Kills The Thing He Loves, and this new Champs-Élysées boutique is one we would die for.
Among the boutique’s many highlights are a double-height foyer featuring a neon light sculpture by artist Cerith Wyn Evans and commissioned by Saint Laurent, a variety of sensuous surfaces and curving staircases in black-lacquered wood, and a serene private garden accessible to clients. Several Donald Judd furniture pieces are displayed throughout.
Saint Laurent in Singapore
Vaccarello presented a new design concept at Singapore’s Paragon Shopping centre. Raw yet refined, the Singapore store is no avenue des Champs-Élysées flagship but it features walls in grigio alpi marble, with touches of blue lumen marble and golden spider marble. The floor is grey concrete, with different carpets in some areas.
The store has a main entrance inside the mall and a second entrance from the streets. Set on two floors, the VIP room upstairs is bathed in natural light from the many windows where glazed openings allow for a bright atmosphere. If you’re short on interior design ideas on how your bachelor pad could look, we would want something just like this.
