Galeries Lafayette: Cloud Nine Luxury
After long weeks of refurbishing, once again the first floor of Galeries Lafayette Haussmann, this ‘shopping temple’ of luxury and top designers, reopened its doors in October, 2008. Between a cloudlike ceiling of porcelain, a precious stone-carpet with an oversized "Versailles" pattern, and ingenious lighting effects intentionally designed to give the illusion of endless space, this mega Parisian store intends to become the ambassador of a "new French-style luxury of the 21st century". Verdict in a few days...
A great place for a real experience in itself!
There are definitely bound to be even more fans taking out their Leica camera and their mini-Panasonic to click madly away at the new luxury area of Galeries Lafayette. This ‘luxury oasis’ is the logical elegant touch to the almost hundred-year-old dome. With the pleasantly scented decoration of the balusters covered with greeneries and the oblong curves, this luxury area is playing the card of a multi-sensorial experience, to create ‘good vibes’ amongst the guests, which doesn’t hurt their spending capacity either, on the contrary! True, before renovation, there was a vaguely foggy and obscure atmosphere, which, no doubt about it, did get us browsing around, in an intelligent manner, of course, from one brand to the next. Yet, some punch, experimentation and sheer fun were missing. That’s why the hand of a master, Bruno Moinard (Cartier, Hermès, Les Arts Déco etc.) was brought in. On the agenda? A "gem of a theatre"...
Virtual visit
Clothes floating in travelling trunks like black and gold “cases”, golden suspended cages lined with satin, rather than classical fitting rooms, a floor in natural stones imitating the Versailles’ parquet, vegetal folding screens that enhance your path and an immense ceiling-cloud in Limoges porcelain: it is really by levitating that you make your way from Barbara Bui to Chloé, passing by Catherine Malandrino. The figures for October will be the real measure of success, but one thing is sure, other Parisian competitors will surely be challenged.
September 2008
Novembre 2008
