Champs-Élysées, Paris now houses Yves Saint Laurent’s contemporary flagship store as of December 9th. Apprehending luxury buyers for singular experiences from across the globe, the mirror laden facade will now be complemented with creative chief Anthony Vaccarello’s somber innovative bylines through one of luxury’s biggest stores, documented.
An architectural amalgamation between raw and refined, the store is an exemplary execution of Yves Saint Laurent’s vision of his name written in fiery letters on the Champs-Élysées. As for the creative chief, the new concept store equates with ‘a sense of discovery’, where the remnants of the building are left unaltered. Following the criterion of classic French fashion channels, the YSL store comes with a Haussmannian facade, translating into a single architectural ensemble.
This fashion forward store precedes with many YSL boutiques now transformed into pseudo art, design and architectural gallery shopping experiences, reinstating Vaccarello’s commitment to art. Fostering a thunder stricken neon light sculpture by Welsh conceptual artist Cerith Wyn Evans in a double-storey foyer, with Donal Judd furniture pieces, models a few of the many highlights of the place, illustrating the unwavering commitment of art patrons to advancements.
Interiors of the new concept store, Paris
Announcing a fresh take on modern luxury, the new store is said to be a manifesto of a new era. Strong design elements like clean circular mirrors break the monotones from raw cemented walls presenting the space with tinted allure. An installation of usable curved staircase washed with black lacquer adds a dimension of grandeur minimalistically, a visual oxymoron to behold. Extending the finities of the luxury experience, the store also oversees a serene private garden available to clients following a dedicated floor to VIP suite.
At Svasa, we draw parallels between the unmatched delectable cultivated for ‘Pillow’, YSL’s latest collection alongside the new flagship and question if new collections and tenets would demand new lodgings. Moving towards the new luxury in recent years, many brands in India and overseas have opted to remodel and illustrate their surroundings to stand lauding alongside their creative presentation on the spot.
Majority of these brands want to create unmissable experiences for their clients and hence go on to curate them in tailor made fashion, as seen by many during the festive season, this recent past. However, a new design laden concept store stands as one of a kind example and experiment hinting at a new collection requiring new experience on a note of colossal grandeur.
(L-R) Repurposed marble shelves; Pillow collection by YSL; Statement lacquered stairs
Borrowing a page from sustainability, the new store spearheads into reusing the colourful marbles as seen on the immersive abode at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, Paris for their Spring Summer 2024 into solidly built massive fixtures, tables, storage and fractions of floors. This thoughtful curation is equated by myriad of assortments starting from men’s and women’s ready-to-wear, handbags, shoes, accessories, and fine jewellery under a roof.
A new store of a 60’s establishment states the test of time stood and new collaboration techniques taking place to achieve sleek modern glamour chiming in the new store. The constant reinvention of self as a brand is reflected through constant changes devised at the 297 Saint Laurent stores worldwide.
Words by Tanya Chaturvedi.
Image courtesy Saint Laurent.
