trunks and other luxurious delights… but it’s only here for a bit.
Images: Courtesy of Louis Vuitton
There’s often a line to get the French powerhouse’s largest and most ambitious in North America. The five-story space at 6 E. 57th St. features the brand’s first café and chocolate shop in the US, as well as towering installations and an exclusive capsule of keepsakes.
Last month’s glittering opening event — attended by LV-clad Bradley Cooper, Ana de Armas, Nina Dobrev, Cynthia Erivo, Jennifer Connelly and Martha Stewart and DJed by the Fcukers and Mike D of the Beastie Boys — was admired on countless social media posts. Incredibly, the boutique is only temporary. The interim location will remain open for several years while the Fifth Avenue flagship is undergoing a renovation. The facade of that permanent address is currently wrapped with traffic- stopping supersized LV trunks.
The iconic trunks are equally high profile at the new store. Four stacked sculptures made of Courrier Lozine 90 malles stand 52 feet tall. Created with OMA architect Shohei Shigematsu, they reflect the New York skyline. A 59-foot wall of mirrored Vuitton bags, both the Keepall and the smaller Speedy, acts as a partition that rises to the fifth floor. Photo murals of patterns developed by the house’s collaborators — Richard Prince, Yayoi Kusama, Supreme, Takashi Murakami and Stephen Sprouse — flank the shiny staging.
The world of Louis Vuitton spans the emporium. Leather goods and a new travel room with a personalization artisan are on the first floor. Women’s is on second while men’s is on third. To mark the opening, a collection of men’s and women’s ready-to-wear, leather goods, accessories and gifts celebrating NYC style is for sale. Hero bags on offer include the Neverfull Inside Out in taxi yellow, the Speedy Soft with yellow lining and whimsical tags, the Capucines paneled with Manhattan’s skyscrapers and the GO14 in shimmery light gold.
boutique
encompasses a
Louis Vuitton cafe,
a chocolate shop
with Monogram
creations and
an exclusive
capsule collection
of keepsakes. Courtesy of Louis Vuitton
On the fifth floor, shoppers will find private retail lounge spaces, Objets Nomades and the Art de la Table collections. A secret room showcases Louis Vuitton High Watches and Jewelry. The fourth floor, meanwhile, is dedicated to flavor. Le Café Louis Vuitton, with its shelves of books, promotes culture and cuisine. Guided by French chefs Arnaud Donckele and Maxime Frédéric, local talents Christophe Bellanca and Mary George helm the kitchen. The concept: luxury snacking. The French team will continue to mentor rising culinary stars. As for Le Chocolat Maxime Frédéric at Louis Vuitton, the renowned chef pâtissier and his Paris atelier are crafting signature bars, hazelnut bonbons and edible flights of fancy like Vivienne on a Malle. Made entirely of chocolate and operated by a key, a Monogram-flower mascot slowly pirouettes atop a trunk. More proof that Vuitton is sweet on innovation.