Journey through the largest Balenciaga store in Europe
The Spanish-born French luxury fashion company Balenciaga will open a new flagship in London, England’s capital, tomorrow, Saturday, March 26. Journey to the heart of this impressive and unique building.
The construction project for this new store has been underway for two years now, but was halted midway and for a while for obvious reasons of Covid-19 pandemic. However, it will officially open its doors on Saturday, March 26, 2022 in the prestigious Bond Street, located in the London district of Mayfair, England, alongside other luxury stores such as Miu Miu and Burberry.
The three floors of the store all represent a stage of deterioration. The lower level, where the men’s clothing is located, is abandoned in places, covered in gravel and has several graffiti. The latter was conceived and designed by art director Niklas Bildstein Zaar and Italian architect Andrea Faraguna of the Berlin-based architecture studio Sub. The latter is particularly known at Balenciaga because he designed many sets dedicated to the brand’s fashion shows.
With a surface area of 706 square meters, the store is yet another creation based on the concept conceived by creative director Demna, “Raw Architecture“. Deployed worldwide in Balenciaga’s boutiques and headquarters, Demna explains that the intention of this project is to preserve the past of each building and make it relevant again.
“Raw Architecture materializes a new experiential conception of modern luxury in which Balenciaga introduces new retail codes where the passage of time is a transformative event,” says the brand. explains the brand. It is also worth noting that Balenciaga’s investment in its retail stores is part of the recent creative strategy deployed by Demna, stores that he now considers a strategic focal point and a clear extension of the brand.
Raw” architecture, also present in the collections
This new concept is also reflected in the company’s collections. The preservation of the buildings’ past, the motto of the “Raw” concept, refers in particular to the way Balenciaga’s collections are approached, from the leather garbage bag to the coat made from mushroom leather. 22 looks from the fall/winter 2022 collection will be on display in the new flagship of the house. The house’s signature pieces like its Hourglass and Le Cagole handbags, or Triple S, Phantom, Track, Expander and Defender sneakers will be equally highlighted.
“The Balenciaga products displayed in this suspended setting are in an ‘a-temporal’ state, not associated with a specific contingency. The less you leave a building, the less waste there is […] and the less new materials need to be put in. This concept means that stores inherently consume less virgin materials,” the brand emphasizes.
With the easing of Covid restrictions in England, the brand is hoping for a significant upturn in customer traffic, which will be attracted by this unique building designed for a luxury store. “The opening of Balenciaga on Bond Street really highlights the continued confidence of global brands in London’s West End and the luxury market as we continue to recover from the effects of the pandemic,” says New West End Company CEO Jace Tyrrell.
For the curious and fans of the luxury brand Balenciaga, meet tomorrow in London, Bond Street, to discover what the new largest Balenciaga store in Europe looks like!
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Featured photo : © Balenciaga
