Louis Vuitton redesigns 57th avenue flagship

Louis Vuitton's 5th Avenue flagship store has long been the most profitable store out of all the company's U.S. based stores. Of course, the store couldn't stay looking the same forever despite its success. The store has undergone a head-to-toe renovation all under the oversight of architect Peter Marino, the man who was the force behind the design of the store in 2004.

The U.S. happens to be Louis Vuitton's largest market, so of course they had to make sure that their biggest money-making store in their biggest market is up to date with the times. Currently, the U.S. has 114 free-standing Louis Vuitton boutiques. The flagship store at 1 East 57th Street stayed open during renovations, because it is imperative for a demand for high luxury leather goods to be met. Two-thirds of the offerings at the flagship store are women's, with the other one-third being men's.

Marino happens to not only be the force behind Louis Vuitton's flagship store, but he also designs all of the brand's major stores around the U.S. In 2004, the flagship store became one of Louis Vuitton's first stores to have an LED fixture. While it might not seem so major now, back then that was a huge step for store architecture.

Marino knows a lot about keeping luxury brand boutiques contemporary, as he also designs stores for several other LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton brands including Chanel, Dior, Celine, Fendi, and Ermenegildo Zegna. To bring something new to the Louis Vuitton flagship store's decor, Marino chose spice colors. Marino, who is reportedly a big fan of spices, went for hot pinks and rusty oranges. He also red flowers to the artwork of the store due to Louis Vuitton's history of exotic travel.

Louis Vuitton flagship at 1 East 57th Street has been redesigned

The entrance of the store now features a new double-enlarged vestibule that was redesigned in caramel lacquer panels and stone. The entrance is also bedazzled with a vitrine displaying a large LV trunk, and a brass chandelier by Vincenzo De Cotiis. Walls are done in marble with linear lighting accents.

Many stores are going high-tech lately, but the store is still opting to restricting their tech features to the associates having I-pads and I-phones. The layout of the store has remained the same despite the heavy renovations.

The ground level features women's leather goods, jewelry, watches, and accessories; the mezzanine level features men's leather goods, travel, a new watch section, and an atelier for personalization; the second floor houses the men's universe which opened on November 21; and the fourth floor houses client services and the Haute Maroquinerie VIP salon.

Marino commissioned several pieces of contemporary artwork for the space as well, including a painting called "Girl with Orange Lips" by Farhad Moshiri, and a red flower sculpture by Yayoi Kusama.

In honor of the renovation, the flagship store will be offering several limited edition Louis Vuitton items, including the women's Masterpiece half-boots with a yellow strap for 1780 dollars. They will also be hosting the pre-launch of the two new Alma bags, the Alma PM bag for 2280 dollars and Alma BB with monogram studs for 1920 dollars.

The company has announced that they will be renovating the Soho store next, though no specific date or timeline was given.

As for the reason behind the renovation, Louis Vuitton chief executive officer and chairman Michael Burke told WWD that "We feel compelled to update it. It's not different than any other great destination in New York." He compared the store the Statue of Liberty and Grand Central Terminal in terms of landmarks.

photo:flickr.com