If you haven't planned a trip to Chanel's vast new Bond Street flagship yet, the label's president of fashion, Bruno Pavlovsky, is here to explain exactly why you should pay a visit as soon as it opens on Wednesday.
"There is no equivalent and it's very special because it's London," he told us. "What the interior designer, Peter Marino, has been able to do, is balance architecture, art and fashion. It's a new angle for us; a new way of seeing our collections. Whatever you want you can find it at Chanel - whether a lipstick, a bag or a beautiful dress - and that's exactly what we want customers to feel here. I want them to feel comfortable; to feel good when they walk inside. We have created a very special relationship with our customers and they're very loyal to us. It's our job to continue to seduce them - that's important."
If Chanel was to open a department store, its new Bond Street home is what it would look like - three expansive floors with a towering installation of pearls, created by French artist Jean-Michel Othoniel, as its impressive centrepiece. The space replaces the label's former, somewhat smaller, Bond Street boutique - which used to occupy 26 Old Bond Street. Pavlovsky blames London's popularity in the retail market as the reason why the brand has taken so long to open a large store in the city.
"We had to find the right opportunity and Bond Street, new and old, is quite small," he explained. "A lot of brands want to be able to have their flagships here. There is a lot of competition to be here, it's tough."
Karl Lagerfeld himself had little to do with the store's aesthetic, leaving it to architect and designer Peter Marino - who is responsible for the design of most of Chanel's boutiques. The label's creative director is focusing instead on designing the eight collections a year that Chanel creates. How does he do it? "Well, he is pretty good," said Pavlovsky. "He knows what he is doing."
For Marino, who has been working with the fashion house since 1995, research is key when trying to encapsulate the essence of a label.
"There is no equivalent and it's very special because it's London," he told us. "What the interior designer, Peter Marino, has been able to do, is balance architecture, art and fashion. It's a new angle for us; a new way of seeing our collections. Whatever you want you can find it at Chanel - whether a lipstick, a bag or a beautiful dress - and that's exactly what we want customers to feel here. I want them to feel comfortable; to feel good when they walk inside. We have created a very special relationship with our customers and they're very loyal to us. It's our job to continue to seduce them - that's important."
If Chanel was to open a department store, its new Bond Street home is what it would look like - three expansive floors with a towering installation of pearls, created by French artist Jean-Michel Othoniel, as its impressive centrepiece. The space replaces the label's former, somewhat smaller, Bond Street boutique - which used to occupy 26 Old Bond Street. Pavlovsky blames London's popularity in the retail market as the reason why the brand has taken so long to open a large store in the city.
"We had to find the right opportunity and Bond Street, new and old, is quite small," he explained. "A lot of brands want to be able to have their flagships here. There is a lot of competition to be here, it's tough."
Karl Lagerfeld himself had little to do with the store's aesthetic, leaving it to architect and designer Peter Marino - who is responsible for the design of most of Chanel's boutiques. The label's creative director is focusing instead on designing the eight collections a year that Chanel creates. How does he do it? "Well, he is pretty good," said Pavlovsky. "He knows what he is doing."
For Marino, who has been working with the fashion house since 1995, research is key when trying to encapsulate the essence of a label.
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| Chanel London |
Pavlovsky hopes that London's Chanel emporium will strengthen the brand's "special relationship" with Britain. He reiterates that the label's link with the UK goes a long way? back - Coco Chanel was an ardent lover of the UK - especially Scotland, the location for Chanel's Metiers d'Arts show. It was the success of the label's Little Black Jacket exhibition, staged at the Saatchi Gallery, that gave him a more recent indication that the British are as addicted to Chanel as their French counterparts.
"There is a lot of history here, small, official and private," he said. "This boutique will anchor this relationship. It represents the power of the brands today and we feel very comfortable here."
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