A First Look At Michael Kors’s Charming New London Store

Shopping today can sometimes feel a little cold and impersonal,” sighs Michael Kors. The designer – who told press, “I don’t wanna sound like Pollyanna but the reality is, I think fashion’s joyous,” after his last show – has channelled his passion for fashion and interior design acumen into his latest London outpost.

Kors fell for the Georgian townhouse on Old Bond Street immediately, owing to its charming façade, and set about making it feel like home. “We wanted to achieve a sense of residential ease with a personal touch, like you’re relaxing in your own living room, or mine,” Kors tells Vogue ahead of the ribbon cutting. “We all live such busy lives – I think our customers will appreciate being able to step inside and feel a world away from the bustle of the city.”

He drew on the “warm modernist” interiors of his cross-coastal homes more than he has done before for his 1,000-plus stores. “I prefer design and décor that is streamlined but still inviting,” he muses. “I have taken the same sensibility and infused it into our store, with a neutral palette, landscape artwork and rich wood, steel and marble finishes throughout.” The first pictures shared exclusively with Vogue emulate the shortbread-hued furniture and treasure-laden shelves in his (latest) holiday home in Florida. His search for serenity – “Getting into nature is important,” he told fashion features editor Ellie Pithers in the March 2018 issue. “Not that I’m hiking and eating granola. But I need to decompress, be in that chilled, barefoot zone” – has followed him across the Atlantic.

As well as the “fabulous neutral linen and cream leather touches for glamour”, Kors instructed his team to embrace the history of the building and its features, including the original fireplaces and brass fixtures. “Everything has been customised though, from the hangers to the Eero Saarinen chairs, which we have had reupholstered,” he says keenly. “This is a new store concept for us and I think that it demonstrates how we see luxury today.”

Kors believes that the sumptuously peaceful setting in which to indulge will appeal to a London audience, because they will be able to place special orders on eveningwear and purchase Bond Street exclusives. He is also positive that the sportswear will fly. “In a big city, our customers are looking for clothes and accessories that make them look and feel great, and that don’t slow them down.” As always with Michael Kors, there’s something to satisfy everyone in his broad customer base. The difference with the Bond Street store is that he goes beyond to make the Michael Kors proposition personal, too.