Assessment Task 3 Communication Artefacts from a Design Perspective Harry Hughes Artefact: Le Louvre on Collins Street Le Louvre is a retail outlet widely considered as part of the upper class “Paris end” of Collins Street. It is a place prominent in Melbourne’s history because it is seen by many as the last remaining link between Melbourne and European haute couture. According to the Lonely Planet guide to Melbourne, many Melbournians are “too scared to step inside the Parisian outlet” due to the associations that come with shopping at Le Louvre.
Since the 1930s, when the term “Paris end” came into wide usage (and was in fact coined by founder and original owner Lillian Wightman), the store has been respected as an outlet of fine fashion and an aspect of the city’s upper class. This is primarily due to the part it played in introducing European designers to Melbourne at a time when elitist fashion started to become important to Melbournians. It is thus clear that this retail store was, and still is, able to link Melbourne and the