BUZZ
Luxury gets a new address Louis Vuitton enters the fashionable city of Beirut with the opening of its first store at the Beirut Souk.
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op fashion house Louis Vuitton opened its first store in Beirut, Lebanon recently at 103 Allenby Street, a step away from the newly reconstructed Beirut Souk. Imprinted with years of history, the structure correlates perfectly with the values that the Maison cherishes most. Keeping its engagement to the heritage and history of the city, the Louis Vuitton store, which opened its doors in July this year, preserves the original architecture of downtown Beirut, wrapping around the beautiful facade of the building, allowing three beautiful vitrines to showcase the latest products of the season. Built on two levels on a total of 270 square metres, the Louis Vuitton store seeks to offer its clients a promenade into a world of luxury. Leather goods, luggage, small leather goods, textiles, and accessories, and of course, shoes, all of which are designed under the direction of Creative Director, Marc Jacobs, are presented throughout the store for a large offer of exquisite products to its Lebanese customers. 32
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BUZZ Following Peter Marino’s architectural concept for the Louis Vuitton Maisons such as the Champs-Elysées in Paris and New Bond Street in London, the Beirut store exposes a similar interior design.
Returning to discover the women’s area to the right of the store entrance, a set of marble stone stairs leads the way to a mezzanine where another world of women’s products awaits.
The beige and brown marble stone shares the floor with soft beige carpeting, off-white bleached Aniegre wooden panels cover the lower part of the walls and product displays while the circular metallic nettings, posing as the Monogram flower, can be found decorating the upper walls towards the ceiling.
At the top of the stairway, women’s accessories and a textile bar present a selection of sunglasses, scarves, and fashion jewellery. Entering into a larger room, the customer falls upon a wider collection of women’s city bags and small leather goods discreetly warmed by a small lounge consisting of a sofa and dark brown marble inspired coffee table.
True to its heritage and traditions, the store first welcomes its clients by revealing a beautiful collection of vintage trunks and luggage. To the right of the entrance is the introduction to the women’s universe with accessories and iconic leather goods such as the Neverfull, Speedy, and Keepall. To the left, a larger area is dedicated to the men’s section, immediately pulling the customer towards the men’s city bags, presented in emblematic canvasses such as the Damier Graphite or Monogram Macassar. Continuing deeper into the men’s universe, the interior design adapts a masculine personality with a slight darker wood tone, presenting men’s accessories including sunglasses, textiles, and further along, men’s shoes.
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Lastly, a little coven of shoes is perceived in the far left of the large women’s section, almost entirely dedicated to footwear with the exception of a small display of women’s leather goods, elegantly selected to pair with the perfect shoe. The customer can comfortably shop the shoes section, thanks to another set of canapés. Fusing Louis Vuitton’s and Beirut’s architectural traditions, the store brings a dynamic new spirit of luxury to the heart of Lebanon’s capital, and represents a stylish showcase for Louis Vuitton’s collection of luggage, city bags, men’s and women’s shoes, fashion jewellery, textiles and accessories.
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