by Brooke Varney
London is a town truly blessed by the Fashion Gods.
Although we have plenty of choices from the affordable to the high-end, there’s always room for more. Especially if it’s a Balmain flagship. That’s right, the luxurious brand is set to open it’s second ever independent store outside Paris on South Audley Street in Mayfair. Creative director Olivier Rousteing discusses plans with architect Joseph Dirand for thestore, including translating “Balmain French refinement into an English vocabulary.” He elaborates, “The new 200 sq-metre boutique has been created as a unique elegant London pied-a-terre that channels the classically sober English style, it is Balmain’s second home.”
Olivier Rousteing with one of his designs.
Part of the store’s modern-meets-classic aesthetic includes a refined color palette of creams and grays, with chateau-like ceilings, a marble fireplace and etched floors, along with retail-friendly touches including refined gold clothing racks and perfectly-placed mirrors. The store is set to carry the brand’s clothing, accessories, and fragrance line, which are all now available on Balmain’s brand-new e-commerce store. Of the store’s January 2015 debut, Rouseting says, “The opening will be about friends having fun. London is more about individualism and freedom, it is a very inspiring city that I love to visit, and it’s so close to Paris!” We couldn’t agree more.
Balmain’s London flagship store, set to open in January 2015.