Celebrity 'luxury architect' Peter Marino has updated Louis Vuitton's London flagship store with explosive visuals.
Marino applied his signature technique to a luxury brand's flagship storefront in the UK capital. Now the LV monostor literally "explodes", standing out in a modest urban landscape, including among its main competitors. The store officially opened on New Bond Street after an extensive renovation that took about 14 months.
New York native Peter Marino specializes in luxury presentation, decorating flagship stores for premium brands around the world. His portfolio includes dozens of works with LV, Dior, Ermenegildo Zegna and Armani. And for Chanel, the specialist designed 12 stores on several continents.
The facade of the building received an installation of a kaleidoscopic explosion of LV monograms, and the trading floor was turned into a multi-level gallery. The 1,625 square meter store is adorned with 43 works of art and installations by artists such as Jim Lambie, Josh Spurling, Farhad Moshiri and others. Marino traditionally uses only exclusive items and antiques in his work, and includes contemporary art in all his projects. The dominant feature of the retail space of the renovated boutique Louis Vuitton serves as a cultural double spiral staircase made of oak, connecting the spaces on several floors. Marino also designed the flagship's unique furniture and personally oversaw a selection of period pieces to decorate the interior. Among the most extraordinary pieces that decorate the retail space is the color-changing LED installation “Glass in the Light” by American artist James Turrell on the third floor.
Virgil Abloh's ready-to-wear menswear and footwear department occupies the store's colorful basement. The first and second floors sell items created by French designer Nicolas Ghesquière, as well as ready-to-wear women's clothing and accessories. In the main atrium of the store, there is a separate space that displays the collections of the line for travel and household items. One of the highlights of Louis Vuitton London Maison is its exclusive jewelry department, which features sapphires, emeralds and Santa Maria aquamarines.
