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Louis Vuitton: Maison London

This week, Louis Vuitton opened the doors to its spectacular, long awaited Maison London. The huge new superstore is rumoured to cost in the region of around £30 million (plus), embodying everything LV. Designed by New York architect Peter Marino, everything about this store exudes pure luxury clad in French lacquer, gold titanium and polished wood. The imposing façade mimics the grandeur of other Maison’s in Paris and Japan – huge double height windows and gold mesh cladding. An exquisite glass staircase runs through the building, top to bottom with a constantly changing LED floor.

The store is home to an exquisite showcase of products. Bags of course play a starring role with a ten-meter high feature wall, which suspends trunks and cases. You can pick up the latest style at the ‘Bag Bar’, complete with cocktail bar stools and bags rotating behind. Uber-stylist, Katie Grand curates an exhibition of mannequins with handbags-as-headpieces and clothing styled from the twenty four collections Marc Jacobs has designed for the brand since 1997.

A library stocks a catalogue of British contemporary art books, and a gallery of incredible original paintings, sculptures and installations by the likes of Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons, Michael Landy and Takashi Murakami. A lush, top-floor ‘apartment’ is wall clad in white leather, decked out in lounge style soft furnishings and reserved for invitation-only VIP shoppers.

The point of this hugely expensive store? To give customers the feeling they’ve experienced something truly special and ultimately sumptuous. The opening is a big deal, LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault was there to host a gala dinner, celebrating an important milestone in the history of Louis Vuitton in London, since the opening of the first store 125 years ago. It’s a powerful statement from the luxury market, which has experienced turbulence to say the least in the recent economic downturn. The general consensus? There’s nowhere else like it in London – an instant hit destination.

Images courtesy of Louis Vuitton