Vivienne Westwood Opens First Flagship Boutique & Maison In Paris

 Vivienne Westwood opens its first flagship boutique and maison at 175 Rue Saint-Honoré, Paris recently.

The Paris store marks Westwood’s first ever standalone retail location in France, offering two floors of the brand’s ready-to-wear lines: Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood, Vivienne Westwood womenswear and menswear and Anglomania, as well as all accessory lines, alongside a bridal and evening wear salon dedicated to showcasing and fitting demi-couture gowns.

  

In addition to the two levels of retail space, the upper floors of the maison comprises showrooms and in-house offices, offering a press and sales presence in the heart of Paris.

“We love Paris. It was the cultural centre of Europe since the time of Jean- Baptiste Colbert. Colbert’s economic policy was that France would always produce the best. As a result the whole of Europe became Frenchified and followed French culture. And so,  France led culture for 2 or 3 hundred years – certainly up to WWII. As a result this gave the French their national identity as the leaders of culture. This is why we love to show in Paris and why Andreas & I wanted to open a shop here.” -Vivienne Westwood.

Vivienne & Andreas were joined by a number of friends to celebrate the opening; Hollywood actress Christina Hendricks, Bianca Jagger and singer Charli XCX enjoyed classic English sparkling wine from Nyetimber and cocktails from the London Gin Distillery. Eva Ionesco, Lukas Ionesco, Simon Liberati and Vivienne’s muse Sara Stockbridge were seen dancing to retro classics from DJ’s.

First built in 1830 and adapted to include residential space across the rear courtyard in 1927, 175 Rue Saint Honoré has a colourful past; once a chocolate shop, home to an instrument maker and from 1927 and the house of famous French classical music publishing house Editions Alphonse Leduc.

The change of hands in 1927 led to a re-design with architect Philippe Jolivald giving the building and courtyard its distinct Parisian Art Deco style, which is still recognisable through the high ceilings and wrought iron and geometric mosaic staircase which leads to the mezzanine showroom at the rear of the building.

Set over 1,200 square-feet, the boutique unveils the new global store concept for Westwood retail. The new architectural and interior design concept, adopted throughout the new French maison, reflects the brand’s distinct DNA - in which the notion of elegance is deconstructed and restored. 

Using a mix of sustainable, raw and natural materials such as; resin, iron & plywood, the hardware DIY look of the interior muses industrial raw-edged simplicity with iconic elements of the Westwood brand to create a minimalist space, designed to accommodate the avant-garde creations of the quintessential brand.