Insights
Luxury Retail–Flagship Experience Story
By Kyrsten Laboda, Vice President, Design & Creative Services
While ‘bricks and mortar’ retail stores have had to redefine their roles and reimagine their experiences in a digital-first world, we have noted the significant investment in flagship spaces among luxury retail. These spaces are truly inspiring, and we want to explore what goes into creating an exceptional flagship experience – with a recent trip to New York serving as our first stop.
Over the last few years, Manhattan has seen the legendary Tiffany & Co. transformed into a new “world of wonders” while around the corner, Dior unveiled House of Dior New York, a space that balances past and present over four floors. A new entrant to the US market, Printemps, the celebrated French luxury department store opened their newest store in New York’s vibrant financial district last spring to lines going around the block. Inside, the visual feast is at once maximalist and minimalist – with fashion, beauty, and food & drinks thoughtfully arranged throughout the historic space at One Wall Street.
Even the much-anticipated new flagship for Louis Vuitton is making a mark on the New York streetscape with an elaborate system of scaffolding made to resemble the brand’s iconic trunks. The covering was design by Shohei Shigematsu of OMA and the details of the Louis Vuitton monogram print, metallic buckles, corner protectors, and handles give the façade a verisimilitude that is striking and a visual landmark before the store has even opened.
Reflecting on these flagships, one thing is certain, these stores aspire to create a brand experience as much as a retail experience.
As diverse as the experiences are – bringing fashion house codes into the present, balancing local and global inspiration, minimal and maximal, services for spa or food & beverage – there are common principles that underpin the flagship experience that every retailer can consider when reimagining their space and elevating the customer experience. Here are our top 5 principles:
Storytelling
Effective storytelling helps to transform retail stores from places to shop into immersive experiences. Brands may rely on design, merchandising, and signature elements like custom scents to immerse you in their branded worlds.
Storytelling may tap into a brand’s history, craftsmanship, or commitment to innovation, and is often part of a deeper product story. Importantly, in luxury retail, storytelling is most effective when it seamlessly combines product display, materiality, and lifestyle elements. The key is to convey themes and ideas in the context of your spaces, and often that doesn’t involve words!
House of Dior (NYC): woodland story crafted from notions that were sourced from Dior’s product development teams
Design Cues
Regardless of your brand’s aesthetic, design cues signal an elevated customer experience. Often it is the attention to detail that layer into a space, the materials and finishes, that create a sense of warmth and caring. When a space feels considered, visitors feel welcome and it enables them to shut out the world for a time – and enter the world you’ve created.
Flagship retail considers the connection between the space and the products to be featured. We were inspired by two strong examples at Printemps:
In the iconic Red Room, designed by Hildreth Meiere in the Art Deco Landmark, original red ombre and gold mosaic tiles line the walls and ceiling–and Printemps has created a “magical shoe forest” with a soaring leaf canopy crafted from cut-out white metal. This opulent space is beautifully paired with a curated collection of shoes that are sculptural, colorful, and bejeweled.
In the Beauty Corridor, a more intimate space, Printemps presents fragrances, skincare, and body care atop flowing fixtures–creating an organic conversation between product and space.
Printemps (NYC): The Red Room maximizes the gorgeous original mosaics, building on the opulence with materials, lighting, and crafted elements that dovetail with the original details.Service Experience
While the customer experience is at the forefront of any flagship experience, spaces need to be designed with a solid understanding of how the employees will operate in the space. The more elevated and bespoke the desired experience, the more ‘work’ is put on the people to create the customer experience.
In the best examples, the service experience is very intentionally part of the design. Wayfinding and communications may be more minimal with concierge, intuitive zones, and dwell spaces playing a more important role – enabling both the employees and customers to inhabit the space seamlessly and with intention.
At Christian Dior, an exclusive consultation room was designed with personal service and privacy in mind. A gorgeous sliding panel moves aside to reveal a room dedicated to engagement rings – a hidden space where customers receive personal attention in a private space.
House of Dior (NYC): a sliding panel reveals a hidden consultation space at Dior, adding to the feeling of exclusivity and personalization.
Blurred Lines
Some brands are blurring the lines between luxury goods and art. Whether through artful displays, developing collections in partnership with artists, or site-specific installations.
Brands are finding ways to step outside their sector through collaborations and partnerships that create opportunities to introduce artful and unexpected elements into their retail spaces.
At the Tiffany flagship in Manhattan, art installations are thoughtfully installed on every floor in the signature Tiffany blue.
Notably, Louis Vuitton strengthened its image as a pioneer in fashion and art through its collaboration with Yoyoi Kusama across decades – bringing to life the artist’s colorful and seemingly infinite world through its collections and retail installations globally.
Tiffany (NYC): Tiffany flue art installations elevate the brand atthoughtful locations throughout their NYC flagship.Reasons to Return
Another pillar of today’s flagship experiences is programming and amenities that give customer sreasons to return.
At Mikimoto in New York City, master classes are offered on the history of the brand and its seminal role in pioneering the cultured pearl. These events enhance the brand’s credibility and positioning in the market, and create an opportunity to invite established and new customers to the store.
At Printemps, there are several bars and cafes located throughout the space, offering a respite for shoppers or those simply looking for a unique gathering spot. There is also fine dining with a fresh take on French culinary classics from an award-winning chef. Even when you’re not shopping, a stop at one of these spaces strengthens your connection to the Printemps brand and brings you back to the store.
At the Christian Dior flagship, there is a spa that offers a respite from the bustling streets of New York City. Perched on the top floor, the space features special spa services and treatments that create another avenue of connection with customers and the community
Printemps (NYC: Red Bar adjacent to the iconic Red Room.
Concluding Thoughts
After our trip to New York, it’s clear that luxury flagship spaces are tapping into the broader trend for immersive experiences. These spaces are giving customers and visitors alike a reason to look up from their screens to experience a thoughtfully designed space, a well-curated collection, or a unique presentation. While flagship spaces may transcend transaction, the principles that underpin the experience – from storytelling to service design - can inspire all of us engaged in retail.
