LVMH gives Celine a new store in Paris’ Golden Triangle

By

Godfrey Deeny

Published
Oct 23, 2018

LVMH are being very, very nice to Celine and Hedi Slimane.
 
The group just handed over the former Dior Homme boutique on high-traffic corner of rue François 1er and rue Marignan to Celine for a new store, in a busy period of boutique-building for LVMH on France’s most expensive shopping thoroughfare.

The decision is latest example of how the giant luxury group is giving carte blanche to Celine’s chief artistic officer Hedi Slimane to revamp the brand. Slimane debuted Celine menswear last month in a co-ed show that shocked fashion traditionalists, but highly enthused more contemporary tastes.
 
The move does mark a return of sorts. The boutique had previously been a Céline store, back when the brand had an accent on its first E, and Phoebe Philo was the house’s designer. At the start of this decade, Philo gave the store a rapid “temporary” revamp with bare walls, and minimalist shelving, that subsequently turned into a five-year stay.

A spokesperson for Celine confirmed that the store will open next year, without giving an exact time frame, and that Slimane will design the retail space. This new Celine store is in deep construction; its exterior covered with the debut black and white ad campaign for Celine, shot by Slimane.

The wedge-shaped, two-floor space was converted into a Dior Homme store in 2015, when Karl Lagerfeld, Pierre Niney and Lambert Wilson attending the opening. Back then, Céline took over its current location at 53 Avenue Montaigne, less than 100 yards away. Celine will keep that space, located next door to Saint Laurent, Slimane’s former employer.

On the opposite side of the street on the famed shopping artery, at number 48 bis Avenue Montaigne, Dior Homme opened a new boutique on September 10. It currently offers the final collection of departed designer Kris Van Assche. The critically acclaimed debut collection of his successor Kim Jones will begin retailing there in late November.

In a related move, Dior’s largest flagship, on the corner of Avenue Montaigne and rue Francois 1er is about to undergo extensive renovations that will see it add a second floor. This is confirmed by a construction permit from Paris’ city hall nailed to the ground floor of that boutique.