Louis Vuitton stores worldwide are known for their grand design, colourful displays and over-the-top attention to detail – which is no different for its new Sydney Maison. The doors to 365 George Street, home to Sydney’s Louis Vuitton store since 2011, will officially reopen this week after twelve months of renovations, unveiling a complete reimagining of the interior spaces by New York-based architect Peter Marino.
The iconic 1857 heritage building, found on the corner of George and King streets, was originally home to a bank designed by a prominent architect at the time, Edmund Blackett. The new design pays homage to many historical and landmarked elements, including the lower-ground floor jack arches, all the while creating a unique store with LV’s signature pops of colour and modern art.
The store includes a selection of Karine Laval’s Heterotopia prints, which perfectly accompany the iconic Monogram flower lit from above. The first floor sees clients transported into the women’s universe with salons showcasing the latest ready-to-wear and shoe collections by Artistic Director of Women’s Collections, Nicolas Ghesquière. It’s here that Gregor Hildebrandt’s 2019 ‘Mit Henkeln aus Nepjrit’, a special commission made of cut vinyl records, canvas and wood, is featured. Sydney’s own culture is reflected on the walls, thanks to curated artworks and furniture curated by Peter Marino, including works by Peter Dayton, Richard Misrach and Thomas Struth.
Perhaps, the store’s most enduring feature is the inclusion of historical Louis Vuitton archival objects and unparalleled artisanal savoir-faire. A Louis Vuitton Objets Nomades display features several spiral lamps by Atelier Oï.
Four incredible trunks are presented in the travel area on the ground floor, illustrating Louis Vuitton’s timeless tradition of the Art of Travel. Ranging from a mail trunk in zinc created in 1885 to house men’s clothing and shirts, to a 1902 men’s trunk featuring the oldest existing covering on a Louis Vuitton trunk – a hemp oiled canvas in Trianon Gray. Another of the four includes a 1916 Aéro Trunk in Vuittonite canvas once belonging to France’s foremost promoter and sponsor of aviation, Ernest Archdeacon, is also on display. Louis Vuitton introduced the Aéro as a proposal for an unsinkable trunk, conceived at the time to be fastened to the gondola of a hot air balloon, that would keep afloat in the event of an emergency sea landing.
Below, take an inside look into Sydney’s Louis Vuitton George Street Maison.
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