Culture
Only in New York…
It’s only fitting that the brand’s biggest boutique will be in NYC. This iconic city was the site of Bottega Veneta’s first store outside of Italy. It was a place where the era’s biggest icons shopped. Both Jacqueline Onassis and Andy Warhol were frequent visitors when the city’s first store opened in 1972. Image courtesy of The Cut.
A couple of months ago, Bottega Veneta added a third flagship to their collection of stores, this one is fittingly in New York City. Called the “Maison”, this new Upper East Side boutique fills three 19th-century townhouses spanning almost 15,000 square feet.
Covering five floors and connected by a staircase fit for a palace, this new flagship is creating a lot of waves throughout the fashion and design industries alike.
Tomas Maier, the creative director for Bottega Veneta, is the son of an architect and has been instrumental in making sure each boutique reflects the culture and heritage of its location. As such, this new store is sure to be quite a bit different than the other two flagship locations, Milan and Beverly Hills.
This undulating staircase goes through all five levels of the store… and pairs beautifully with the minimalistic design. Image courtesy of Harper’s Bazaar.
The boutique is “washed” with natural light, an element that can be in short supply in New York City. The townhouses in which the boutique resides were formerly private residences and showcase plenty of light during daytime hours. This differs substantially from the typical Manhattan store which is built-out with a glass front and is artificially lit. Sharing the street with the likes of Chanel, Givenchy and Alexander McQueen… Bottega Veneta is THE eye-catcher of the group!
Quite different from the Milan store which is filled with frescos, this new Bottega Veneta boutique has just about everything else. Image curtesy of Habitually Chic
Meant as a tribute to the city, “Maison” feels like home. With most architectural details left unchanged, the finished product is quite stunning. The fifth floor, called “The Apartment” is where the brand’s home and furniture collection is displayed. There’s also a rotating collection of art which is a decades-long collaboration with Milan and London based gallery: Robilant + Vena, usually featuring Italian artists.
Part of the men’s collection, this Manhattan Craquele has the brand’s iconic Intrecciato styling and is obviously inspired by New York City’s street grid. Image courtesy of Fashion Week Daily
With the opening also came a new 33-piece capsule collection titled, “Icons of New York” which included accessories accented with some of the city’s most recognizable images.
For example. totes and phone cases in army green are inlaid with a collection of colorful leather stripes which depict the subway map. An additional fun feature is that the stops on each line are marked with polished metal studs. Other pouches are embroidered with grey and white shapes of Manhattan’s skyscrapers, including the Empire State Building.
The elegant interior is awash with cool tones. Image courtesy of WWD
It is interesting that in a time when a lot of retailers are considering shuttering their stores to rely on internet sales, Bottega Veneta chose to open such an expansive boutique. As Tomas Maier said, “The process has taken many years. But I think it was worth spending that time to achieve something on this scale. This store is my gift to our East coast clientele.” A great present indeed!
