Hot on the heels of its new London flagship, Fendi continues the expansion of its empire with a new show-stopping emporium on New York’s Madison Avenue. Designed by fashion’s go-to architect Peter Marino, who is also responsible for the brand’s opulent Rome flagship, Beverly Hills boutique and its other New York outpost on Fifth Avenue, this new fashion mecca is an ode to the brand’s Roman roots. From the street, an imposing façade with towering columns and sweeping arches built in Travertine echo the monumental grandeur of Rome’s Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana, soon-to-be home to the fashion house’s global headquarters.

Inside, Fendi’s wares are arranged over two floors and set against a backdrop of exotic woods, marble and fur – an aesthetic that Marino describes as ‘a beautifully abstracted version of Rome, of a Roman holiday’. On the ground floor – decked out in marble and petrified Indonesian wood – customers will find women’s accessories including an area dedicated to the label’s irrepressible ‘Baguette’ bags – several miniature versions take centre stage set against a glittering display wall of handwoven, gold-foiled leather.

From here, a sweeping stair lined with Palisander and stitched Selleria leather curves upwards leading customers to ready-to-wear, furs, watches and a VIP area. While the fur room is lined with lacquered parchment, the walls of the ready-to-wear lounge are clad with white sculptural wall panels that resemble a canopy pulled in tension over hundreds of protruding poles.

via Wallpaper