With Georgian designer Demna Gvasalia now at the creative helm of Balenciaga, the iconic fashion house is following a new trajectory that not only transforms the design codes of its collections – next to a boldly different signature for the women’s collection, fashion circles eagerly anticipated the very first Balanciaga men’s collection that Gvasalia concocted – but eventually also those of its stores. Well, it so happens that the very first store to open under Gvasalia’s creative vision is one in Los Angeles. The luxury brand closed down an existing store on melrose avenue, and has traded up by opening on swanky rodeo drive in Beverly Hills.
The new west coast flagship measures a sizeable 175 sqm. [1,884 sq.ft.] spread over three consecutive rooms, each with a distinctly different setting. Supervised by Gvasalia himself, the palette incorporates an eclectic variety of materials, ranging from concrete and satin, to cast aluminum and glass, resulting in an aesthetic that pairs references of Balenciaga’s couture history and its original headquarters on Avenue George V in Paris with raw modern design elements. The new store carries the brand’s full range of women’s and men’s apparel, accessories, footwear, bags, jewellery and eyewear.
http://superfuture.com/supernews/los-angeles-balenciaga-store-opening