Emporio Armani has pulled out all the stops to revamp its longtime flagship in the swanky St.Germain neighbourhood of Paris. Measuring a whopping 1,260 sqm. set over four lofty floors, it’s a dramatic transformation that has also opened up the premises, allowing in more daylight than ever before. The interior design, created by the master Giorgio Armani himself and his team of architects, is inspired by the notion of flowing weightlessness, and accordingly features paper-thin walls that seamlessly morph into shelving, or alternatively, open up into connecting pathways.

In an equally ingenious way, apparel items are hung on suspended structures connected to metal tubing. Adding up to the understated modernity are luminous glass sculptures that hold accessories. Flooring of black stone and dark backlit ceilings provide a contrasting balance, and so do the colourful graphics printed on large suspended screens. Obviously, in a store of this size, the full range of Emporio Armani’s men’s, women’s and kids collections is available. Since the store’s initial opening almost two decades ago, Emporio Armani Caffè – a hospitality format and one of the fashion behemoth’s many of such venues across the planet – has formed an integral element, and not surprisingly, it has also been fully revamped.

Not just an anomymous corner, the establishment gobbles up a sizeable 200 sqm. of space on two floors, and provides both shoppers and neighbourhood dwellers an elegant culinary haven where to indulge a leisurely drink or in tasty italian delicacies. The ground floor is home to a café with seating area and a spacious terrace, and one floor up a restaurant and a lounge is situated. The setting here is entirely different from the retail space, featuring a sensual ambiance with walls clad in leather with a metallic finish, and glammed up by an inlay mirror strip that outlines the space like a ribbon. It’s paired with wooden flooring, arranged in a classic herringbone pattern. Additionally, a corner on the ground floor has been reserved for Armani/Dolci, the patisserie spin-off of the Milan-based Fashion House.

Design: Giorgio Armani

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