If you are in New York this week, you’ve got yourself a nice surprise coming on May 3. Longchamp opens its flagship store on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue.
Located at 645 Fifth Avenue in the Olympic Tower, adjacent to Rockefeller Center and St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the 4,000 square-foot, two story space will be the largest outpost in the US for Longchamp. The tower has often been described in the past as both “prismatic” and “cinematic.”
Layered rows of protruding metal ribbons make up the structure around the store. The colours of the façade carry gold and champagne hues. These metal strips are rigid, but appear as if they are floating, or swaying in the breeze. In other words, Longchamp is adding their own French-lux touch to the area.
Additionally, the lighting on the flagship’s façade is also unique. The vibrant façade represents a fresh visual identity, marking the next chapter for Longchamp. The brand introduced this visual statement when it opened their brand new flagship boutique in Shanghai, China.
Once inside, shoppers will be drawn to the focal point of the flagship — the artwork titled Transchromie Mécanique Aléatoire by the Venezuelan artist Carlos Cruz-Diez. He often uses kinetic and optic aesthetic which is evident in this piece too. Through the artwork’s moiré effect, Cruz-Diez is able to create a sense of motion while also catalysing an immersive visual experience through color. There is a synergy and continuity between the composition of Cruz-Diez’s work and the linear elements of the façade.
Longchamp’s Fifth Avenue flagship will contain the widest range of the house’s collections in the United States, including women’s handbags, ready-to-wear, shoes, leather accessories, men’s collections and all of the label’s luggage pieces.