Hermès Opens New Colossal Flagship Store at 706 Madison Ave
By: Hellen Zaboulani
Amid all the closures and retail vacancies, one international luxury brand has taken the initiative to open a new palatial store.
Hermès, the French luxury design house established in 1837, has unveiled one of its largest flagships in the world at 706 Madison Avenue and 63rd street. As reported by the NY Post, the new shop is centrally located in the Big Apple’s chic shopping corridor, taking up three buildings — two townhouses and a historic Bank of New York location, built in the federalist style. The oversized store boasts a garden topped roof, and sumptuous salons across four stories, with displays of all 16 of the company’s métiers — including leather goods, women’s ready-to-wear by artistic director Nadège Vanhée-Cybulski, shoes and jewelry by Pierre Hardy, the silk universe, men’s clothing, watches, beauty, perfumes, tableware and furniture.
The glamorous four- floor flagship, or maison, has been eight years in the making, moving one block uptown and “reaffirming its long-running relationship with New York City”, as per the brand’s website. “Heralding the relationship between house and city that first began in the 1920s, the 20,250-square-foot Maison is a union of American dynamism and Parisian elegance carrying the full range of Hermès’ artisanal products and featuring a collection of commissioned artworks from established and emerging artists,” the company wrote.
As per the Post, stepping inside the palatial structure does not disappoint- with a majestic Portuguese limestone staircase which extends from the ground floor to the fourth, to the top where a small curved-glass dome fills the space with sunlight. The new flagship was designed by French Architecture firm RDAI. Part of the floor is tiled with the Hermès signature mosaic, and the walls are decorated with dozens of paintings, photographs and etchings dating back to the 19th century., as well as reproductions of iconic silk scarves. The boutique’s fifth floor atelier has five artisans ready for alterations and repairs specializing in different métiers.
The new store boasts exceptional customer service. It seems more like a five-star hotel than a store. The entrance has a concierge desk, and each floor has butler service, with seating options and refreshments throughout. The ground-floor has a coffee bar, the third floor has a Champagne bar and on the fourth floor there is a cocktail bar.
To celebrate the store’s opening, Hermès hosted the ultimate reception. Per the Post, using three city blocks it threw what resembled a street festival, complete with Champagne, caviar and over 1,000 special guest appearances– including Nicky Hilton Rothschild, Martha Stewart, Tory Burch and “Saturday Night Live” star Chloe Fineman.
The multimillion-dollar reception featured an original musical named “Love Around the Block,” commissioned by the company and performed by Broadway stars and a brass band. The posh crowd was treated to outdoor dining with Hermès-wrapped food trucks serving legendary New York dishes. The festivities culminated with dancing throughout the night at an underground nightclub in a former Hermès boutique.
