EXCLUSIVE: Why Saint Laurent Is Heading to the Champs-élysées
“I wanted to realize one of Yves Saint Laurent’s wishes when he arrived in Paris and said he wanted his name to be written in fiery letters on the Champs-élysées.”
So says Anthony Vaccarello, creative director of the house of Saint Laurent, who is fulfilling that wish with the striking, mirrored hoarding that foreshadows a major opening on the avenue planned for summer 2023.
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According to the house, the designer expressed that ambition in 1983, when the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York hosted a major Yves Saint Laurent exhibition — the first retrospective of a living couturier’s work.
The forthcoming unit at 123 Avenue des Champs-élysées marks the latest expansion vector for the Kering-owned fashion house in its hometown.
In 2019, the brand opened Saint Laurent Rive Droite, a new retail format selling everything from Jean Prouvé chairs to Saint Laurent-branded condoms in the iconic location on Rue Saint-Honoré previously occupied by concept store Colette.
“The Champs-élysées is surely a point of reference for locals, either based in Paris or in the rest of France, on top of being a touristic destination for foreigners coming from abroad,” said Francesca Bellettini, chief executive officer of Saint Laurent, disclosing the thinking behind the retail opening in an exclusive interview with WWD. “Guaranteeing Saint Laurent’s outstanding presence in this venue marks an important milestone for the maison, which definitely deserves to be represented in this iconic Parisian location.”
Despite multiple challenges for the celebrated thoroughfare in recent years, it remains a magnet for luxury brands, with Moncler and Dior, Saint Laurent’s next-door neighbors, among recent arrivals.
Before the pandemic, the Champs-élysées drew 100,000 people a day, with 71 percent of traffic coming from tourists, according to a study commissioned by the Comité des Champs-élysées, which is working to rejuvenate the street, which is billed as the most beautiful avenue in the world, but has a poor image locally.
Footfall on the avenue plunged by 44 percent between March 2020 and March 2021, a study by Cushman & Wakefield and MyTraffic found. That made it one of the more resilient high streets in Europe, as London’s Oxford Street recorded a 71 percent drop, while Gran Via in Madrid was down 63 percent, the report said.
And after a tough few years, which included demonstrations by anti-government gilets jaunes protesters and several rounds of pandemic-related closures, there are signs that business is picking up.
Saint Laurent is taking up a space previously occupied by a restaurant, a small store and offices, making the unit the French brand’s largest in Paris.
Asked if she was concerned about the dearth of visitors to Paris, once flush with tourists from China, Russia, the U.S and elsewhere, Bellettini was sanguine.
HERVE ABBADIE
“At Saint Laurent, we have always been very focused on the local clientele in every market, because if you conquer people in their own country, they seek of you even when traveling,” she said. “This strategy has always helped us succeed, and it has been even more valuable during this particular time.”
Indeed, she noted that “the brand continues to grow compared to 2019, despite the lack of tourism. We have a very strong growth in locals in every market. We have seen growth in our physical stores and digital channels.”
The executive credited “retail excellence, outstanding service and an unmatched customer experience” for driving that growth.
“The Champs-élysées store will surely enhance an holistic connection with the brand, attracting both locals and, when they resume, tourists,” she added.
Comparable sales at Saint Laurent were up 28.1 percent in the third quarter of 2021 version the prior year, with Kering touting “outstanding” momentum in North America and Western Europe.
As of June 30, the Saint Laurent network comprises 251 directly operated stores, reflecting Bellettini’s belief that physical stores still have an important role to play, even in an increasingly digital world.
“We see many opportunities in our current stores, in selected enlargements and — as in this case — in new openings,” she said, arguing that “there is no complete brand experience without physical stores and an omnichannel approach.”
She noted that customer response “to the Saint Laurent store experience is very strong and we attract an outstanding mix of clients to the Saint Laurent universe. As we look to the future, we will continue to invest in both brick-and-mortar and e-commerce.”
The brand is keeping under wraps its intentions for the sprawling Champs-élysées site, which is to showcase the brand’s complete product universe.
The mirrored hoarding is to remain in place throughout the duration of the construction works.
SEE ALSO:
Champs-élysées Is Open for Business, as Pandemic Effects Ease
Saint Laurent Debuts New Retail Format in Former Colette Location
Saint Laurent Dabbles in Ceramics
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