Saks Fifth Avenue Introduces a Fine Art Collection
Saks Fifth Avenue wants to become a destination for fine art.
The luxury retailer has unveiled a fine art collection consisting of more than 100 limited-edition contemporary print works from notable artists. The collection, available at Saks.com and select Saks Fifth Avenue stores, features various printmaking techniques, as well as exclusive editions. Additional pieces by more artists will launch in the coming season.
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Retailers have continuously mixed fashion and fine art at their stores. For the past two years, Bergdorf Goodman has partnered with the Chairish Art Gallery. This year’s gallery was open until April 8 and featured a special collection of more than 300 original artworks from 30 artists across five themed galleries. The Spaceless Gallery also popped up twice at Bergorf’s, and the retailer partnered with the Kaleidoscope Project to exhibit art from the New York-based nonprofit focused on supporting young artists. Neiman Marcus sells fine art as well.
The Saks assortment features print works from established artists, including Sol LeWitt, Eva Lootz, Alex Katz, Donald Sultan, Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Rafael Canogar Gomez, among others. The pieces incorporate various printmaking techniques such as lithography, engraving, silkscreen printing and photography. Each piece is numbered and signed by the artist, and several editions within the assortment are exclusive to Saks, including Kcho, “Archipielago, III,” 2004 and Xavier Ribas Sorolla, “El mèdol V,” 2006.
Saks purchased the artwork within the curated assortment. Prices retail from $600 to $10,650, and select pieces currently available in store range up to $34,000.
“Fashion and art are two highly coveted categories within the luxury space, and we’re thrilled to introduce a fine art curation,” said Tracy Margolies, chief merchandising officer at Saks. “Our customers seek Saks’ fresh perspective and luxury edit, and we are excited for them to discover this inspiring assortment. Appealing to both art enthusiasts and collectors alike, Saks is opening a new door for artists to reach a luxury audience.”
The Gallery at Saks’ flagship.
The fine art assortment is available now on Saks.com and Saks store locations in New York and Beverly Hills, with additional stores to be introduced later this fall including Boca Raton and Brickell in Florida; Chicago; Houston; The American Dream Mall in East Rutherford, N.J.; and San Francisco. Select stores will add dedicated art advisers to the team, and some stores will feature a pop-up gallery space that displays a curated selection of pieces, coupled with a digital catalog of the full assortment.
Whether in-store or at home, customers can visualize select pieces of art from the assortment in 3D by scanning a QR code or using the “See in Your Space” feature on a mobile device. The augmented reality experience provides a real-time, immersive and true-to-scale preview, allowing customers to see how the various pieces can fit and enhance their environment before making a purchase.
Now through Oct. 11, Saks will showcase select pieces from the collection within the retailer’s window at the Saks Fifth Avenue New York flagship. The artwork serves as a backdrop to the curation of the season’s latest fashion trends inspired by the art.
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