Friends and neighbors were out in full force to toast Louis Vuitton’s completely redesigned SoHo boutique Thursday night.
The 10,000-square foot two-level store, at 116 Greene Street, was designed in a modern, streamlined and minimalist fashion to resemble an art gallery, with high ceilings, hand-painted columns and artwork prominently displayed throughout the store.
“When we were creating this art, the store was blocked off, so I’m happy it’s breathing inside this space,” said Japanese artist Shuji Mukai, who was commissioned to hand-paint the three columns, part of the floor and the ceiling. Speaking through an interpreter, Mukai said he always paints in black and white, but because it was Vuitton, he opted for dark brown and white. “It took one week to finish this art. I was always looking up. It’s almost overwhelming to see this huge space,” he said.
Marino, who is the store’s designer, said the hardest part was renovating the store while it remained open. It was done in two phases, closing off one half at a time. “It was a nightmare, it was really challenging,” he said. Marino said he was extremely happy with how it turned out, especially the fact that he was able to add lightness to
Follow WWD on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.
Read More…