PARIS — Moschino is the latest addition to the red-hot designer stretch on Rue Saint-Honoré in Paris, with a store that marks the introduction of a fresh retail concept, which will roll out soon to locations worldwide.
The 2,900-square-foot boutique, located a stone’s throw from the Mandarin Oriental hotel near Chloé, Alexander McQueen and Coach, was designed by architect Fabio Ferrillo together with Moschino creative director Jeremy Scott as an evolution of the white art gallery-inspired design the brand unveiled in Los Angeles in 2015.
In recent years, Moschino has become known for its stark white boutiques featuring large-form installations of oversize cola cans, stilettos and handbags, which have drawn in passersby eager to capture the scene for Instagram.
The white walls and clean aesthetic are still there, but are enhanced by a custom lighting system developed with Italian specialist Flos that gives a warmer glow to surfaces ranging from satin-finish steel shelves to rose granite and translucent resin elements.
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A curved staircase links the two floors of the 18th-century building, where an oversized Plexiglas and neon handbag installation sits near the door. Black matelassé leather sofas dot the space, including a customizable area with sliding doors on the first floor that can host temporary events or be turned into a VIP space.
Gabriele Maggio, general manager of Moschino, said the idea was to encourage repeat visits.
“It’s no longer enough just to present the collection. We want to interact a lot with the customer, and to create activities in the store is the best way to engage them and then to make them become also your ambassador of the brand,” the former Gucci executive told WWD.
“The store becomes a box where you need to have fun, you need to be surprised every time you come, not only because of the new collection but also because of the new display, the new layout, the new concept that you can propose in a store month by month,” he added.
Maggio has had his eye on the coveted stretch of Rue Saint-Honoré for seven years, watching it become a new luxury epicenter in the wake of the opening last year of a Louis Vuitton flagship on neighboring Place Vendôme, to be followed shortly by a renovated Chanel store and an expanded Dior flagship nearby.
In keeping with its tony neighbors, the store carries only the brand’s more upscale Moschino Couture ready-to-wear and accessories.
Its historic store on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, less than half a mile down the road, also offers the more accessibly priced Love Moschino and Boutique Moschino collections. That location has been blighted by traffic issues, since cars and pedestrians are frequently banned from the area surrounding the Elysée presidential palace.
Maggio said the store design would next appear in units set to open in South Korea and China by yearend. Stores in London, Rome, Los Angeles and New York will also be refurbished.
As part of its planned U.S. expansion, Moschino is due to open a store in Miami next year. It’s looking for a new location in Los Angeles to potentially relocate or open a second store. In New York City, the brand plans to retain its store on Wooster Street while expanding its presence Midtown through department store corners or a second unit.
There are plenty of events in the pipeline to animate the stores. Maggio revealed that Moschino will launch a women’s fragrance at its show on Sept. 20 during Milan Fashion Week, and its collaboration with Swedish high-street chain H&M will be unveiled at an event in New York in October, before hitting stores on Nov. 8.
Revenues at Moschino totaled 230 million euros in 2017, up 11.7 percent on the previous year, in line with growth at parent company Aeffe SpA, which also controls the Alberta Ferretti, Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini and Pollini brands, and produces and distributes collections for Cédric Charlier and Jeremy Scott.