LOUBOUTIN STEPS IN SAN FRANCISCO: Christian Louboutin will open his first San Francisco boutique this week at 29 Maiden Lane. The cobblestone pedestrian street in the Union Square shopping district is home to Prada, Chanel, Marc Jacobs and Tory Burch, among others. “I like towns where people take the time to walk in the street, and San Francisco is a beautiful city with beautiful architecture. I was conquered by this location,” said Louboutin, who worked with New York-based architecture firm 212Box.
The 1,650-square-foot store represents a new design concept for the brand, one that draws inspiration from the city’s thriving art culture and architecture. The steel, stone and glass facade leads to women’s and men’s salons with high ceilings and a reclaimed tin mosaic wall. Merchandise is displayed on truss shelves set against custom pleated wall panels. The two salons are divided by folding blackened steel gates that allow the spaces to become one. A one-way mirror allows the female shoppers glimpses into the men’s lounge.
“It is a type of peepshow. Sometimes men make fun of women shopping, so now women can do it, too,” said Louboutin. The San Francisco unit is Louboutin’s sixth West Coast store. Next to open are a store in Atlanta and the brand’s third location in India, in Bombay.