Balenciaga is continuing to add to its retail footprint.
Today, the luxury house will open a stand-alone store at The Mall at Millenia in Orlando, Fla. The 4,220-square-foot unit will offer a full range of men’s and women’s ready-to-wear, shoes, bags, accessories, eyewear and jewelry.
Similar to its other new stores, the Orlando unit will be in the brand’s experiential Raw Architecture design concept, which is intended to be reminiscent of construction sites and abandoned spaces. It is built using existing elements, resulting in fewer raw materials, a move that keeps with Balenciaga’s commitment to sustainability.
Rectilinear concrete panels interspersed with large glass panes are used for the storefront. Inside, cement walls, matte-iron tables and poured concrete floors are complemented by gray curtains along the perimeter — highlighting the store’s monochromatic palette.
Exposed ceiling grids, hanging steel railings, nondirectional steel shelves and recessed display areas provide an industrial quality that is softened by plush recycled leather benches and gray tufted carpeting.
In December, the company opened a unit in Austin, Tex., as well as a 10,000-square-foot store in Shanghai’s HKRI Taikoo Hui shopping mall, its largest in China. Other new units include a U.S. flagship on Greene Street in New York City’s SoHo neighborhood that opened in early September.
The Mall at Millenia opened in 2002 and houses more than 150 retailers. It is anchored by Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale’s and Macy’s and a high-end section on the second floor, where Balenciaga will be located, which includes Bulgari, Prada, Gucci, Tiffany, Dior, Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Saint Laurent and Burberry.
On Thursday, Gucci revealed that Demna, the current Balenciaga designer, will be exiting the brand to join Gucci as creative director. His last show for Balenciaga will be an haute couture show on July 9. Both brands are owned by Kering.
