Chanel has significantly expanded its presence at Bloomingdale’s.
The brand will reveal its newly designed and expanded boutique Wednesday at the Bloomingdale’s 59th Street flagship in New York City. Designed in collaboration with longtime Chanel partner and New York-based architect Peter Marino, the 4,260-square-foot boutique now extends across two levels — floors four and five.
The project took about 10 months, but all the Chanel departments were fully operational during the construction.
The reimagined space brings together all the fashion categories, as well as highlights of watches and fine jewelry, offering clients an immersive experience into the world of Chanel.
Chanel has renovated its space at Bloomingdale’s flagship.
Rebekah McCabe, general manager of fashion at Chanel, considers Bloomingdale’s the “loyal beginning” of the Chanel customer’s journey, and finds that mothers and daughters and families shop together there on the East Side. “They have a highly devoted and loyal clientele and this idea of discovery reinforces the role of Bloomingdale’s in our ecosystem in New York. I think they’re almost like a trusted guide and offer an assortment throughout their building that their loyal clients really love,” said McCabe.
Asked whether the devoted Chanel customer is more apt to shop at a freestanding Chanel store or a department store, McCabe said, “We always think that there is a central part of the Chanel experience that happens in our boutiques. But, you know, all of our boutiques we run and operate. That allows the client to choose their location. Each location has its own assortment and its own discovery and unique experience. So we really allow the client to choose her journey with us. They have the benefit of being serviced by Chanel throughout all of our touch points because we operate our distribution,” she said.
The renovated space includes a staircase leading up to the fifth floor Chanel footwear department.
Courtesy of Chanel
Previously Chanel’s space on the fourth floor was 1,842 square feet.
Marino has created a unique space that is very “client and service-centric,” said McCabe. What is interesting about this new layout “was it allows for fashion discovery while it also connects you to the dedicated shoe salon on the fifth floor,” she said. “So that way, the clients can be serviced with the complete Chanel allure, but also be able to access shoes directly from our space. So in terms of this loyal beginning and this belief in the full Chanel silhouette, we love the accessibility and connection to the shoe department as well,” she said.
Once the customer goes up the steps, she enters the dedicated Chanel footwear space on Bloomingdale’s multibrand footwear fifth floor.
The Chanel space will open with the cruise collection, including ready-to-wear, shoes, leather goods, other accessories, costume jewelry and handbags. There will also be a representation of runway looks and key jackets. In shoes, the department features runway and non-runway leather goods. There aren’t any exclusives for Bloomingdale’s.
Handbags and accessories in the new Chanel department at Bloomingdale’s.
Courtesy of Chanel
McCabe stressed that Chanel makes each of its stores unique. Their strategy is “one boutique, one story,” so Chanel buys specifically for that boutique with their own selection and assortment. “This allows the customer to both discover and nourish her Chanel experience,” she said. The Chanel boutique in the Lexington Avenue Arcade will continue to feature handbags.
McCabe noted that Chanel has a “really robust department store business.” This is the company’s only point-of-sale for Bloomingdale’s, with the full silhouette. Only Chanel fragrance and beauty is sold on bloomingdales.com.
The Chanel boutique at Bloomingdale’s has five total salons: Two for ready-to-wear, two accessory and one for shoes, and three try-on rooms. “One is a VIP full suite with a living area alongside a separate try-on room,” she said.
Accessories at the renovated Chanel space at Bloomingdale’s.
Corutesy of Chanel
McCabe said she couldn’t divulge sales expectations, “but I’m certain it will be successful.”
Denise Magid, chief merchant at Bloomingdale’s, said, “We’re thrilled to unveil Bloomingdale’s first-ever two-story Chanel boutique — an extraordinary expression of luxury, innovation and timeless style. This remarkable opening marks an exciting milestone in our long-standing partnership with Chanel and represents a significant moment in the continued evolution of the Bloomingdale’s shopping experience and assortment.”
Magid said this is the first time that the retailer has had a designer boutique of this size within Bloomingdale’s — and “certainly our first-ever two-story shop.”
She said that “as part of Bloomingdale’s broader vision, we are reimagining the customer experience, beginning with the transformation of our iconic 59th Street flagship.”
The two-level boutique draws inspiration from Gabrielle Chanel’s legendary apartment at 31 rue Cambon in Paris, infusing the signature codes of the house. The space has been reimagined with a contemporary vision, inviting clients into an intimate and sophisticated atmosphere.
Marino has designed the space in the house’s signature color palette of black, white and gold. The interior has hand-applied plaster finishes, bespoke carpets and custom furniture designed by Marino.
At the fourth-floor entrance, two adjoining salons house leather goods and accessories, leading to two ready-to-wear spaces with curated furniture and lighting. The first salon showcases a Monogold table by French artist Yves Klein alongside a Venini Black Belt vase by Marino. In the second, a custom coffee table with a coromandel floral top is complemented by a sculptural bronze volumetric chair by Voukenas Petrides and a custom Leather Stax blackened bronze lamp by Marino.
The renovated Chanel boutique at Bloomingdale’s.
Courtesy of Chanel.
Anchoring the back corner of the Chanel boutique is a grand staircase that connects the two floors. Just beyond its base is a discreetly located private fitting room suite. The space includes a living area, centered around a textured polished bronze coffee table with a black and gold decorative top, alongside a secluded try-on room.
On the fifth floor, a salon dedicated entirely to shoes is illuminated by an installation of four Venini Parallelo pendant lamps by Marino — crafted from hand-blown Murano glass. Two custom blackened steel tables with ivory limestone tops showcase the latest creations. Clients can also access the boutique directly from the fifth-floor entrance, where the multibrand department is located.
Reflecting Chanel’s longtime commitment to the arts, Marino selected the artworks that decorate the boutique. On the fourth floor, three fitting rooms are elevated by distinct pieces: a set of four lithographs on vellum parchment paper by Canadian American abstract painter Agnes Martin, a handmade ink painting by visual artist Alastair Gordon and in the private suite, a collage of gray, black and white camellias with golden accents by New York-based artist Peter Dayton.
The boutique will open with the Chanel cruise 2025/2026 collection, first revealed at the Villa d’Este on the shores of Lake Como. The collection features vibrant raspberry pink sets, refined knitwear, and gold-textured suiting.
Highlights from Chanel watches and fine jewelry include Coco Crush, J12, and Première with a spotlight on the new Première Galon.
