The following story is taken from VMSD, INSTORE’s sister publication for retail store design and visual merchandising professionals. Visit VMSD.com or subscribe here.
LUXURY JEWELRY AND WATCH company Boucheron (Paris) recently opened its Shanghai flagship, marking the brand’s first location in China.
The flagship is housed in a restored 19th-century shikumen townhouse – a historic architectural style in Shanghai that blends traditional Chinese aesthetics with Western design.
PHOTO GALLERY: BOUCHERON’S SHANGHAI FLAGSHIP (4 IMAGES)
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF KERING/BOUCHERON
The interior of the 2992-square-foot retail space continues to bridge East and West through design. Art deco motifs and Boucheron’s signature emerald green can be found alongside shades of red, the color of luck in Chinese culture. The flagship’s layout abides by Feng Shui, harmonizing the flow of movement and energy.
The flagship’s design also took cues from Boucheron founder Frédéric Boucheron’s passion for the natural world. The entrance features a lush, flourishing garden with a gazebo emulating the design of 19th-century glass-and-iron conservatories. Meanwhile, the flagship’s second entrance is designed after a traditional Chinese garden, including a moon gate, sculpted rocks, flowing water features and stone mosaics.
The space also showcases works by numerous artists and artisans, such as Xiaojing Yan, Claire Nicolet, Olga Thune-Larsen and Inkgo Lam Ka Yu.
“This opening isn’t an end point – it’s a stepping stone,” Boucheron CEO Hélène Poulit-Duquesne says in a company statement about the flagship’s opening. “We’ll continue to invest, to build cultural bridges and to offer memorable experiences, with the constant goal of living up to Frédéric Boucheron’s visionary spirit and pursuing our long-term expansion in China.”
