Balenciaga has reopened its official Beijing flagship store in the Taikoo Li Sanlitun complex in China. The newly renovated space is the brand's largest store yet, sitting in a four-story building across 1,204-square-meters.
Betting big on the Chinese market, this is the brand's largest store in the world and features an exhibition of eight archival looks from its The Subtleties of a Dialogue show at the Kering headquarters this last September in Paris. The store will sell the brand's latest ready-to-wear pieces for both men and women, as well as handbags, shoes, jewelry, eyewear and other accessories. Continuing to take on its futuristic and ghostly aesthetic, the store is void of any products. The concrete structures are the main highlight of the store, heightening the eerie atmosphere as the crumpled leather sofas add a softened touch to the space. The bare bones space follows a "raw architecture" concept, incorporating exposed ceiling grids, extruded aluminum shelving, retrofitted metal fixtures and textured concrete throughout to match the stone tiles. The house said that "the construction process respects existing construction elements, making it inherently sustainable by using fewer virgin materials."
On the top floor, the flagship features a private shopping suite, resembling that of Balenciaga's Couture Store in Paris. A nod to both the brand's founder Cristóbal Balenciaga and creative director Demna's love for architecturally complex structures, the space's monochromatic look pairs with the garment's emphatic lines and exaggerated shapes. The archival exhibit features couture gowns designed by each designer from the house. There is also an exclusive merch sale of oversized "Metalheads" t-shirts for the flagship. The opening of the store will also see six exclusive product launches to ring in the biggest retail space for the brand.
Balenciaga Beijing Taikoo Li Sanlitun
No.11 Sanlitun Road
Chaoyang District
Taikoo Li Sanlitun North
Beijing, 100027
China
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