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Fashion Island in Newport Beach is a lovely outdoor shopping center with noted restaurants and inviting boutiques—including the ever-popular Alo. And the new Pendry Newport Beach and VEA resort invite locals and visitors to indulge and be pampered with luxury amenities.
But for iconic global brands, take a short trip over to South Coast Plaza, which just announced the grand opening of newly designed and expanded boutiques for Bvlgari, Cartier, and Gucci, as well a new boutique for Lanvin, the oldest operating French couture house.
The nearly simultaneous debut of these stores for iconic global brands makes this one of the most transformative times in the history of South Coast Plaza.
Bvlgari has debuted a dramatic 5,000-square-foot boutique. Its modern design concept pays tribute to Rome’s rich heritage. Inside, guests will discover a dedicated men’s watches section, private shopping salons, and an array of Bvlgari handbags.
The South Coast Plaza flagship introduces the first-ever Bvlgari Lounge in North America—a chic bar and café offering light refreshments.
“I think there is a Bvlgari before and a Bvlgari after South Coast Plaza,” CEO of Bvlgari North America, Herve Perrot, said about the new boutique. “You will see that when you visit the store. This is quite impressive.”
Cartier has completed the expansion of its newly-designed boutique. The 8,000-square-foot flagship has been thoroughly re-imagined from the exterior to the lush salons inside the boutique. The overall design pairs modern shapes with the Maison’s timeless design codes and a touch of whimsical details, including references to Orange County’s beach culture.
“We are thrilled to reopen our doors and invite new and familiar faces to visit Cartier South Coast Plaza,” says Walter Bolognino, President & CEO of Cartier North America. “The boutique feels like an extension of the stunning Orange County landscape and is reflective of the casual elegance of its community.”
Gucci has unveiled a newly expanded boutique spanning two floors, offering a wider selection from the House’s collections. The 17,500-square-foot flagship store’s interior design features custom marble flooring with geometric shapes drawing inspiration from designs found in historic buildings.
Clean lines and understated tones are complemented by soft rich fabrics adorning the walls, along with ivory boiserie acting as a delicate backdrop to the items on display, including dedicated areas for the Gucci Valigeria travel collection on both levels. The boutique will also feature exclusive items only available at South Coast Plaza, including precious leather handbags.
Lanvin has also opened a new boutique at South Coast Plaza which follows the architectural concept by Bernard Dubois that debuted last summer with the opening of a Madison Avenue flagship on New York City’s Upper East Side. After Madison Avenue, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Seoul and Riyadh, South Coast Plaza is the sixth boutique to open with Dubois’ bold vision of a retail architecture for Lanvin.
Drawing inspiration from the Neoclassical and Art Deco movements — two periods integral to the house’s heritage – Dubois has established a new vocabulary for the architecture and interiors of Lanvin. Elements of classical architecture including enfilades, symmetries, columns and architraves are carefully interpreted throughout. Ornamentation is spare and precise. The result is a majestic context for the renewed exuberance and chic of France’s oldest continually operating couture house.
The new South Coast Plaza boutique, spanning 1,540 square feet, showcases environmentally friendly elements, including a natural clay-based material, marmorino, that recalls the landscapes of southern France. The boutique is entirely framed by it, transmitting a striking organic modernity to the space. Embracing principles of circular economy and energy conservation, recyclable aluminum panels and next generation lighting feature throughout.
‘Lanvin’s retail approach is purposeful: we are focused on identifying opportunities to showcase the new universe of the house uniquely and dynamically across womenswear, menswear, all product categories,” said Siddhartha Shukla, Lanvin Deputy General Manager.
For more information, visit www.southcoastplaza.com.
