CHANEL NEW BOUTIQUE IN HOLT RENFREW IS A STUNNER

-Image courtesy of CHANEL–

On November 21, 2019, CHANEL opened a new shopping address in Montreal, expanding its presence at Holt Renfrew Ogilvy in the heart of the city’s downtown area. The new boutique offers an impressive street-front façade and showcases the unique universe of CHANEL with Ready-to-Wear, handbags, shoes, costume jewellery and eyewear as well as a selection of Watches & Fine Jewellery. The boutique will launch with the CHANEL Cruise 2020 collection created by Artistic Director of Fashion Collections, Virginie Viard.

-Image courtesy of CHANEL–

Designed by longtime CHANEL collaborator architect Peter Marino, the new boutique embodies CHANEL’s iconic codes – seamlessly blending strength and softness, modernity and timelessness. The interior spaces showcase exceptional custom fabrics in the House’s emblematic tweeds which adorn Peter Marino designed chairs and furnishings along with silk and wool carpeting, created specifically for the Montreal boutique. Hand-applied, textured wall finishes in custom ‘moongold’ and coromandel tones catch the eye, while CHANEL’s iconic black, white, and gold create an alluring degree of contrast between dark and light.

-Image courtesy of CHANEL–

The aesthetic codes of the House are understated yet identifiable throughout.

At 310 square metres, the boutique doubles the space offered at its former location. In addition to a new street-front presence on rue de la Montagne, a main entrance to the boutique is accessed on the first floor of Holt Renfrew Ogilvy. A high-ceiled atrium at the entrance offers visitors an airy yet inviting reception, with twin grand staircases flanking an impressive display of Ready-to-Wear.

To the left, clients will find the first accessory salon in a setting of black and white, CHANEL’s iconic colours, accented with gold. Dedicated to costume jewellery and handbags, it features an array of styles, from seasonal reinterpretations of the 2.55, 11.12, Boy CHANEL, CHANEL’s Gabrielle and the newly introduced CHANEL 19 handbag. Named for the year in which the bag was born, 2019, marking a new era and a new icon, the CHANEL 19 bag bears the essence of the House and its codes.

-Image courtesy of CHANEL–

To the right, the latest creations by CHANEL Watches & Fine Jewellery including pieces from the COCO CRUSH collection, as well as a selection of iconic watches, such as the BOY.FRIEND, CODE COCO and the J12 are presented in glass cabinets. Elegantly showcased directly above the display is a specially- commissioned artwork by Hugo McCloud, comprising patina, oil stick, and solder on solid bronze sheet, mounted on aluminum frame.

-Image courtesy of CHANEL–

Along the twin staircases leading to the upper floor of the boutique, visitors will encounter custom designed flat roman shades, arranged in irregular vertical and horizontal seaming, and walls enriched with textured ‘moongold’ plaster finishes. Ascending the staircase to the left brings clients to a second accessory salon, this time dedicated to small leather goods, eyewear, and other accessories, inviting clients to discover the latest novelties of the season. The staircase to the right leads to the shoe salon, highlighted by gold leaf textured wall panels and embellished with a white stone coffee table, which offers a large assortment, from the eponymous two-tone slingback and ballerina flats to heels and sneakers, including fashion highlights of the season such as the graphic two-tone shoes in pop colours first seen on the runway in Paris.

On the upper level, to the right of the shoe salon is the Ready-to-Wear salon, designed to offer the sense of visiting a private residence, and reflecting the intimacy of Mademoiselle Chanel’s legendary apartment at 31 rue Cambon in Paris. A sofa covered in custom-woven fabrics in black, gold and coromandel tones stands gracefully beside a club chair dressed in a refined dusty red, beige, black and gold ensemble.

Three custom Peter Marino-designed tables complete the space, including two blackened bronze textured side tables, and a coffee table with an oil-quenched steel base and an oil gilded ‘moongold’ leaf glass top. Delicately sitting atop the coffee table is a ‘Black Belt by Peter Marino’ Venini vase, made from hand blown Murano glass with black banding, adding the perfect, detailed touch to this elegant and sophisticated environment.

The north side of the Ready-to-Wear salon transitions to a lobby and two fitting rooms, featuring artworks such as a canvas pasted with hand-cut paper by Fernando Daza, a camellia collage by Peter Dayton, and a black and white camellia triptych.

The opening of this new boutique promises visitors a refined shopping experience in Montreal and offers a special invitation to discover the world of CHANEL – a world which always delights with new and exceptional creations, while staying true to the rich history of the House.