Hermès held the formal launch for its first stand-alone store in India — and the first street-level store by any luxury brand in the entire country.
Most brands open in five-star hotels as well as the two luxury malls for example Emporio Armani in New Delhi and UB City in Bengaluru, and have long complained that the retail ambience in India is not ready for luxury.
“This is the perfect way for Hermès to make its presence in India,” said Patrick Thomas, the company’s chief executive officer. “It is symbolic of the relationship of the brand to India, to be Indian in India and to share some activities with our customers.”
The 5,000-square-foot store, which had a soft opening in July in the midst of the monsoon season in Mumbai, was designed by RDAI, the Parisian architectural agency. Its stone exterior is embellished with arches and six windows positioned atop the Greek meander frieze patterns characteristic of Hermès. Spread over two floors, the store has a series of large connecting rooms with the first devoted to accessories, a room at the back housing ready-to-wear for men and women and an imposing stone staircase that leads to an art gallery on the second floor.
W: http://www.hermes.com
From the archive · Fashion · 17 October 2011