TEXT GRACE TROFA / PHOTOS WORLD RED EYE
Hermes has relocated from the Bal Harbor Mall and created a new 20,000 square foot site. This new flagship store will dedicate a larger space to its men’s collection and shoes and will also carry fine jewels, watches and home collections including furniture. Cartier, which has had a presence in Miami for more
The area wants to replicate the scenery of New York´s Soho and MeatPacking District in Miami. than 30 years, has also moved into a 4, 331sq ft space, 3,000 of which are devoted just to retail. Display cases trimmed in bronze, wood floors and private viewing rooms are just some of the features in the newly opened store, joining Celine as another newcomer to the area. In the next few months, in time for the holiday season, Hermès, Dior Homme and Louis Vuitton will open their doors to eager shoppers anxious to experience the new Design District, destined to be a huge success JAN · FEB 2013
ACRA is creating a mixed use of retail in the urban community of Miami’s vibrant Design District. In partnership with L. Real Estate, a Paris based investment fund backed by the French luxury giant, Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy, they have an agreement to bring 11 luxury brands to the neighborhood, luring some stores from the luxury Bal Harbor Mall. Among the brands scheduled to open now or in the new future are Dior, Fendi, Bulgari, Pucci, Hermès and Celine creating a Miami version of New York’s So-Ho and Meatpacking District. The ambitious plan is to create an open air, pedestrian passageway, lined with luxury retailers and cafes from NE38th St to NE42nd.
In the last several years the area has been transformed into an interior décor and art gallery mecca, with Fendi and Armani, among the many established names, with sleek shops in the district carrying their furniture line.
Restaurants such as the contemporary, edgy Sugarcane and Michael Genuine have an established clientele and draw large crowds on weekends. The district has in place a monthly gallery night that brings visitors over the bridge from South Beach, not an easy feat with this discerning group, accustomed to the latest and hippest trends in the art world. During Art Basel in December the Design District is the place to be for edgy, non-conformist art, buzzing with energy as gallery crowds spill out into the streets.